Dentons has assisted AmRest Holdings SE in acquiring Starbucks franchises in Romania and Bulgaria from the Marinopoulos Group. AmRest will now operate 18 Starbucks coffee shops in Romania, and 5 in Bulgaria. Dentons describes the acquisition as an "entryway into the Romanian market” for AmRest. The transaction is valued at approximately EUR 16 million.
AmRest is the largest independent chain restaurant operator in Central and Eastern Europe, owning the KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Starbucks franchises, as well as proprietary brands of La Tagliatella, Blue Frog, and Kabb. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, with a market capitalization of EUR 734 million and a turnover of approximately EUR 180 million, after the first quarter of 2015.
The Marinopoulos Group, through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail and manufacturing business. It engages in food retailing in Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Albania, and the Balkans, and operates coffee shops around the world. In addition, it operates apparel stores in Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Croatia.
The Dentons team was led by Partner Perry Zizzi, who managed the transaction for both the Romanian and the Bulgarian businesses. Managing Counsel Bogdan Bunrau assisted.
“It is not often that one gets the opportunity to advise on a transaction involving such a beloved brand,” said Zizzi. "We are proud to have supported AmRest on this cross-border transaction and look forward to seeing a Starbucks on every corner.”
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