Matthew Liedke

Lower Saxony

Senior Reporter at Franchise Times Magazine

Sr. Writer @FranTimes. Film Critic. Member of @MNCritics and @LambThe. MN sports fan. @GoRainyRiver and @MSUMoorhead Alum. Retro game enjoyer

Articles

New Development Model Brings Avendelle Assisted Living to Pittsburgh

1 week ago | franchisetimes.com | Matthew Liedke

The next phase of franchise growth for Avendelle Assisted Living is coming via a partnership with a development firm that will own the building and lease it to new owners. Avendelle’s COO says the approach will help make the franchise investment feasible for more operators. As it aims to grow beyond its 20-unit footprint in Florida and North Carolina, Avendelle Assisted Living is incorporating a new strategy for expansion.
Frandata Touts Registry as Consistent Source Amid Possible Changes at SBA

1 week ago | franchisetimes.com | Matthew Liedke

With a changing SBA under a different administration and the ever-present importance of access to capital for franchisees, research firm Frandata is reminding brands to make a concerted effort to provide valuable insight to lenders via its registry. Franchising research firm Frandata established its Franchise Registry nearly 30 years ago, and with an evolving lending landscape, it provides another option for franchisors to validate themselves to lenders.
Hand & Stone to Expand Dallas Footprint With Multi-Unit Deal

1 week ago | franchisetimes.com | Matthew Liedke

Massage brand Hand & Stone is adding to its 27-unit presence in the Dallas market with the signing of a deal for three locations. Joining the brand is a group new to franchising but with a mix of business experience. Hand & Stone, a concept providing both massage and skincare services, established a strong presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with 27 open spas. There’s plenty of potential for more, though, as brand leadership sees an opportunity to double the number of locations in the market.
REVIEW: ‘A Working Man’ is entirely mundane

2 weeks ago | liedkeonfilm.com | Matthew Liedke

Bring back the bees, please. Director David Ayer and actor Jason Statham team up again for “A Working Man” after partnering for last year’s film “The Beekeeper.” Unlike last time where he was a retired special ops guy-turned beekeeper, Statham now plays a former commando-turned construction worker. Statham’s character, Levon, works for a kind family and is trying to rebuild his own situation after the death of his wife.
REVIEW: ‘Snow White’ is an aggressively mediocre remake

2 weeks ago | liedkeonfilm.com | Matthew Liedke

Hi ho, hi ho, a walk through the uncanny valley we go. The latest adaptation of the “Snow White” story and the most recent in a string of live action remakes of classic Disney animated features stars Rachel Zegler in the titular role. After the loss of her mother, Snow White, a princess, sees her father get remarried to a mysterious woman (Gal Gadot).
BNI Restarts U.S. Franchising After Decade-long Break

2 weeks ago | franchisetimes.com | Matthew Liedke

After a nearly decade-long pause in U.S. franchise development, BNI is ready to once again offer ownership opportunities. The referral brand’s leadership said while a lot of territories have been sold, there’s still more white space for expansion. Nearly 10 years ago, Business Network International, or BNI, reached what was thought to be capacity in the United States, leading to a stoppage in franchising.
Former Jimmy John’s Franchisees Pursue New Protein Bar & Kitchen Venture

2 weeks ago | franchisetimes.com | Matthew Liedke

Former Jimmy John’s and Nothing Bundt Cakes owner Cody Selman and his wife, Jamie Little, a longtime NASCAR correspondent, discovered their new franchise venture in Protein Bar & Kitchen. The couple signed on with the health-centric brand to open three Indianapolis units. When they were ready to start a family, Jamie Little and her husband, Cody Selman, also felt it was time for a new career plan.
REVIEW: Soderbergh’s ‘Black Bag’ is a satisfactory spy flick

3 weeks ago | liedkeonfilm.com | Matthew Liedke

Talk about a power couple. In the latest film from director Steven Soderbergh, Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett play a married couple who both work in British Intelligence as elite spies. At the outset of the film, Fassbender’s character George is informed that a secret piece of tech has been leaked and one of the suspects behind it is his wife, Kathryn.
REVIEW: ‘Last Breath’ is deep on suspense, shallow elsewhere

3 weeks ago | liedkeonfilm.com | Matthew Liedke

This film is somewhat paradoxical in that it gets about as low as you can go in terms of depth, but isn’t exactly deep. In 2019 director Alex Parkinson released the documentary “Last Breath.” The film centered on an incident where a deep-sea diver tasked with repairing pipes was nearly lost when his umbilical cable snapped and he was left on the ocean floor. Parkinson has now followed that up with a feature length narrative film.
REVIEW: ‘Mickey 17’ is a clumsy creation from Bong Joon-ho

3 weeks ago | liedkeonfilm.com | Matthew Liedke

Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to “Parasite” is unfortunately, no awards contender. The latest from the South Korean filmmaker is a dark sci-fi action-comedy centered on the character Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson). Needing to flee Earth because of a loan shark, Mickey boarded a spacecraft to a new planet, and took a job known as Expendable, where he does repairs in awful conditions.