A question, out of curiousity

I wonder whether they lease the equipment as it stands. It might have proven fairly useful financially and strategically to spin off an equipment manufacturing company that exclusively built and leased the equipment to the retail company. Then, they could get a strong position in the equipment side of the business and thus sell to their competitors. In which case, with store closures, the equipment could be returned to the manufacturing/leasing company who could then easily redirect the equipment by leasing to other coffee companies.

But, that would be my novice entrepeneurial way of looking at it. I have no evidence to substantiate this.

Cheers

Cyanide