Founders Table Restaurant Group Acquires Hopdoddy Burger Bar

Uncommon Equity Acquires HopCat (Project BarFly, LLC)

October 29, 2025

Restaurants & Hospitality

Chicago-based private investment firm Uncommon Equity LLC has acquired Grand Rapids-based Project BarFly, LLC, which does business as HopCat, a regional casual dining and craft-beer restaurant group operating 12 Michigan locations and one in Lincoln, Nebraska. Financial terms were not disclosed; senior debt was provided by OakNorth Bank PLC and Rob Selati will participate as a strategic investor through Saxonwold Capital as part of the new ownership group.

Rhône Acquires Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers from Thompson Street Capital Partners

September 4, 2025

Restaurants & Hospitality

Investment funds affiliated with Rhône have acquired Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers from Thompson Street Capital Partners. Freddy's— a fast-casual franchise with more than 550 locations and over $1 billion in system-wide sales—will keep its existing leadership as Rhône supports continued market expansion and guest-experience improvements.

Savvy Sliders Acquires BurgerFi

December 19, 2024

Restaurants & Hospitality

Michigan-based Savvy Sliders has acquired Florida-based BurgerFi, adding the chef-driven fast-casual chain to its portfolio alongside Happy's Pizza and Fat Boy's Pizza. BurgerFi will continue to operate under its own name across its locations, and the combined restaurant portfolio will total 206 stores.

Chopt Acquires Dos Toros Taqueria; L Catterton Backs New Founders Table Restaurant Group

January 23, 2020

Restaurants & Hospitality

Fast-casual salad chain Chopt has purchased burrito chain Dos Toros Taqueria in a deal funded by private equity firm L Catterton. The two brands will sit under a new parent, Founders Table Restaurant Group (led by Chopt CEO Nick Marsh), remain separate customer-facing concepts and will roll out a shared loyalty program; financial terms were not disclosed.

Yum! Brands Acquires The Habit Burger Grill

January 6, 2020

Restaurants & Hospitality

Yum! Brands agreed to acquire all outstanding common shares of The Habit Restaurants, Inc. (The Habit Burger Grill) for $14.00 per share in cash, a transaction valued at approximately $375 million. The acquisition adds a fast-casual, chargrill-focused restaurant concept headquartered in Irvine, California to Yum!'s portfolio and is expected to close by the end of Q2 2020, with The Habit remaining based in Irvine and reporting into Yum!'s management.

MTY Food Group Acquires South Street Burger

March 21, 2019

Restaurants & Hospitality

MTY Food Group Inc. announced that a wholly-owned subsidiary acquired substantially all of the assets of South Street Burger for approximately $5.1 million. The acquisition (24 franchised and 13 corporate restaurants, including one in Dubai) strengthens MTY's position in the fast-casual/gourmet burger segment and will move South Street Burger operations into MTY's Ontario offices.