ATLANTA & CANTON, Mass., U.S. – Inspire Brands, Inc and Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc, parent company of Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins, announced on October 30, 2020, that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Inspire will acquire Dunkin’ Brands for $106.50 per share in cash in a transaction valued at approximately $11.3 billion including the assumption of Dunkin’ Brands’ debt.
Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company with a current portfolio that includes more than 11,000 Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, SONIC Drive-In, and Jimmy John’s restaurants worldwide. The company’s vision of invigorating great brands and supercharging their long-term growth has made Inspire one of the largest restaurant companies globally, with $15 billion in annual systemwide sales.
Dunkin’ is famous for its combination of high-quality coffees, espresso beverages, baked goods, and breakfast sandwiches served all day with fast, friendly service. Baskin-Robbins, the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, is known for its variety of “31 flavors” of ice cream, along with their creative ice cream cakes, milkshakes, and ice cream sundaes. Currently there are more than 12,500 Dunkin’ and almost 8,000 Baskin-Robbins restaurants around the world. Following the completion of the transaction, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins will be operated as distinct brands within Inspire.
Under the terms of the merger agreement announced today, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of Inspire and Dunkin’ Brands, Inspire will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Dunkin’ Brands for $106.50 per share in cash. This represents a premium of approximately 30% to Dunkin’ Brands’ 30-day volume-weighted average price and a premium of approximately 20% per share to Dunkin’ Brands’ closing stock price on October 23, 2020.
“Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins are category leaders with more than 70 years of rich heritage, and together they are two of the most iconic restaurant brands in the world,” said Paul Brown, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inspire Brands. “By joining Inspire, these brands will add complementary guest experiences and occasions to our current portfolio.
Further, they will strengthen Inspire through their scaled international platform and robust consumer packaged goods licensing infrastructure, as well as add more than 15 million loyalty members. We are excited to welcome Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins’ employees, franchisees, and suppliers to the Inspire family.”
“Today’s announcement is a testament to our world-class group of franchisees, licensees, employees, and suppliers who have worked together to transform Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins into modern, relevant brands. This team’s grit and determination has enabled us to deliver outsized performance and made our brands among the most elite in the quick service industry. I am particularly proud of our actions since March of this year. During the global pandemic, we have stood tall. We’ve had each other’s backs and are now stronger than ever,” said Dave Hoffmann, Chief Executive Officer of Dunkin’ Brands. “We are excited to bring meaningful value to shareholders who have been with us on this journey and believe that Inspire Brands, a preeminent operator of franchised restaurant concepts, will continue to drive growth for our franchisees while remaining true to all that is unique and special about the Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins brands.”
Transaction Details
The closing of the tender offer will be subject to certain conditions, including the tender of shares representing at least a majority of the total number of Dunkin’ Brands’ outstanding shares, the expiration or termination of the antitrust waiting period, and other customary conditions. Following the successful completion of the tender offer, Inspire will acquire all remaining shares not tendered in the tender offer through a second-step merger at the same price. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2020.
Advisors
Barclays is serving as financial advisor to Inspire and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is serving as its legal counsel. BofA Securities, Inc. is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Dunkin’ Brands and Ropes & Gray LLP is serving as its legal counsel.
About Inspire Brands
Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company whose current portfolio includes more than 11,000 Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, SONIC Drive-In, Rusty Taco, and Jimmy John’s restaurants worldwide. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Inspire is majority-owned by affiliates of Roark Capital. For more information, visit InspireBrands.com.
About Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc.
With more than 20,000 points of distribution in more than 60 countries worldwide, Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) is one of the world’s leading franchisors of quick service restaurants (QSR) serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard-serve ice cream. At the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, Dunkin’ Brands’ 100 percent franchised business model included over 12,500 Dunkin’ restaurants and almost 8,000 Baskin-Robbins restaurants. Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. is headquartered in Canton, Mass.
