The McMenamins pub group said it intends to sell a piece of the company to outside investors in a refinancing intended to lighten the family-run operation’s short-term debt.
Proceeds from the sale of preferred stock is expected to raise $15 million to $20 million. The funds will be used to retire debt, restore operations as social distancing eases and fuel new projects in the quirky McMenamins mold. Those initiatives include the transformation of a jail in Troutdale, Ore., into a hotel and an expansion of the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse in Hillsboro, Ore., to include a bottle shop and possible secret bar.
Some of the money will also go to “secret projects,” the company said in announcing its equity offering.
The McMenamin family intends to offer preferred shares at $100,000 each in private placements to 150 to 200 high-income individuals. The shares do not carry voting rights for their holders.
The announcement indicates that investors can expect a 3% annual cumulative dividend and a 6.5% overall return.
“We’re looking for investors who share our interest in family friendly pubs and hotels—people who already embrace our love of architectural restorations where artists have interpreted local history,” said co-founder and principal Mike McMenamin. “This is more than a financial investment, it’s an investment in community building.”
He and his brother Brian have assembled a collection of pubs, roadhouses, historic inns, concert halls and movie theaters, among other entertainment and hospitality ventures. Most are located in restored landmark buildings. Twenty sites are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Many enjoy a cult following in part because of their beer, cider, coffee and other beverage offerings.
The company’s holdings are concentrated in the Pacific Northwest.
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