The owner of Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins is in talks to be bought by Arby's parent company Inspire Brands for a reported $9 billion

Dunkin' Brands Group, which owns Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins, is in talks to be bought by private equity-backed restaurant brand Inspire Brands, it announced on Sunday. The deal would take the group private at a price of $106.50 a share after nine years on public markets, sources close to the matter told The New York Times. This price suggests Dunkin' Brands has been valued at around $8.8 billion, the paper reported. The company won't comment further "unless and until a transaction is agreed or discussions are terminated," it said – though sources told The Times the deal could be announced as soon as Monday. Dunkin' Brands Group has more than 13,000 Dunkin' restaurants and around 8,000 Baskin-Robbins restaurants — all of which operate as franchise sites — in more than 60 countries. Adding these to Inspire Brands' portfolio, which includes Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, Jimmy John's, and Rusty Taco, would more than double the number of sites Inspire owns to in excess of 35,000. Inspire owns Arby's and Buffalo Wild Wings, among other brands. Dunkin' Brands Group has held preliminary discussions about the deal, it said in its statement, but added "there is no certainty that any agreement will be reached."

United States of America · 25 Oct 2020

Linked: Inspire Brands, Inc.