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Inspire Brands LLC is an American fast-food restaurant franchise company. Owned by Roark Capital Group, it owns the Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In, Jimmy John's, Mister Donut, Dunkin' Donuts, and Baskin-Robbins chains, which have a combined 31,700 locations and US$30 billion in system sales.[1][5][6]
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Predecessors |
|
| Founded | February 5, 2018 |
| Founders | Neal Aronson and Paul J. Brown |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | 31,700 (2023[1]) |
Areas served | |
Key people | Paul J. Brown (CEO) |
| Owner | Roark Capital Group |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | inspirebrands |
Inspire Brands was formed when Arby's Restaurant Group merged with Buffalo Wild Wings on February 5, 2018. Buffalo Wild Wings also owned the Rusty Taco chain.[7][8] Arby's CEO Paul Brown was selected to continue as Inspire Brands CEO.[7] Brown expected that Inspire would acquire additional chains in different segments. He plans to structure the company similar to Hilton Hotels & Resorts.[9] Co-owner The Wendy's Company's stake was reduced from 18.5% to 12.3% due to the infusion of capital from Roark Capital to fund the purchase.[10] In September 2018, Inspire had the 27-location R Taco reverted to the Rusty Taco name.[11]
On August 16, 2018, The Wendy's Company announced that it sold its 12.3% stake in Inspire Brands back to the company for $450 million, which included a 38% premium over the stake's most recent valuation.[5] On August 28, 2018, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal announced that Inspire was moving its headquarters to Sandy Springs, Georgia in 2019.[12]
Inspire Brands on September 25, 2018, announced that it was buying Oklahoma City-based Sonic Drive-In for $2.3 billion.[13] The acquisition was completed on December 7, 2018.[14]
Inspire Brands announced that it was buying Jimmy John's on September 25, 2019.[6][15] The deal closed on October 18, 2019.[16]
Inspire received Franchise Times’ 2019 Dealmaker of the Year award for its acquisitions of Buffalo Wild Wings and Sonic Drive-In.[17]
Inspire Brands on October 25, 2020, announced that it was buying Dunkin' Brands for $11.3 billion. [18][19] The acquisition was completed on December 15, 2020.[20]
On December 19, 2022, Inspire Brands announced that it had sold Rusty Taco to Gala Capital Partners, owner of Cicis Pizza, Dunn Brothers Coffee, and Mooyah.[21]
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As of April 2024, the chains that the company owns and/or operates include:
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