Roark Capital Group has won the race to acquire US sandwich chain Subway after seeing off a late challenge from a rival bid group led by TDR Capital and Sycamore Partners.
The private equity firm has entered into a definitive agreement to buy Subway. Financial details were not disclosed.
The deal is rumoured to be valued at roughly $US9.55 billion ($14.9b). Roark will reportedly pay about $US9b upfront, with the remainder coming in future so-called earnout payments.
Morgan Stanley, Barclays, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Mizuho Financial Group, MUFG, Rabobank and Wells Fargo & Co. are providing financing of about $US5b to back the deal.
Roark beat competition from TDR and Sycamore, which brought on Goldman Sachs’ asset management arm and sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in a last-ditch effort to come out on top.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Roark was in advanced talks to acquire Subway for around $US9.6b and looking to finalise a deal this week. Axios later reported that the founding family hadn’t yet picked a buyer.
One of the most recognisable names in fast-food, Subway is the largest restaurant chain in the US by store count, dwarfing names like McDonald’s and Burger King. Globally, it has about 37,000 franchise-run locations in more than 100 countries. The company, which said in February it was exploring a sale and working with JPMorgan, initially drew about 20 bids.
Food bets
Roark, which manages $US37b is assets, has backed restaurant chains including the parent companies of Arby’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Carvel and Carl’s Jr. A purchase of Subway could draw scrutiny from antitrust regulators in the US amid a general trend in Washington DC to take a closer look at deals.
“This transaction reflects Subway’s long-term growth potential, and the substantial value of our brand and our franchisees around the world,” John Chidsey, chief executive of Subway, said.
Fred DeLuca, who co-founded the Subway sandwich chain to finance his college studies, opened its first shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1965. With his death in 2015 and that of his co-founder, Peter Buck, in 2021, control of the company that owns Subway passed to their heirs. In March, Subway opened a dual headquarters in Miami.
Subway’s profitability has been squeezed as it spends money to overhaul stores to keep up with those rivals, which have been investing heavily to beautify locations and build up their online capabilities. It’s also been grappling with stiffening competition from upstart sandwich chains such as Jersey Mike’s Subs.
Bloomberg