Roark Capital Group
Roark Capital Management, LLC, also known as Roark Capital Group or simply Roark Capital, is an American private equity firm with around $37 billion in assets under management. The firm is focused on leveraged buyout investments in middle-market companies, primarily in the franchise/multi-location, restaurant and food, health and wellness, and business services sectors. It is named for Howard Roark, the protagonist in Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead. The firm claims that its name is not meant to connote any particular political philosophy but instead signify the firm's admiration for the iconoclastic qualities of independence and self-assurance embodied by the central figure in The Fountainhead.
History
The firm, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 2001 by the current Managing Partner, Neal K. Aronson.Prior to founding Roark Capital Group in 2001, Aronson was a co-founder of U.S. Franchise Systems in 1995.
Investments
Roark's current and former portfolio companies include:Current investments
- Aftermath Services
- Anytime Fitness
- CKE Restaurants:
- Culver's
- Dave's Hot Chicken
- Divisions Maintenance Group
- Driven Brands: 1-800-Radiator & A/C, Abra, CARSTAR, International Car Wash Group/ICWG, Maaco, Meineke, Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops, Xpress Lube, Take 5 Oil Change, Pro Oil Change, Econo Lube & Tune
- Fitness Connection
- GoTo Foods : Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba Juice, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, Schlotzsky's
- Great Expressions Dental Centers
- Home Service Store
- Inspire Brands:
- Installation Made Easy
- Jim 'N Nick's BBQ Restaurants
- Massage Envy
- Mathnasium
- Miller's Ale House
- Orangetheory Fitness
- Pet Retail Brands: Petstores
- Primrose Schools
- Self Esteem Brands:
- ServiceMaster Brands:
- Subway
Former investments
- Atkins Nutritionals
- Batteries Plus Bulbs
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Cyber Core Technologies
- Drybar
- Fastsigns
- GFL Environmental
- Il Fornaio:
- Money Mailer
- Movie Gallery
- Naf Naf Grill
- Peachtree Business Products
- PSC Info Group
- Qualawash
- Solterra Recycling
- United States Arbitrage Finance II
- USFS
- Waste Pro
- Wingstop