Knoxville, TN - Connor Concepts, Inc. ("Connor Concepts" or the "Company"), a leading restaurant company with two successful concepts, The Chop House ("Chop House") and Connors Steak & Seafood ("Connors"), has been recapitalized by CapitalSpring. Legacy FocalPoint Partners, LLC, now B. Riley Securities ("B. Riley") served as exclusive financial advisor to the Company.
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Connor Concepts operates 16 successful locations in the Southeast and Midwest. The Chop House and Connors concepts are positioned between casual and fine dining and appeal to the "polished casual" diner by offering premium food, warm and inviting atmospheres, and best-in-class service from energetic team members. Led by an experienced and highly-regarded management team, Connor Concepts reflects a rich tradition of hospitality and excellence, driving success through an unrelenting commitment to "Superior Dining Experiences. Everyday."
Mike Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Connor Concepts, commented, "I was afraid that in taking on an institutional capital partner I'd be forced to compromise on what I think are the pillars of our success. However, CapitalSpring's solution allows me to stay in control of the business and gives me and my team access to their wealth of industry knowledge, best practices, and resources to accelerate the growth of the Company. We really feel like we found a partner who values the culture we have built and who will be a collaborative supporter of our growth. I'd like to thank the [B. Riley] team for their invaluable assistance in helping us achieve a very positive outcome for all of our stakeholders."
Bo Connor, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Connor Concepts, commented, "It means a lot to have experts in the industry confirm the goals that we aspire for the Company are being achieved. It has been a successful process and the results ensure that we continue to grow with the knowledge that our culture will remain intact."
Regarding the transaction, Robert Woolway, Managing Director at B. Riley, said, "We are thrilled to announce the closing of this recapitalization. We believe the Connor Concepts team will benefit greatly from CapitalSpring's industry expertise, and we are looking forward to watching the Company grow in the coming years. This represents another noteworthy transaction for our Food and Restaurant Group." Rod Guinn, Managing Director at B. Riley, added, "Mike Connor, Bo Connor, and the rest of the management team have built a very impressive business, and we are proud to have delivered a solution that will accelerate the Company's growth."
About Connor Concepts, Inc.
Connor Concepts, Inc. is the parent company of The Chop House ® and Connors Steak & Seafood™. Since its founding in 1992, Connor Concepts has developed two brands which have evolved into 16 successful locations across the Southeast and Midwest. Connor Concepts strives for superior dining experiences every day, with 100% guest satisfaction as its primary goal. For more information on Connor Concepts, please visit www.connorconcepts.com.
About CapitalSpring
Founded in 2005, CapitalSpring is a private investment firm focused exclusively on the branded restaurant and food service industries. The Firm currently manages assets in excess of $1.4 billion and has completed investments in over 60 different restaurant brands and 5,000 restaurant locations. CapitalSpring focuses on supporting proven management teams with a range of structured credit and private equity solutions and has offices in Nashville, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York. For more information, please visit www.capitalspring.com.
B. Riley Securities is a leading investment bank that provides a full suite of investment banking, corporate finance, advisory, research, and sales and trading services. Investment banking services include initial, secondary, and follow-on offerings, institutional private placements, merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory, SPACs, corporate restructuring, and recapitalization. The firm is nationally recognized and highly ranked for its proprietary small-cap equity research. B. Riley Securities is a wholly owned subsidiary of B. Riley Financial. For more information, visit brileysecurities.com.
Please contact Robert Woolway, Managing Director, at 310-405-7080, with any questions about this transaction.