Norman Levine Recipe Unlimited Corporation RECP-T BUY Mar 15, 2018

Same store sales suffered when people weren't going out to restaurants in western Canada. They made some interesting acquisitions in Quebec and Ontario. They most recently purchased The Keg. He likes the stock here.

Formerly, Cara Operations. It has been a turnaround stock that faced headwinds with falling oil prices in Alberta. They have improved with a good acquisition in Quebec and recently purchased Hy’s Steak Houses across Canada. Same restaurant sales have been growing and they have invested in the ambience of the locations and he thinks that will attract patrons.

(A Top Pick Oct 25/17, Up 13%) Shortly after he was on they did an acquisition of The Keg and that will work out well for them. He has taken some profits and now thinks there is better value out there. He would take profits.

They are one of the largest restaurant operators in Canada. Their portfolio of brands is very hard to replicate. They have started to grow same store sales. They will continue to try to be acquisitive. (Analysts’ target: $32.61).

(A Top Pick September 27, 2017. Up 22%). This was called Cara. It owns Swiss Chalet and is the largest restaurant chain in Canada. The company suffered after he bought it because of the downturn in the economy in Alberta. Restaurants are heavily dependent on growth in same-store sales, which suffer in a downturn. Recipe Unlimited countered this in three smart ways: (1) They bought St-Hubert in Quebec, which diversified their market and gave them a strong brand; (2) They bought the Keg, which moved them upscale with a very good growth profile; (3) They brought in a new CEO with a very good track record. The company is still Ontario-centric, but much less than it used to be.

(A top pick October 25/17, up 10%) Name changed when they amalgamated with other restaurant brands. He likes this space. Consumer spending in this space is high. At this point, he would look at diversifying out of this and buying some other names that are down 15 or 20%.