Mergers & Acquisitions

📦 Just Eat started exploring the sale of Grubhub in April 2022, aiming to focus on its strongest markets. Grubhub, not yet profitable with declining order volumes exacerbated by New York delivery fee caps, was sold at a 90% discount compared to its 2021 purchase price, effectively a 94% discount when adjusted for inflation. Just Eat Takeaway.com's CEO, Jitse Groen, sees the sale as a way to enhance cash generation and accelerate growth. The US startup Wonder, which acquired Grubhub, previously bought meal kit company Blue Apron. Wonder aims to integrate Grubhub's offerings into its 'super app'. Shares in Just Eat rose 19% after the sale announcement, with the deal's completion expected in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approval.

🍜 Neat Burger, backed by Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio, experienced closures of outposts in New York and Dubai recently. Originally launched in September 2019, Neat Burger had ambitions to expand to 1,000 locations by 2030. Despite raising $18 million in 2023, the company made a £7.9 million loss in 2022 and was forced to close half its London locations amid financial pressures, leaving four in the capital. The brand also rebranded, removing 'Burger' from its name and shifting towards health-focused options. Neat maintains a presence in Milan, Italy.

📉 Hostmore, the UK parent company of TGI Fridays, has halted its £177m all-share reverse takeover of TGI Fridays US. The decision came after TGIF Funding lost control of the franchise agreement royalties, jeopardizing future revenue. Despite the abandoned acquisition, negotiations may resume in the future. Hostmore's UK sale of TGI Fridays' 87 corporate sites is nearing completion, but is expected to not cover Hostmore’s debts. The company anticipates winding up and delisting following the sale. On September 9, Hostmore’s stock nose-dived by over 90%.

📈 Richard Caring is nearing a £1bn deal with Si Advisers for Troia (UK) Restaurants, the parent company of The Ivy Collection, initiated in January. The agreement, possibly within weeks, involves a full exit for Caring and a Qatari fund selling shares. In 2023, Troia's turnover rose by over £100m to £302m, with a pre-tax profit increase from £20.4m to £29m and EBITDA up from £37.9m to £54.8m, following The Ivy Asia expansion.

🙌 Nando's offers a Level 2 Hospitality Team Member Apprenticeship for individuals over 16 in England, with a 15-month syllabus including customer service and leadership training. Launched last year, the 'Hospitality Heroes' program received 114 applicants and those now over halfway will graduate in 2023. Apprentices earn full-time salaries with benefits like free meals, up to 40% discount, and a paid sabbatical after five years. The initiative, partnered with Lifetime Training, aims to develop future managers within Nando’s.

🏨 Room Mate Hotels acquired Staying Valencia, adding over 500 rooms and five restaurants to its brand. With this, Room Mate's portfolio grows to 32 hotels across Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, and Turkey. TPG Angelo Gordon and Westmont Hospitality, Room Mate's co-owners since 2022, support the brand's growth trajectory, aiming for a €40 million EBIT and a debt-free status by 2025. Advisors included Clifford Chance, Perez Llorca, Jones Lang LaSalle, PwC, and Arcadis, with JJL advising Staying Valencia.

📊 Forwrd.ai acquires LoudnClear.ai, expanding its no-code data science automation capabilities for RevOps. The merger adds integrations with Salesforce Service Cloud, Zendesk, and Intercom. Kobi Stok, CEO of Forwrd.ai, highlights seamless creation of predictive models without data science teams. Organizations spent $104 Billion in 2023 on data science, with the market expected to grow to $776 Billion by 2032. The AI-driven platform aims to solve costly complexities in data science projects, where 87% fail.

🤓 Forwrd.ai acquires LoudnClear.ai to enhance its no code data science automation for RevOps. This move adds customer service AI and data enrichment capabilities, integrating with platforms like Salesforce Service Cloud and Zendesk. RevOps leaders can now build predictive models without data science teams. AI-based analytics are crucial as data science complexities led to $104 billion in organizational costs in 2023, with the data science platform market expected to reach $776 billion by 2032.

🍻 After two unsuccessful attempts, Carlsberg will acquire Britvic for £3.3 billion, paying 1,290p per share and a 25p special dividend to Britvic shareholders. The completion is expected in Q4, leading to a new entity, Carlsberg Britvic. This follows Carlsberg's deal to buy Marston’s 40% stake in their joint venture for £206m. Carlsberg aims to enhance its UK market position by combining strong beer and soft drink portfolios, including Britvic brands like Fruit Shoot and Pepsi.

🏨 Turkish firm Kaya Holding acquired the Great Northern Hotel in London, a Grade II-listed building with 88 keys and three F&B venues. The acquisition was advised by BlackGate and Fladgate LLP, while Cushman & Wakefield acted for the seller. Formed in 2013 after a £40 million renovation, the hotel changed hands after former owner Jeremy Robson left in 2019, with Kew Green managing since June of that year. Kaya Holding aims to strengthen tourism ties between Turkey and England.