• Home
  •  
    Regions
    • Europe
    • UK & Ireland
    • DACH
    • Nordic
    • France
    • Southern Europe
    • Benelux
    • CEE
    • Asia
  •  
    Deals
    • Buyouts
    • Venture
    • Exits
    • Refinancings
    • Build-up
    • Turnaround
    • Secondaries
    • Advanced deals search
  •  
    Funds
    • Buyout
    • Venture
    • Mezzanine
    • Debt
    • Funds-of-funds
    • Secondaries
    • Fundraising pipelines
    • Advanced funds search
  •  
    GPs & LPs
    • GP profiles
    • LP profiles
    • GP news
    • LP news
    • Sponsors search
    • LPs search
  •  
    Secondaries
    • Deals
    • Funds
    • News
    • Analysis
  •  
    People
    • People moves
    • Analysis
    • In Profile
    • Q&A
    • Videos
    • Comment
  •  
    Analysis
    • In Profile
    • Fundraising
    • Q&A
    • Comment
    • Videos
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Data Snapshots
  •  
    Unquote Data
    • Deals search
    • Exits search
    • Funds search
    • Sponsors search
    • Advisers search
    • LPs search
    • League tables
    • Reports
  • Sign in
  • Sign in
    • You are currently accessing unquote.com via your Enterprise account.

      If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

      If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

      Phone: +44 (0)203 741 1137

      Email: Georgina.Lawson@acuris.com

      • Sign in
     
      • Newsletters
      • Account details
      • Contact support
      • Sign out
     
  • Follow us
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
  • Free Trial
  • Subscribe
Unquote
Unquote
  • Home
  • Regions
  • Deals
  • Funds
  • GPs & LPs
  • Secondaries
  • People
  • Analysis
  • Unquote Data
  • You are currently accessing unquote.com via your Enterprise account.

    If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

    If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

    Phone: +44 (0)203 741 1137

    Email: Georgina.Lawson@acuris.com

    • Sign in
 
    • Newsletters
    • Account details
    • Contact support
    • Sign out
 
Unquote
  • Expansion

Bridgepoint buys minority stake in Itsu

  • Harriet Matthews
  • Harriet Matthews
  • 22 June 2021
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Google plus  
  • Send to  

Bridgepoint has acquired a minority stake in UK-based East Asian food chain Itsu, continuing its partnership with founder Julian Metcalfe.

The deal follows the GP’s cooperation with Itsu founder Julian Metcalfe, who also founded previous Bridgepoint portfolio company Pret A Manger.

Bridgepoint held a majority stake in Pret A Manger from 2008-2018, initially acquiring a stake in the business in a £345m deal alongside Goldman Sachs and investing via Bridgepoint Europe III. The exit to JAB Holding at the end of the GP’s 10-year investment period was reportedly valued at £1.5bn.

Itsu

  • DEAL:

    Expansion

  • LOCATION:

    London

  • SECTOR:

    Restaurants & bars

  • FOUNDED:

    1997

The investment in Itsu will back the company’s growth plans, which will include the opening of 100 new sites and the creation of 2,000 jobs in the UK over the next five years, according to a statement.

Sky News reported that the deal could value Itsu at up to £100m.

Although some of its centrally located sites have been closed since September 2020, Itsu said in the same statement that it hopes to re-open the remaining closed stores in the near future.

Bridgepoint is currently deploying equity via vehicles including Bridgepoint Europe VI. The fund held a final close in December 2017 on €5.7bn and invests €125-500m in companies with enterprise values of €200m-1.5bn. The fund has a four-year investment period and made its first platform investment in February 2019, according to Unquote Data.

Many fast food and restaurant chains suffered under the coronavirus lockdowns in place across much of Europe throughout the past year. Unquote reported on the challenges for the sector in April 2020.

