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Centerbridge Partners to complete $1B purchase of P.F. Chang'sCenterbridge Partners to complete $1B purchase of P.F. Chang's

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

July 3, 2012

1 Min Read
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Ron Ruggless

Centerbridge Partners L.P., the New York-based private equity firm, said it planned to complete its $1.1 billion going-private purchase of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc. on Monday.

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Centerbridge and its subsidiary, Wok Parent LLC, and Wok Acquisition Corp. had successfully completed a $51.50-per-share offer for outstanding shares of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based P.F. Chang’s. About 17.8 million, or about 83.7 percent, of outstanding shares were tendered, Centerbridge said.

A spokesman for Centerbridge said that P.F. Chang’s intent, revealed in February, to speed up the purchase of a majority position in the five-unit True Food Kitchen, created by Fox Restaurant Concepts of Scottsdale, had reverted back to the terms of the original 2009 $10 million credit facility. P.F. Chang’s retains the option to convert that to a majority equity interest after True Food opens its sixth restaurant, the spokesman said.

“Centerbridge intends to promptly move forward with a ‘short-form’ merger under Delaware law after exercising its top-up option under the merger agreement, and P.F. Chang’s will become an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Wok Parent,” Centerbridge said in a statement. P.F. Chang’s shares would cease trading on the Nasdaq exchange.

Centerbridge already owns the Rock Bottom Restaurants and Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, which it bought in November 2010.

P.F. Chang’s owns and operates 204 casual-dining P.F. Chang’s Bistros and the 170-unit Pei Wei Asian Diner and Asian Market.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless

About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

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