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Burger King parent company to acquire Carrols Restaurant GroupBurger King parent company to acquire Carrols Restaurant Group

Restaurant Brands International is acquiring Carrols, the largest Burger King franchisee in the U.S. with 1,022 locations, for a total enterprise value of $1 billion

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

January 16, 2024

1 Min Read
Burger King aquires franchisee 1022 restaurant Carrols
Burger King's parent company will sell the 1,022 Carrols' Burger King stores back to local franchisees after remodels.Burger King

Joanna Fantozzi

Burger King parent company, Restaurant Brands International, announced Tuesday the acquisition of the company’s largest Burger King franchisee, Carrols Restaurant Group, for $9.55 per share, or an aggregate total enterprise value of approximately $1 billion in an all-cash transaction.

Carrols Restaurant Group currently owns 1,022 Burger King restaurants across 23 states, as well as 60 Popeyes restaurants. Restaurant Brands International will acquire the company’s issued and outstanding shares that were not already held by RBI or its affiliates. In the last fiscal year, Carrols’ Burger King restaurants generated approximately $1.8 billion in system sales for the year ended Sept. 30, 2023.

“Carrols has demonstrated strong and improving restaurant operations over the years,” Tom Curtis, president of Burger King U.S. and Canada said in a statement. “This acquisition is an exciting accelerator to our ‘Reclaim the Flame’ plan that is focused on relentlessly pursuing a better experience for our guests.”

Restaurant Brands International’s plan is to quickly remodel these 1,022 restaurants over the next five years and then sell them back to local franchisees to own manage moving forward.  

“Today’s announcement is a testament to our more than 24,000 Carrols team members who have helped drive the company to record levels of profitability over the past 12 months,” Deborah Derby, president and CEO of Carrols, said in a statement. “These results have allowed us, through this transaction, to deliver immediate and certain value to Carrols shareholders at an attractive premium to the Company's current and historical share prices. Additionally, we believe our team members will now have additional opportunities as part of the greater RBI family – in our office, in the field and especially in our restaurants, including for long-time managers who may want to become franchisees themselves.”

Related:Burger King franchisee Carrols Restaurant Group Inc. installs kiosks, pilots Sizzle prototype

Contact Joanna at [email protected]

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About the Author

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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