COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Bob Evans, the chain of family-style restaurants founded and headquartered in central Ohio, has a new owner.
New York-based investment firm 4×4 Capital announced on Feb. 4 that it has acquired Bob Evans Restaurants. The deal transfers ownership of the 78-year-old brand from San Francisco-based private equity firm Golden Gate Capital. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Bob Evans operates more than 400 restaurants in 18 states and employs more than 15,000 people. The company is based in New Albany and traces its roots to a 12-stool diner opened in 1948 by founder Bob Evans in Gallipolis, Ohio.
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“We are proud of what we accomplished in partnership with Golden Gate Capital and excited to begin this next chapter with 4×4’s hands-on partnership,” said Mickey Mills, the restaurant chain’s CEO, who will continue to lead the brand. “Together, we look forward to investing in and enhancing our operations, guest experience, and brand.”
Golden Gate Capital purchased Bob Evans in 2017 for $565 million. At the time, the firm split the restaurants from Bob Evans Farms, the brand’s consumer-packaged good business, which was acquired by Post Holdings for $1.5 billion…