i personally don’t think MF is having cash flow problems. I have seen a few contracts they have with some of the major burger chains and they make a significant amount not only per shop, but per set of shops. I can only imagine that they have similar contracts with other companies.
That being said, my guess is that they switched payment vendors or payment software. Some of the new programs run the data and provide companies the most optimal time to clear the payable account. They could also stagger their payments across a time frame.
That being said, I got paid on 5/20 for my shops. I have been shopping for MF for about 5 years with no complaints about timeliness of pay.