THE HABIT RESTAURANTS acquired by YUM! BRANDS

TowerBrook Capital Partners has acquired the restaurant operator Azzurri Group in a pre-packaged administration deal. The transaction was necessitated by the severe financial distress Azzurri faced due to the operational shutdown mandated during the coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown period had a profound and detrimental impact on the UK's hospitality sector, rendering the company's existing capital structure unsustainable. This acquisition was structured to salvage the core business and provide a path to long-term viability under new ownership

TUI AG has reached a definitive agreement to contribute its 100% subsidiary, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, into its TUI Cruises joint venture with Royal Caribbean Cruises. The strategic rationale for this "intra-group" merger is to expand the successful TUI Cruises joint venture model into the rapidly growing luxury and expedition segments. By integrating Hapag-Lloyd Cruises into the JV, the partners aim to leverage Royal Caribbean’s global shipbuilding and digital capabilities alongside TUI’s localized distribution strength to accelerate fleet growth

PureGym has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Fitness World Group. The deal is financed through a committed bridging instrument, supported by a £35 million upsize to PureGym’s Revolving Credit Facility (RCF), with plans to replace the bridge with EUR senior secured debt in early 2020. Strategically, the merger is transformational, creating a pan-European operator of massive scale with nearly 500 gyms and 1.7 million members across four countries (UK, Denmark, Poland, and Switzerland)

Looping Group has undergone a major capital reorganization as the founding management team, led by the President and Managing Director, assumed majority control of the company. Mubadala Capital entered the capital as a significant minority investor to support this management-led buyout, while the previous majority shareholder, Ergon Capital, fully exited its position. Bpifrance, a long-standing partner, also participated in the transaction to maintain its support for the group’s development. The deal was conducted primarily as a private, bilateral agreement and involved a complete restructuring of the group’s existing debt facilities

Capdesia led a consortium (including Japan’s largest sushi chain operator, Sushiro Global Holdings, and asset manager Regis Group PLC) to acquire a minority stake in Wasabi. The transaction followed a competitive bidding process where Capdesia outmaneuvered several high-profile firms, including Graphite Capital and Rutland Partners. The primary strategic objective was to stabilize the business following a period of financial pressure and to fund a multi-pronged growth strategy. The capital injection was earmarked for a major refurbishment program of existing UK stores, the expansion of the UK portfolio, and further scaling of the US presence

Naxicap Partners acquired a majority stake in Siblu Villages from Stirling Square Capital Partners, who achieved a 3x return on their investment. The group's management team significantly reinvested alongside the new owner. This secondary LBO follows a period of rapid expansion where the group completed ten acquisitions (parks and land) and entered the Dutch market. The investment strategy under the new ownership is focused on doubling the group's size over the next five years through an aggressive international consolidation strategy in France and the wider European outdoor hospitality market

The transaction involves a strategic growth investment by TA Associates in Gong Cha Group, with participation from the founders of Gong Cha Korea. This move represents a significant platform investment in the global consumer beverage space, supported by a unitranche debt financing package from Partners Group that includes an equity kicker. The strategic rationale is underpinned by the desire to accelerate the brand’s expansion into new and existing international markets, leveraging the acquirer’s deep global resources and long history of building value in franchised retail models

This transaction represents a massive secondary leveraged buyout wherein Goldman Sachs acquires the entire share capital of B&B from its historical financial sponsor, PAI Partners. Following a highly successful holding period marked by explosive operational growth and a near-doubling of profitability, the exiting French private equity fund secures a highly lucrative exit. Executed through preemptive exclusive negotiations before a formal auction process, this new corporate partnership will provide B&B with the immense capital backing required to aggressively accelerate its global footprint expansion, specifically targeting rapid establishment rollouts across new international markets

MTY Food Group Inc., a leading Canadian multi-brand restaurant franchisor, announced on April 11, 2019, that it had entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Papa Murphy's Holdings, Inc., the largest U.S. take-'n'-bake pizza chain. The acquisition represented MTY's strategic entry into the massive U.S. pizza category, bringing the fifth-largest pizza chain by system size into its diversified portfolio. Papa Murphy's distinctive take-'n'-bake model—freshly handcrafted pizzas sold ready-to-bake at home—offered clear differentiation from traditional pizza delivery and dine-in competitors while capitalizing on growing consumer demand for convenient, high-quality home meal solutions

NextStage and MI3 together invest EUR 17.7 million into Groupe Bagatelle in a minority, structuring‑equity round aimed at strengthening the group’s balance sheet, rationalizing its shareholder base, and funding a major expansion phase. The transaction enables Bagatelle to buy out certain local foreign investors who provided funding for individual openings, thereby simplifying the capital structure and giving the group the financial firepower to pursue its stated plan of opening 25 new establishments within five years