McWin announces €525m dedicated restaurant fund as a platform for brands that are ready to scale
  • The McWin Restaurant Fund (MRF) has been launched in partnership with a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)
  • MRF will invest in iconic brands and leading large cap restaurant groups with a ticket size of €100m+
  • MRF is the third fund raised by McWin, led by founders of AmRest Holdings and Restauravia Grupo Empresarial; bringing the total capital managed to more than €1bn
  • McWin combines strong operational experience and an unparalleled food industry network and has already made significant investments in the foodservice sphere, including Burger King Germany, Gail’s and Vapiano

Luxembourg, 2nd of August 2022 – McWin, a private investment firm specializing in the foodservice and food technology sectors, is pleased to announce the closing of McWin Restaurant Fund (MRF), with a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) as the primary limited partner. MRF has secured initial funding commitments of €525m, with provision for additional capital as appropriate investment opportunities arise. The fund will build on the success of the McWin Food Ecosystem Fund, which is expected to close at €300m in Q3 2022, and the McWin Food Tech Fund with a target size of €250m, launched last month. This will bring the total capital managed by McWin across the food tech and food service sphere to more than €1bn, significantly enhance McWin’s platform and consolidate McWin as a leader in the segment.

MRF will focus on larger investments with a ticket size of at least €100m, drawing on the McWin team’s expertise in helping brands reach the next level, supporting their digitization and internationalization. The team has more than 150 years of combined experience of successfully operating and scaling iconic brands in the hospitality industry across multiple countries. Notably, this includes rapidly adapting foodservice models to changing consumer bases and habits as well as increased scrutiny by employees and society realizing synergies and creating substantial value at the intersection of food and technology. The team has already made significant investments in the foodservice market, including Burger King Germany (master franchisee), Gail’s (premium bakeries in the UK), and Vapiano (fast casual restaurants in 30+ countries). McWin and funds advised by McWin have a growing portfolio made up of more than 1,300 restaurants.

Led by Henry McGovern, founder of AmRest Holdings, one of Europe’s leading foodservice companies, and Steven K. Winegar, shareholder and senior executive of Zena Group and founder of Restauravia Grupo Empresarial, McWin is composed of an experienced team of industry and PE veterans with proven operational expertise, an unparalleled food industry network and deal origination capabilities, being the partner of choice for founders, investors, and management teams.

Henry McGovern, Co-Founder of McWin, added: “We believe this to be the largest dedicated fund of its kind in Europe. We view the partnership with ADIA as a long-term strategic relationship to unlock sustainable long-term value across the hospitality sector. Our operating experience and hands-on approach is the perfect value proposition for national brands that want access to a Europe-wide platform to scale their operations and grow beyond their borders.”

Steven K Winegar, Co-Founder of McWin commented: “One of the core strengths of McWin is sharing our entrepreneurial experience and industry expertise with the management leading the companies in which we invest. It is about providing them with the resources and an environment where they can form extraordinary teams, with a long-term vision for success. ”

About McWin

McWin is a private investment firm founded by Henry McGovern and Steven K. Winegar partnering with exceptional founders and CEOs daring sustainable disruption, principally in the foodservice and food technology sectors.

Henry McGovern is the founder of AmRest Holdings SE, one of Europe’s leading foodservice companies, which under Henry’s leadership grew to more than 2,300 restaurants in 25 countries, with 55,000+ employees. Steven K. Winegar was shareholder and senior executive of Grupo Zena and the founder of Restauravia Grupo Empresarial, Megafood SL and former board member of Telepizza. Between them, they have built or operated 4,200+ restaurants across Europe and have extensive experience investing in food technology and broader disruptive technologies. McWin and funds advised by McWin are currently investors in Gail’s, Vapiano, CookUnity and Dean&David as well as alternative protein companies including BlueNalu, Perfect Day, The Every Company (formerly Clara Foods), Impossible Foods and UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) and leading food technology companies such as Footprint, Menu, and Oishii.

For more information:
Harmon Corporate Affairs
Anna Steudel
Flavia Trevisan
Phone: +34 669 519 398; +34 659 035 984
E-mail: asteudel@harmon.es; ftrevisan@harmon.es

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