M&A advisors support investment in Mexican food chain Zambrero
Zambrero, a Mexican food chain with locations around the world, has received significant investment from Metric Capital and Skip Capital, the first external funding accepted by the restaurant franchise. The deal was facilitated by a number of external professional services firms.
An investment worth £143 million ($250 million) was granted to Zambrero by both Metric Capital Partners, a London-based private equity fund, and Skip Capital, a Sydney-based venture capital firm.
The private equity funds and Zambrero called in a number of external advisors to help cement the investment deal. OC&C Strategy Consultants, Grant Thornton, and White & Case provided advise to the buyers, while EY, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Gresham, and Baird provided transaction support to seller Zambrero.
The largest Mexican restaurant chain in Australia and the ninth largest in the world, Zambrero was founded in 2005 in Canberra, quickly expanding across Australia and being recognised as one of country’s fasted growing franchises. The company has since grown to span more than 245 quick-service restaurants worldwide.
The franchise has so far opened five restaurants in the United Kingdom after the success of its expansion into Ireland. The locations in the UK are mostly in and around the London area. Additional locations were also recently opened in the US and New Zealand.
The Zambrero franchise has been known to centre social responsibility in their business model. The burrito-makers run a program that they claim has provided 60 million meals to those in need, including recipients in Timor-Leste, a country with one of the highest rates of malnutrition in Asia.
The funding comes from two firms with diverse portfolios, but both with a history of food industry investment. Skip Capital is known to invest in companies in the sectors of artificial intelligence, health tech, as well as food. Likewise, Metric Capital has a portfolio that also features both tech and other food industry investments, including funding destined for companies in fine dining, agriculture, and distribution.
