M&A Deal Summary

Freeman Spogli Acquires El Pollo Loco

On December 26, 2007, private equity firm Freeman Spogli acquired restaurant El Pollo Loco from Trimaran Capital Partners

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Freeman Spogli’s 1st transaction in the Restaurants sector.
  • This is Freeman Spogli’s 17th transaction in the United States.
  • This is Freeman Spogli’s 4th transaction in California.

M&A Deal Summary

Date 2007-12-26
Target El Pollo Loco
Sector Restaurants
Buyer(s) Freeman Spogli
Sellers(s) Trimaran Capital Partners
Deal Type Secondary Buyout

Target

El Pollo Loco

Costa Mesa, California, United States
El Pollo Loco is a fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain. The Company is known for its citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken and handcrafted entrees using fresh ingredients inspired by Mexican recipes. The company operates restaurants across the Southwest and has a leading market position in Southern California. El Pollo Loco was founded in 1980 and is based in Costa Mesa, California.

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Buyer(S) 1

Buyer

Freeman Spogli

Los Angeles, California, United States

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1983
PE ASSETS 7.0B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Focused
DESCRIPTION

Freeman Spogli & Co. is a private equity firm focused on acquiring middle-market retail, direct marketing, and distribution companies. The Firm will consider opportunities throughout North America and prefers partnering with management when pursuing acquisitions. Freeman Spogli looks to invest $75 to $300 million in transactions valued up to $750 million. Freeman Spogli was formed in 1983 and is based in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in New York City.


DEAL STATS #
Overall 17 of 49
Sector: Restaurants M&A 1 of 5
Type: Secondary Buyout M&A Deals 4 of 19
State: California M&A 4 of 7
Country: United States M&A 17 of 49
Year: 2007 M&A 1 of 1
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2007-07-20 hhgregg

Carmel, Indiana, United States

hhgregg is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, home appliances, computers, mobile products and related services operating under the name hhgregg. hhgregg was founded in 1955 and is based in Carmel, Indiana.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2009-06-30 Vibe Holdings

New York, New York, United States

VIBE Holdings is the parent company of VIBE Magazine, VIBE.com, Vibe Lifestyle Network, Uptown Magazine, UptownMagazine.com, UptownSocial and the iconic Soul Train entertainment franchise. VIBE Holdings is a vertical content and advertising network which represents over 25 websites, several publications, direct mail, TV shows and media platforms reaching over 19 million consumers per month. As the premier destination for urban entertainment and media, Vibe Holdings creates solutions for advertisers looking to engage consumers via music, entertainment, culture and lifestyle 18-54.

Sell -

Seller(S) 1

SELLER

Trimaran Capital Partners

New York, New York, United States

Investor


Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1998
PE ASSETS 3.1B USD
Size Large
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Trimaran Capital Partners is a middle-market private equity investor. The Firm seeks long-term capital appreciation by making privately negotiated equity or equity-oriented investments in niche middle-market companies. Trimaran generally looks to invest $25 to $100 million of equity in transactions ranging in value from $100 million to $1 billion. Sectors of interest include business services, financial services, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and media. Trimaran Capital Partners was formed in 1998 and is based in New York City.


DEAL STATS #
Overall 3 of 9
Sector: Restaurants M&A 1 of 2
Type: Secondary Buyout M&A Deals 1 of 1
State: California M&A 1 of 1
Country: United States M&A 3 of 9
Year: 2007 M&A 1 of 1
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2006-06-05 Standard Steel

Burnham, Pennsylvania, United States

Standard Steel LLC is an integrated manufacturer of steel wheels and axles for use in freight railcars, locomotives and passenger cars. Standard Steel is the only wheel manufacturer that uses the forging process, which produces wheels with superior wear characteristics compared with wheels that are manufactured using a casting process. Standard Steel was founded in 1795 and is based in Burnham, Pennsylvania.

Buy $200M
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2010-10-27 Urban Brands

Secaucus, New Jersey, United States

Urban Brands, Inc. is a specialty apparel retailer that focuses on urban customers. Urban Brands operates Ashley Stewart, a 215 store chain that sells plus-sized apparel principally in urban markets throughout the United States.

Sell -