Houlihan Lokey Advises BAUM Unternehmensgruppe and BURGER KING Deutschland

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that BAUM Unternehmensgruppe has signed an agreement to sell a majority stake in BURGER KING Deutschland GmbH to McWin Food Ecosystem Fund. The transaction was closed 3 March 2022.

BURGER KING Deutschland GmbH is a leading quick-service restaurant platform in Germany and the master franchisee of Burger King^® in the country. The company was founded in 2015 as a joint venture between a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. and BAUM Unternehmensgruppe, and has since been responsible for the development of the Burger King^® brand in Germany, with a portfolio of more than 110 company-owned restaurants and additional 640 franchised restaurants.

Burger King^® is the second largest fast-food hamburger chain in the world. The Burger King^® system, founded as the "Home of the Whopper^®" operates more than 18,500 restaurants in 100 countries and U.S. territories worldwide.

The new majority shareholder, McWin Food Ecosystem Fund, is led by Henry McGovern and Steve K. Winegar and invests exclusively in food service and food tech sector category leaders. Henry McGovern, founder and long-time CEO of the multi-concept foodservice group AmRest, and Steve K. Winegar, co-founder of Grupo Zena and founder of Restauravia Foods, are restaurant experts and serial entrepreneurs. The McWin Food Ecosystem Fund is looking to drive the company forward and take it to the next level by focusing on multiple growth opportunities. Restaurant Brands International Inc., the parent company of the Burger King^® brand, will continue to be involved in the joint venture, while the incumbent Executive Management Team will also continue to drive the business forward.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to BAUM Unternehmensgruppe and BURGER KING Deutschland GmbH on the transaction, and the deal highlights our deep sector expertise in the quick-service restaurant space.