QK Holdings LLC
'Leading Brand Resurgence'
Overview
- QK founded as Denny’s franchisee by Robbie Qualls and Doug Koch in 1993 with their first restaurant in Holbrook, AZ
- QK purchases 9 units in Oregon, Dennis Ekstrom joins company as senior executive in 1995
- QK diversifies into CSR in 2002 with an acquisition of Del Taco units in New Mexico
- QK expands into 9 states with 88 restaurants by 2011, becoming the largest Denny’s franchisee in the U.S. with nearly $100MM of revenue and the strongest operating team in the system
- Robbie Qualls seeks to retire and cash out in 2013 while Doug Koch wants to continue to expand the business
- They select Cave Creek Capital as a 50% partner in a $43MM leveraged recapitalization
- Highly complex deal closed with 79 separate LLC’s and three different corporate entities combined in hybrid stock/asset transaction; met liquidity and tax needs of the three founders
- Founders, Doug Koch and Dennis Ekstrom receive partial liquidity for their shares and continue as senior management while Robbie Qualls remains as Vice Chairman of the Board
Results
- QK restaurant base grows by 15 units and Denny’s brand surges under new corporate leadership, with run rate revenues growing nearly 30% within two years
- Record comp store growth of nearly 10% for 2015
- EBITDA grows almost 50% since the aquisition
- Substantial progress in building infrastructure; CFO hired, first audit and consolidated tax return
- Restaurant industry in general and Denny’s, in particular, continues strong resurgence in performance and valuations under CEO, Jon Miller
- Sold to WKS Restaurant Group in 2019