Private equity firm preparing to acquire Subway

The private equity firm Roark Capital is reportedly poised to acquire Subway sandwich-shop chain for about $9.6 billion.

According to a Wall Street Journal report sourced from unnamed “people familiar with the matter,” the acquisition could close this week. Roark has been in competition with other private equity firms to acquire the company, though the Journal”™s report did not affirm that the transaction was a done deal.

Subway is headquartered in Milford and is scheduled to relocate its corporate offices to Shelton next month. It is the nation”™s eighth-largest restaurant chain, with 37,000 eateries around the world.

Roark is headquartered in Atlanta and its portfolio has included prominent food chains including Auntie Anne”™s, Arby”™s, Jimmy John”™s, Baskin-Robbins and Carvel.

Photo by Mike Mozart / Flickr Creative Commons