Book excerpt: This dissertation is an analytical study about the hospitality industry in Lebanon, and most particularly the restaurant sector. This industry is one of the country's most vital assets and it generates an impressive income throughout the year because it is directly related with tourism. The main objective of this dissertation is to study the effect of external political and security factors on the restaurant sector's performance. We discovered that political stability is crucial to the life and evolution of this specific area of local business. Furthermore, international and regional crises have always had an indirect effect on this sector. These facts will be reviewed and commented through "Nando's'' case study. We will analyze the evolution of its financial performance while reflecting on key political and stability factors on both the local and international scenes. Literature review and theories about restaurant management, as well as about franchising, are provided in the course of our research.