Baird analyst David Tarantino said Sonic's (SONC) agreement to be acquired by Inspire Brands, which also bought Buffalo Wild Wings last year, underscores that private equity firms continue to have interest in putting money to work in the restaurant sector, which he thinks could help to put a floor on the valuations of publicly-traded restaurant stocks. Among the stocks in the sector that he covers, Tarantino views Jack in the Box (JACK), El Pollo Loco (LOCO), Chuy's (CHUY), Habit Restaurants (HABT) and Potbelly (PBPB) as among those that theoretically could attract buyout interest at their current multiples, he tells investors.