# The Squeeze

> The Squeeze is a free, independent consumer advocacy site that tracks private equity ownership of consumer brands. Look up any brand to see if PE owns it — and what happened after the deal closed. Live at pesqueeze.com.

## Key Facts
- 83 PE-touched consumer brands with detailed profiles across 12 categories
- 49 PE firms on file (15 with detailed profile pages)
- 270 source citations — every claim is verified with 2+ sources
- PE Owned (40), On Watch (1), Formerly PE (40), Corporate-Acquired (2)
- Additional brands confirmed as Not PE or Unknown are searchable but don't have detail pages
- Database is editorially curated for documented consumer impact, not random sampling
- Data licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

## Categories
Restaurants (25), Retail & Shopping (20), Healthcare (8), Wellness & Personal Care (6), Grocery & Food (5), Entertainment (4), Pets (3), Hotels & Travel (3), Education & Childcare (3), Media & Tech (3), Auto & Car Care (2), Home & Housing (1)

## Pages

### Search & Browse
- [Homepage](https://pesqueeze.com): Search any brand by name — fuzzy search across companies and PE firms
- [Browse All](https://pesqueeze.com/browse): Browse by category with grid, list, and table views
- [Browse by Category](https://pesqueeze.com/browse/restaurant): Filter companies by sector

### Company Profiles (83 pages)
- Each page: ownership status, PE firm, acquisition year, deal details, consumer impacts, verified sources, related companies, FAQ
- Example: [Red Lobster](https://pesqueeze.com/company/red-lobster), [Toys R Us](https://pesqueeze.com/company/toys-r-us)

### PE Firm Profiles (15 pages)
- [All Firms](https://pesqueeze.com/firms): Ranked by portfolio size with radar firms listed separately
- Example: [Apollo Global](https://pesqueeze.com/firm/apollo-global), [Roark Capital](https://pesqueeze.com/firm/roark-capital)

### Learn
- [What is PE?](https://pesqueeze.com/what-is-pe): Consumer-friendly explainer — how private equity works, the typical pattern, why it matters
- [Learn the Lingo](https://pesqueeze.com/glossary): 33 PE jargon terms decoded in plain English
- [PE Impact Report](https://pesqueeze.com/report): Aggregate stats — status breakdown, sector coverage, top firms

### Contribute
- [Submit a Tip](https://pesqueeze.com/submit): Report a company for investigation

## Data Sources
- SEC filings, bankruptcy court records, news reporting (Reuters, Bloomberg, WSJ, NYT, AP)
- Industry publications (Restaurant Business, Grocery Dive, Modern Healthcare)
- Consumer advocacy organizations (PESP, Americans for Financial Reform)
- Company press releases and investor presentations

## Contact
- Website: https://pesqueeze.com
- Submit tips: https://pesqueeze.com/submit
- Support: https://ko-fi.com/pesqueeze