The restaurants and bar sector saw a record year for aggregate buyout value in 2019, with 17 deals totalling more than €7bn. However, the pandemic led, unsurprisingly, to a 10-year low in yearly aggregate buyout value in the restaurant and bars sector in 2020, according to Unquote Data. The nine buyouts that took place in 2020 totalled €436.5m; these included Partners Group’s acquisition of French restaurant chain Côte from BC Partners, as well as Epiris’ acquisition of Casual Dining Group.

Activity in the sector has not yet returned to previous levels, with three buyouts totalling €285m recorded to date in 2021, according to Unquote Data. However, Yo! Sushi, a portfolio company of Mayfair Equity Partners, was considering an IPO in April 2021 following significant growth in the US, the Sunday Telegraph reported. The sector has also seen three exits to date in 2021; in April, TDR Capital-backed Euro Garages acquired Leon from Spice Private Equity and Active Partners in a deal valued at around £100m.

With consumer demand expected to return to or even exceed previous levels once the coronavirus vaccination programme advances across Europe, Bridgepoint’s investment in Itsu is also an indication of the prospect of returning stability for the sector.

Company
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in London, Itsu is an East Asian-inspired fast food chain that sells healthy food including salads, soups and sushi. The firm also manage a grocery business for Asian food, selling its products in supermarkets and health food shops in the UK. The company expects to reach revenues of £170m in 2022. It posted revenues of £116.6m in 2018, versus £105m in 2017, according to its latest financial statements.

People
Bridgepoint – Benoit Alteirac (partner).
Itsu – Julian Metcalfe (founder).

Advisers
Equity – Travers Smith (legal); Alvarez & Marshal (financial due diligence).

  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Google plus  
  • Send to  
  • Topics
  • Expansion
  • UK / Ireland
  • Consumer
  • United Kingdom
  • Bridgepoint

More on Expansion

Wealth managers and financial advisers
Blackstone takes minority stake in Groupe Premium

Deal values French wealth manager at EUR 1.15bn after earlier full exit attempt saw Eurazeo target EUR 1.5bn

  • Expansion
  • 31 July 2023
Risk and compliance management services
e-Attestations aims to triple size with new Keensight backing

Keensight is investing in the risk management platform via its EUR 1bn fifth fund, which closed in 2019

  • Expansion
  • 25 July 2023
Bolt-ons and buy-and-build platforms
The Bolt-Ons Digest - 3 July 2023

Unquote’s selection of the latest add-ons with Palatine's Anthesis, Nordic Capital's Regnology, Waterland's Janssen and more

  • Expansion
  • 03 July 2023
Valentina Vitali of Limerston Capital
GP Profile: Limerston Capital anticipates higher volume but more complex M&A as market steadies

UK-based GP is seeing dealflow driven by carve-outs and buy-and-build in a market where organic multiple arbitrage is no longer a given

  • GPs
  • 07 June 2023

Latest News

Fund closes in US dollars
  • Funds
Stonehage Fleming raises USD 130m for largest fund to date, eyes 2024 programme

Multi-family office has seen strong appetite, with investor base growing since 2016 to more than 90 family offices, Meiping Yap told Unquote

  • 05 September 2023
Clinical trials and biotechnology
  • Buyouts
Permira to take Ergomed private for GBP 703m

Sponsor deploys Permira VIII to ride new wave of take-privates; Blackstone commits GBP 200m in financing for UK-based CRO

  • 04 September 2023
Public sector software
  • Exits
Partners Group to release IMs for Civica sale in mid-September

Sponsor acquired the public software group in July 2017 via the same-year vintage Partners Group Global Value 2017

  • 04 September 2023
EMEA Public to Private M&A
  • Investments
Change of mind: Sponsors take to de-listing their own assets

EQT and Cinven seen as bellweather for funds to reassess options for listed assets trading underwater

  • 04 September 2023
Back to Top
  • About Unquote
  • Advertise
  • Contacts
  • About Acuris
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Group Disclaimer
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

© Merger Market

© Mergermarket Limited, 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1BE - Company registration number 03879547

Digital publisher of the year 2010 & 2013

Digital publisher of the year 2010 & 2013