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Firebirds Wood Fired Grill acquired by investment firmFirebirds Wood Fired Grill acquired by investment firm

Garnett Station Partners plans to accelerate growth and development of Firebirds Wood Fired Grill upon its acquisition of the North Carolina-based restaurant chain.

Alicia Kelso, Executive Editor

March 27, 2023

2 Min Read
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North Carolina-based Firebirds Wood Fired Grill has been acquired by Garnett Station Partners LLC, a New York-based investment firm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Firebirds, founded in 2000, has 56 locations across 20 states and is known for its wood-burning grill and firebar. Its signature items include hand-cut steaks, seafood and chicken and ribs. According to a news release, Garnett Station’s acquisition will enable Firebirds to accelerate growth and development.

"We are incredibly proud of the brand that Firebirds is today and are thrilled to work in partnership with Garnett Station as we enter this next chapter," said Steve Kislow, CEO of Firebirds, in a statement. "Through our bold menu offerings and customer-oriented approach, Firebirds has become a neighborhood staple in each of the local communities we operate in. We are confident that Firebirds will continue its impressive trajectory of growth while delivering the best possible dining experience for our guests."

"Firebirds has found tremendous success over the past 20 years through the power of its concept, the passion of its team and the loyalty of its guests, contributing to its consistent industry outperformance from both an average unit volume and same store traffic perspective," Matt Perelman, co-founder and managing partner at Garnett Station, said in a statement. "We look forward to working closely with Steve and the entire management team to support and accelerate the brand’s long-term growth."

Related:Firebirds crafts a few changes as it opens 55th unit, the 1st in Texas

This agreement marks the latest acquisition in a somewhat busy 2023. Other deals include 1000 Degrees’ acquisition of My Pie Pizza, Mighty Quinn’s investment in Slows Bar BQ and Xperience Restaurant Group’s acquisition of Rio Mambo Tex Mex y Mas and The Rim.

TD Cowen and Netrex Capital Markets, LLC served as financial advisors to Garnett Station Partners. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Garnett Station Partners. NorthPoint Advisors served as financial advisor to Firebirds.

Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]

About the Author

Alicia Kelso

Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.

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