Financing

How Greg Flynn engineered the biggest franchise deal in U.S. history

This week’s episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” features the founder of the country’s largest operator, coming off its purchase of most of NPC International.

The latest acquisition in Flynn Restaurant Group’s history was its biggest.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features Greg Flynn, the giant franchisee’s founder and CEO, who discusses the company’s recent acquisition of most of NPC International’s restaurants.

Flynn Restaurant Group has grown over the past couple of decades largely through a series of increasingly large acquisitions. But the purchase of NPC was likely the biggest in U.S. franchise history, essentially merging the two largest franchise operators in the U.S.

Flynn bought more than 900 Pizza Hut locations and nearly 200 Wendy’s units. The company already operated restaurants in the Applebee’s, Arby’s, Taco Bell and Panera Bread systems.

The acquisition added more than 1,100 restaurants to Flynn’s already massive system, giving the company more than 2,300 restaurants around the country in six systems

Flynn discusses how his company came to make the deal, why it targeted NPC, and how it can integrate a company so large. He also talks about a host of other issues, including labor concerns and where the industry is headed.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Brands shift their attention back to smaller operators

The Bottom Line: While plenty of franchises like Subway still want large-scale franchisees, there is a movement to keep their sizes down.

Operations

Should Cracker Barrel get out of the gift shop business?

Reality Check: The retail component of the family dining concept drew off sales and profits during the brand's most recent quarter. Maybe it's time to leave the shops out of future Cracker Barrels.

Financing

Wendy's, whose chairman is an activist, may be getting an activist

The Bottom Line: Activist investor Blackwells apparently plans to nominate “several directors” to the burger chain’s board, according to Reuters.

Trending

More from our partners