Roark Capital Group is an American private equity firm with over $33 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 Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

, was founded in 2001 by the current Managing Partner, Neal K. Aronson. Senior team members include President Paul D. Ginsberg, Chief Investment Officer Erik O. Morris, and Managing Directors Timothy Armstrong, Stephen D. Aronson, Dennis Gies, Clay Harmon, Geoff Hill, Kevin Hofmann, Ian Picache, Gregory Smith, Sarah Spiegel, Michael Thompson, and David Wierman. Prior to founding Roark Capital Group in 2001, Aronson was a co-founder of

U.S. Franchise Systems U.S. Franchise Systems was a franchise company that owned Microtel Inns and Suites and Hawthorn Suites. It was founded in 1995 by Michael A. Leven and Neil K. Aronson. In March 1996, the company acquired the franchise rights to Hawthorn Suites, ...

in 1995. Roark currently is investing out of its fifth institutional private equity fund.

Investments

Roark's current and former portfolio companies include:

Current investments

Anytime Fitness Anytime Fitness is a franchise of 24-hour health and fitness clubs that is headquartered in Woodbury, Minnesota, United States. The company operates over 5,000 franchised locations in 50 countries. The gym facilities are open 24 hours a day, 36 ...

Batteries Plus Bulbs Batteries Plus (stylized as BatteriesPlus+, formerly Batteries Plus Bulbs stylized as Batteries+Bulbs) is an American specialty retail chain of several hundred franchise outlets founded in 1988 that sells and recycles batteries of varying size a ...

* The Cheesecake Factory *

CKE Restaurants CKE Restaurants Holdings (an acronym from Carl Karcher Enterprises) is an American fast food corporation and is the parent organization for the Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito brands. CKE Restaurants is a subsidiary of the pri ...

: ( Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Green Burrito & Red Burrito) *

Culver's Culver Franchising System, LLC (Culver's) is an American fast-casual restaurant chain. The company was founded in 1984 by George, Ruth, Craig, and Lea Culver. The first location opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin on July 18, 1984 under the name "Cul ...

(minority investment) * 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) * Drybar * Fitness Connection * Focus Brands: ( Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill,

Schlotzsky's Schlotzsky's is an American franchise chain of restaurants, specializing in sandwiches and pizza. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Schlotzsky's has more than 330 franchised and company-owned locations throughout the United Stat ...

,) * Great Expressions Dental Centers * Home Service Store * Inspire Brands: ( Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In, Jimmy John's,

Rusty Taco Rusty Taco is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants originating in Dallas, Texas in 2010, by founders Rusty Fenton and his wife, Denise Fenton. Rusty Taco is a subsidiary of Gala Capital Partners. , there are 37 restaurants in nine sta ...

, Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins) * Installation Made Easy * Jim 'N Nick's BBQ Restaurants *

Massage Envy Massage Envy Franchising LLC is an American massage and skin care national franchisor, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Massage Envy franchise network is the largest provider of therapeutic massages and skin care in the United States, and has mor ...

* Miller's Ale House *

Orangetheory Fitness Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) is an American boutique fitness studio franchise based in Boca Raton, Florida. The first studio was established in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2010 by founder, Ellen Latham.Valverde, M. (2014, February 19). Orangetheory ...

* Pet Retail Brands: (Bosley's, Pet Supermarket, PetValu) Petstores * Primrose Schools * Self Esteem Brands: (Basecamp Fitness, The Bar Method, Waxing the City) * Solterra Recycling * ServiceMaster Brands: (

ServiceMaster Clean ServiceMaster Clean is a company that provides cleaning and disinfecting services in commercial, healthcare and religious facilities throughout the United States, Canada and ten other countries. As a franchised business, franchises provide both c ...

, ServiceMaster Restore,

AmeriSpec ServiceMaster Brands is an American privately held company owned by Roark Capital Group that provides residential and commercial services. Its headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, after moving there in 2020 from Memphis, Tennessee. B ...

, Furniture Medic,

Merry Maids Merry Maids is an international franchisor which sells and supports residential cleaning services franchises throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Merry Maids was founded in 1979, and was acquired with ServiceMaster in 198 ...

) *

Mathnasium Mathnasium (also Mathnasium Learning Center) is an American education brand and supplemental math learning franchise consisting of over 1,000 learning centers in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia that provides instru ...

* Aftermath Services

Former investments

Atkins Nutritionals Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. was founded by Robert Atkins in order to promote the low-carbohydrate packaged foods of the Atkins diet. As of 2017, it is part of The Simply Good Foods Company. The company sells low-carbohydrate bars, shakes, and snack ...

* Cyber Core Technologies * Fastsigns *

GFL Environmental GFL Environmental Inc. (also known as Green For Life or GFL) is a waste management company with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. GFL operates in all provinces in Canada, and currently employs more than 8,850 people. The company provides enviro ...

* Il Fornaio: ( Corner Bakery Cafe) * Money Mailer * Movie Gallery * Naf Naf Grill * Peachtree Business Products * PSC Info Group * Qualawash * United States Arbitrage Finance II * USFS * Waste Pro * Wingstop

References

External links

* {{Private equity and venture capital Financial services companies established in 2001 Private equity firms of the United States Companies based in Atlanta American companies established in 2001 Franchises