He bought his first Applebee’s 20 years ago, and since then has redefined what’s possible in the franchise industry. His philosophy: Be different, then go big.
He bought his first Applebee’s 20 years ago, and since then has redefined what’s possible in the franchise industry. His philosophy: Be different, then go big.
With the purchase of 368 Arby’s restaurants, the entire portfolio of seller U.S. Beef Corp., Flynn reaches $2.3 billion in annual sales. That makes the company the first privately held franchise company to crest the $2 billion mark.
Significant Acquisition Cements Flynn Restaurant Group’s Position as Largest Franchise Operator and
Top 20 Foodservice Company in America Generating $2.3 Billion in Sales
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 5, 2018) – RB American Group LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Flynn Restaurant Group LP, today announced that it has acquired 368 Arby’s® restaurants throughout the U.S. from United States Beef Corporation (US Beef). Arby’s, the second largest sandwich restaurant brand in the world, is a perfect fit for Flynn Restaurant Group, whose portfolio includes household names like Applebee’s®, Panera Bread® and Taco Bell®. RB American Group will be Flynn Restaurant Group’s fourth prominent restaurant brand.
With this acquisition, Flynn Restaurant Group will own and operate a combined total of 1,245 quick-service, fast casual and casual dining restaurants, generating $2.3 billion in sales and employing approximately 50,000 people in 33 states. Flynn Restaurant Group’s subsidiaries include Apple American Group LLC, the largest Applebee’s franchisee; Pan American Group LLC, the second largest Panera Bread franchisee; and Bell American Group, the third largest Taco Bell franchisee. This significant deal will add $400 million in sales to Flynn’s current $1.9 billion, and just as Flynn was the first franchise operator to exceed $1 billion in sales in 2012, it is now the first to exceed $2 billion in sales. This acquisition also establishes FRG as one of the top 20 foodservice companies of any kind in the country.
“We are extremely pleased to announce the addition of these Arby’s locations to our portfolio of restaurants,” said Greg Flynn, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Flynn Restaurant Group. “The Davis family and their team of great operators built a fantastic business over 50 years and we’re privileged to be the ones to shepherd the US Beef restaurants into their next phase. In addition, standing in a category of its own, the Arby’s brand aligns perfectly with our preference for brands that are truly differentiated and ‘best in breed’ in their segments. Benefiting from very strong leadership, the Arby’s brand has achieved great momentum these past few years and we are truly excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.”
About Flynn Restaurant Group LLC
Founded by Chairman and CEO Greg Flynn in 1999, Flynn Restaurant Group LP is the largest franchise operator, and one of the top 20 largest foodservice companies of any kind, in the United States. Flynn Restaurant Group owns and operates 460 Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants, 386 Arby’s restaurants, 280 Taco Bell and related Yum! Brand restaurants, and 135 Panera Bread bakery-cafes across 33 states, generating $2.3 billion in sales and employing approximately 50,000 people. More information is available at www.flynnrg.com.
About Arby’s®
Arby’s, founded in 1964, is the first nationally franchised sandwich restaurant brand, with more than 3,300 restaurants worldwide. The Arby’s brand purpose is “Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences®.” Arby’s restaurants feature Fast Crafted® service, a unique blend of quick-serve speed and value combined with the quality and made-for-you care of fast casual. Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. is the parent company of the franchisor of the Arby’s brand and is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Visit Arbys.com for more information.
Pan American Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Flynn Restaurant Group LP, has acquired 34 Panera Bread Bakery-Cafe locations in Kansas and Missouri from Wichita-based Original Bread Inc.
Read more at The Kansas City Star.
Over a 17-year career, Greg Flynn built the nation’s largest franchisee empire: Flynn Restaurant Group LP, a business that spans the country with three different brands — Applebee’s, Panera Bread and Taco Bell.
With so many restaurant chains selling locations, franchisees have become increasingly powerful in the business of selling food to customers. And Flynn is foremost among them.
This year, he was the first franchisee to ever win Nation’s Restaurant News’ prestigious Operator of the Year award.
Flynn is the first franchisee to win the award in its history.
Greg Flynn, who used his real estate investment savvy to build the largest restaurant franchisee in the country over a 17-year career, on Monday was named Nation’s Restaurant News Operator of the Year.
Read the full article in Nation’s Restaurant News.
Listen to the interview with Nation’s Restaurant News on Soundcloud.
Jordan Stackhouse is an employee at the Taco Bell in Hope Mills, North Carolina. Devin Cokley is an employee at the Taco Bell in Whiteville, North Carolina. Both will be receiving Live Mas Scholarships towards education. (more…)
The story of Greg Flynn, Founder and CEO of Flynn Restaurant Group, was featured in Forbes‘ article, “The Super Sizer: How Greg Flynn Became America’s Largest Restaurant Franchisee with $1.9B Revenues.”
“Flynn hasn’t just made money; he’s changed the structure of the franchise industry. While franchisees have traditionally been small, local operators, Flynn created the mold for a new class of giant, well-funded players who are determined to remain private. According to the trade publication Franchise Times, ten U.S. restaurant franchisees topped $500 million in revenue last year. Flynn was the first of this class.”
Watch Greg Flynn, founder, chairman and CEO of Flynn Restaurant Group, accept the award for 2016 Restaurant Leader of the Year.