An affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, a private-equity firm that has bought more than a dozen restaurant concepts, has added a franchisee to the fold: CCW Inc., the operator of 21 HuHot Mongolian Grills in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota.
The deal was the second this week involving Mongolian barbecue concepts. On the day the CCW deal was announced, bd’s Mongolian Grill said it had acquired the eight-unit Flat Top Grill Mongolian chain, with the stated intention of expanding both brands.
The purchase of a restaurant franchise is a departure for Sun Capital, which has trimmed its restaurant portfolio through sales to other P.E. firms to about 21 brands, including Johnny Rockets, Bar Louie and Smokey Bones. At one time it also owned Bruegger’s, Fazoli’s and Captain D’s.
CCW, based in Omaha, Neb., operates more than a third of the 57-unit HuHot chain, whose franchisor is headquartered in Missoula, Mont.
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