USA Today: A group of three private equity firms is expected to announce today a deal to buy food chain operator Dunkin’ Brands for about $2.4 billion, a source familiar with the matter says.
The three firms involved are said to be Bain Capital, the Carlyle Group and Thomas H. Lee Partners.
The Dunkin’ Brands management team is expected to stay in place, the source said.
French beverage company Pernod Ricard is selling Dunkin’ Brands — which includes Dunkin’ Donuts, the Baskin Robbins ice cream shops and Togo’s sandwich stores — as part of its $14.2 billion purchase earlier this year of British rival Allied Domecq.
Dunkin’ Donuts, the largest brand in the unit, is based near Bain and Thomas H. Lee’s hometown of Boston and claims to be the largest baked-good chains in the world, with more than 6,100 shops in 30 countries and expanding rapidly.
