LOS ANGELES — FAT Brands Inc. announced today it has agreed to acquire Lexington, Ky.-founded and based Fazoli’s, an Italian fast food chain, for $130 million from funds under management by Sentinel Capital Partners.
This acquisition brings to FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands the largest premium QSR Italian chain in the U.S., and will be funded with cash from the issuance of new notes from the company’s securitization facilities. The transaction is expected to close by mid-December 2021.
The planned acquisition of Fazoli’s reflects FAT Brands’ recent diversification of its restaurant portfolio, making a foray into the Italian quick-service dining category. With over 200 stores currently open and a development pipeline of 100 units over the next several years, the purchase of Fazoli’s will increase FAT Brands’ footprint to 2,300 franchised and corporate-owned stores around the world, bringing 2022 expected systemwide sales at FAT Brands to more than $2.1 billion.
The addition of Fazoli’s, including the new stores due to open and under development, is expected to increase the Company’s post-COVID normalized EBITDA by approximately $14.5 to $15 million in 2022.
“Fazoli’s has a great growth story, in particular, over the last year. They continue to surpass sales expectations across the board,” said FAT Brands CEO Andy Wiederhorn. “We have been eyeing this category for some time; however, we were waiting for the right brand – one that is high-growth, with almost all restaurants having drive-thru access, in addition to, the synergies that we will achieve adding Fazoli’s to our portfolio of brands. We look forward to building off of the success of Sentinel Capital Partners.”
“We have had an outstanding year and we couldn’t be more pleased to join forces with FAT Brands, a company that has the same growth-oriented mentality as us at Fazoli’s,” said Carl Howard, CEO of Fazoli’s. “From co-branding to virtual kitchens to menu development opportunities, we see great value in being a part of FAT Brands.”
FAT Brands is a global franchising company that strategically acquires, markets and develops fast casual, casual and polished casual dining restaurant concepts around the world. It currently owns 15 restaurant brands: Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Twin Peaks, Great American Cookies, Hot Dog on a Stick, Buffalo’s Cafe & Express, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Pretzelmaker, Elevation Burger, Yalla Mediterranean and Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses, and franchises over 2,100 units worldwide.
Founded in 1988 in Lexington, Fazoli’s owns and operates nearly 220 restaurants in 28 states, making it the largest premium QSR Italian chain in America. Fazoli’s serves Italian “food, fast, fresh and friendly.” Menu offerings include freshly prepared pasta entrees, Submarinos® sandwiches, salads, pizza and desserts – along with its unlimited signature breadsticks.
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