Dairy Queen
The ice cream chain established in Illinois in 1940 is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s company. In addition, Dairy Queen purchased Orange Julius in 1987 and it was the new merged company that Buffett bought. Dairy Queen also has an international presence but it is struggling. It has small profit margins and high operating costs due to the many products the chain has to offer. Franchisees have also faced bankruptcy, with Vasari LLC as an example. In 2017, the company filed for bankruptcy and closed down 70 Dairy Queens.
Noodles & Company
Noodles & Co. is a fast food restaurant that is popular with people who love international and American pasta dishes. It was established by former Pepsi executive Aaron Kennedy, who raised money in 1995 from family and friends so that he could open the first restaurant in Denver, Colorado in the same year. Fast-forward to 2019, Noodles & Co. has 410 restaurants and branches internationally. The chain may have had some success, but it had to close down locations after it lost $72 million in 2018. Even though the company did get a loan, it wasn’t enough to stop closures.