News

Largest U.S. restaurant franchisee adds St. Louis Taco Bells to portfolio

August 27, 2013

On Aug. 21, California-based Flynn Restaurant Group LLC acquired 62 Taco Bell and related Yum! Brands restaurants in Missouri and Illinois, primarily in the St. Louis market.

The restaurants have been added to Bell American Group, a division of Flynn Restaurant Group. The seller was Gateway Bells LLC, an entity controlled by long-standing Taco Bell franchisee Don Ghareeb.

The Gateway Bells acquisition expands Bell American's restaurant foothold and further positions Flynn Restaurant Group as the largest restaurant franchisee in the country, according to a news release.

Bell American now operates 138 locations, making it Taco Bell's third largest operator. Sister division Apple American Group, with 441 restaurants, continues to be the largest Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar franchisee in the world, according to a news release.

Flynn was recently featured on the cover of the Franchise Times magazine for creating the first $1 billion franchise group in the U.S.

"We are excited to add the St. Louis market to Bell American Group," said Greg Flynn, founder, chairman and CEO of Flynn Restaurant Group. "Taco Bell enjoys a very strong position there, and we hope to make it even stronger through aggressive facility upgrades and operational improvements."

Bell American Group will continue to operate as an autonomous business unit under Flynn Restaurant Group. Charlie Brown, president of Bell American Group, and Sarat Koneru, director of operations, operate with substantial autonomy while receiving administrative and financial support from the central organization.

Flynn Restaurant Group LLC owns and operates 579 restaurants in 26 states, employing approximately 30,000 employees and generating $1.3 billion in annual revenues. Its two divisions, Apple American Group and Bell American Group, represent 441 Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bars and 138 Yum! Brands restaurants (mostly Taco Bells), respectively.

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