Roark Capital Group Acquires Schlotzsky's, Ltd.

23/11/06 Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, announced the acquisition of Schlotzsky's, Ltd. Schlotzsky's is a quick casual restaurant chain offering made-to-order sandwiches, soups, salads, and pizza. Founded in 1971 as the home of the Original toasted sandwich and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Schlotzsky's has approximately 365 franchised and company-owned locations generating $210 million of system-wide revenues throughout the United States and six foreign countries.

Schlotzsky's has become a wholly owned subsidiary of FOCUS Brands, Inc., a company owned by affiliates of Roark Capital Group. Also based in Atlanta, FOCUS Brands is the franchisor and operator of nearly 1,400 ice cream stores, bakeries, and cafes under the brand names Carvel, Cinnabon, and Seattle's Best Coffee. With its acquisition of Schlotzsky's, FOCUS Brands now has four franchise brands generating nearly $800 million in system-wide revenues through over 10,000 points of distribution in 50 states and 33 countries.

According to Neal Aronson, founder and managing partner of Roark, "Schlotzsky's is a great fit for us. It is a well known brand with high quality, freshly made, differentiated products that people love."

The company was owned and operated by Bobby Cox, a very successful entrepreneur with a 45-year history of building, owning, and managing restaurants, along with partners Bob Barnes and Ronny Jordan. Bobby, who will join the FOCUS Brands' Board of Directors and re-invest a portion of his proceeds in the stock of FOCUS Brands, stated "Bob, Ronny, and I were impressed by Roark Capital and FOCUS Brands - we like the way they do business. Their passion, their success in managing and growing well regarded brands, and their mission to make people happy - particularly their franchisees and their associates - was very appealing to us. I am excited to participate in this dynamic company's future".

Steve Romaniello, president and CEO of FOCUS Brands, added, "Schlotzsky's is the perfect center-of-the-plate addition to our growing portfolio of distinct brands. We look forward to continuing the momentum created by Bobby, Bob, and Ronny, and their terrific support staff in improving sales and profitability of the existing system, and are excited to begin growing this well established and distinctive concept."

All Schlotzsky's associates have been offered jobs with FOCUS Brands, and the brand headquarters will remain in Austin.

Roark Capital Group has acquired 11 franchise brands representing more than 11,500 points of distribution, 3,300 locations, 1,700 franchisees, and $2.3 billion in system-wide revenues in 50 U.S. states and 33 countries. Other targeted industries include direct marketing (Roark owns four direct marketing companies) and financial services (Roark owns two financial services firms). Schlotzsky's is the fifth investment made in Roark's current fund raised in March 2005.