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đź”´ PRIVATE EQUITY OWNED
Baskin-Robbins
ice cream · Canton, MA
PE Firm
Roark Capital
Acquirer
Inspire Brands (Roark Capital)
Year Acquired
2020
“31 flavors of private equity. None of them taste like independence.”
The PE Playbook
- •Acquired as part of the $11.3 billion Inspire Brands/Dunkin' deal in 2020, absorbing the ice cream chain into Roark's empire
- •Part of the same corporate family as Arby's, Dunkin', Sonic, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Jimmy John's
- •Net store closures have outpaced openings in recent years as Inspire consolidates the portfolio
- •Founded in 1945 by two brothers-in-law; now a line item in a PE conglomerate's spreadsheet
Since the Acquisition
- ▸U.S. store count fell from approximately 2,524 locations in 2019 to 976 by end of 2024 — a loss of over 1,500 stores in five years
- â–¸Approximately 500 underperforming U.S. stores announced for closure beginning late 2023