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VIDEO: Famous Dave’s parent company will nearly double in size with planned acquisitionsVIDEO: Famous Dave’s parent company will nearly double in size with planned acquisitions

BBQ Holdings CEO Jeff Crivello on the planned acquisition of family restaurant chain Village Inn and pie/comfort food concept Bakers Square

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

July 6, 2021

In June, Famous Dave’s BBQ parent company BBQ Holdings announced its intention to acquire VIBSQ Holdco LLC, the parent of Village Inn and Bakers Square, for around $13.5 million, with the deal expected to go through by the end of July. With this deal, one year after the acquisitions of Granite City and Real Urban BBQ in 2020, BBQ Holdings will nearly double in size.

According to CEO Jeff Crivello, he has been a fan of Bakers Square and their famous pies for years, and saw the opportunity with Village Inn, which has a similar corporate/franchise structure and number of units as Famous Dave’s.

“A larger company is good for everyone,” Crivello said. “If we can simplify [franchisees’] business, they can come to us and have access to multiple brands with one leadership team. That’s the goal: to build a well-diversified portfolio of food and beverage plans that have withstood the test of time.”

And they’re not finished yet, though Crivello says their growth strategy is still conservative and patient.

“It will take us some time to digest this acquisition, but once we feel comfortable with it we always have a strong pipeline of opportunities that I’m looking at and monitoring,” he said. “When the time is right, we’ll continue to grow.”

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine.

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events.

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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