Restaurant Magazine’s Post

Exciting News: Freebirds World Burrito Joins the Sun Holdings Family! 🌯 We are thrilled to announce that Sun Holdings has successfully acquired Freebirds World Burrito, a beloved fast-casual restaurant chain known for its vibrant atmosphere and delicious customizable burritos. With this acquisition, Sun Holdings welcomes 64 new Freebirds locations across Texas, further expanding Sun Holdings’ presence in the state. Guillermo Perales, CEO of Sun Holdings, expressed his enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, "Freebirds brings a distinct and vibrant energy to our portfolio. The brand’s commitment to quality ingredients and a customer-centric approach resonates well with us as operators. We believe we can learn from Freebirds in customer engagement and menu innovation, while bringing our expertise in operations and growth." Perales added, "This acquisition is especially notable for Sun Holdings as it demonstrates our ability to grow not just as a franchisee, but as a brand owner. Freebirds is poised for growth, and we have an ambitious expansion strategy that we are excited to get to work on.”  We extend our deepest gratitude to the professionals and teams whose expertise and dedication were instrumental in making this acquisition a reality: Vin Batra from Soravine Advisors, representing the Buyer's side. Susan Miller and Sean Mirzabegian of Morgan Kingston Advisors, representing the Seller's side. Special recognition to Taylor Bennett, JD, MBA, Chief Legal Officer of Sun Holdings, and Marcelo Lopez, Director of FP&A, M&A at Sun Holdings, who played instrumental roles in bringing the acquisition to fruition. #Freebirds #Acquisition #FastCasual #ExpandingPresence #Texas #SunHoldings

Just in: 7-Eleven Expands with Acquisition of 204 Stripes Convenience Stores in $1 Billion Deal. 7-Eleven, Inc. is broadening its portfolio of Stripes Convenience Stores with Laredo Taco Company restaurants included. The credit for this Investment-Grade, Net-Lease tenant, continues to grow exponentially. These newly acquired stores are located across West Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, adding to their network of over 13,000 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes locations already in operation across the U.S. and Canada. With this acquisition, 7-Eleven will now own and operate ALL Stripes Convenience Stores and Laredo Taco Company locations throughout the United States. "Stripes and Laredo Taco Company have been a great addition to our family of brands since they initially joined us back in 2018. We look forward to serving even more customers across West Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma." - Joe DePinto, CEO for 7-Eleven. Sunoco LP will utilize the proceeds from the sale to reduce debt and explore future growth opportunities. This is great news for Net Lease Investors and Developers as they've just received a Credit Boost to their already investment grade, NNN tenant. It will be interesting to watch how this news impacts Cap Rate Compression for 2024. #gasstation #cstore #operator #7eleven

Industry News: McDonald’s Officially Unveils New Spinoff Brand, CosMc’s McDonald’s is set to open its new spinoff brand, CosMc’s, in Bolingbrook, Illinois, this week. The brand is targeting to have 10 outlets running, including nine in Texas, by the end of 2024. The fast-food company identifies CosMc’s as an experimental venture and plans to evaluate its performance over a year by analyzing data to explore its potential as a smaller format chain. https://lnkd.in/gh9pchKq ————————————————— 💥Over 16 MILLION Square Feet Represented💥 ✅Visit newenglandretail.com for more! ————————————————— #realestate #newenglandretail #property #forsale #retail #realestateinvesting #business #broker #realestatenews #properties #investor #investmentproperty #connecticut #nerp #newengland #connecticutnews #newenglandrealestatenews #McDonalds #CosMc’s

What's next for Tropical Smoothie Cafe after its acquisition? Private equity funds managed by Blackstone have successfully acquired Tropical Smoothie Cafe from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, valuing the fast-casual chain at approximately $2 billion according to the Wall Street Journal. This acquisition also introduces Nigel Travis, former CEO of Dunkin’ Brands, as the new chairman of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, marking a significant leadership shift. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a leading franchisor with over 1,400 locations across 44 states. With the new backing from Blackstone, the company is poised for accelerated expansion and innovation. “With Blackstone’s capital and resources, we look forward to accelerating the company’s continued expansion across the country and supporting innovation to further capitalize on the brand’s unique positioning,” said Blackstone executives Peter Wallace and Michael Staub. The acquisition follows significant growth under Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, who acquired the chain in 2020 when it had 870 locations. In 2023 alone, Tropical Smoothie Cafe opened over 175 new locations, with 70% launched by existing franchisees. 👉 Click link for details: https://lnkd.in/gyy7-s7k #NNN #retail #realestate #investment #investing #commercialrealestate #property #passiveincome #cre #investor #realestateinvesting #commercialproperty #netlease #retailrealestate #tropicalsmoothiecafe

The Phoenix Business Journal recently published an article featuring Maison Solutions' announcement to acquire Lee Lee Oriental Supermart, one of Arizona's largest and longest-running Asian grocers. ⬇Read the full article at the link below to learn more about this step in our strategic path towards expanding! #grocery #acquisition #investingopportunities #investors #businessstrategy #growthstrategy #asianfood

More on TGI Fridays' recent, proposed move to merge with franchisee Hostmore ($220 million deal). If the transaction closes in Q3 as expected, the combined entity would be named TGI Fridays plc and listed on the London Stock Exchange as “TGIF.” Hostmore shareholders would own 36 percent and TGI Fridays shareholders would own 64 percent.

Small chains will continue to get aquired as they will not be able to compete against the economic challenges. You have seen my opinion on this before and here is just more proof of exactly that.

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The recent surge in Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings, including well-known restaurant chains like Red Lobster Buca di Beppo, Rōti highlights the critical need for proper exit planning and expert advisory services. Many businesses, especially in industries facing economic pressure like restaurants, find themselves unprepared for downturns, leaving owners with limited options when faced with financial challenges. At Thames Management Resources LTD, we specialize in helping business owners proactively plan their exits, value their companies accurately, and navigate mergers and acquisitions to avoid the pitfalls that can lead to bankruptcy. Our expert advisory services ensure that, instead of being blindsided by market shifts, owners have a clear strategy for maximizing their company’s worth and securing the best possible outcomes when they’re ready to transition or sell. These restaurant bankruptcies serve as a reminder: strategic planning is essential, and having a team like ours in your corner can make all the difference in protecting your legacy and ensuring a successful exit. #BusinessExitPlanning #CompanyValuation #MergersAndAcquisitions #BankruptcyPrevention #BusinessStrategy #SuccessionPlanning #BusinessAdvisory #ExitStrategy #BusinessBroker #sales #chicago #tampa #LA

I look forward to the next level of this merger where a Nationwide Membership comes into reality There is a large traveling community that take advantage of this option. On Premise I disagree with the goal of this 'Opinion Piece' however I agree that Operations at many of the parks need some improvement. The $'s earned from a Nationwide Membership is NOT or should not be the primary revenue source. These parks have a lot of challenges... Expensive operations, costly maintenance, food that is extraordinarily expensive. Where do they start ??, increase prices, or lower costs. They will have to work on both, together to bring proper balance of value back to to their primary target audience (the Teens and Young Adults) . This merger will be the greatest thing ever or the death of the entire industry. Proceed cautiously Six Flags, you are entering new territory and we are watching. Be better than Disney and Be better than Universal. But follow the model of Sea World .. they have successfully made Entertainment Fun and affordable every time we go. Six Flags Ent. Corp. https://lnkd.in/eUqBGmhq #merger #sixflags #cedarfair #seaworld #buschgardens #disney #universal