Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., the parent company of the Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins brands, announced it “has held preliminary discussions to be acquired by Inspire Brands.”
Inspire Brands is owned by the private equity group Roark Capital and runs the restaurant brands Arby”™s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John”™s and Sonic. The New York Times, citing anonymous sources “with knowledge of the negotiations,” reported the acquisition could be announced as soon as today, with the publicly traded Dunkin”™ Brand Groups being taken private in a $106.50-per-share deal totaling nearly $9 million.
Inspire Brands did not issue a public comment on the negotiations.
Dunkin”™ Brands Group has 21,000 franchised outlets, with 2019 revenue of $1.4 billion and a $240 million profit. In July, the company announced it was closing 800 locations across the nation, citing weak second quarter revenue.