Brentwood Associates Invests in Zoë's Kitchen in Partnership with Cassimus and Dollarhyde
Brentwood Associates, a leading Los Angeles-based private equity investment firm, announced that it has made a significant investment in Zoe's Kitchen USA, LLC, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Led by President and CEO John Cassimus, ZOËS KITCHEN is a rapidly growing, fast casual restaurant concept offering fresh, made-from-scratch menu items inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. The son and leading member of the founding family, Cassimus will retain substantial ownership of the company and will continue in his current leadership role. Concurrent with the transaction, fast-casual industry veteran Greg Dollarhyde will invest in the company and serve as its Executive Chairman.
Anthony Choe, general partner at Brentwood, commented 'We are delighted to be partners with John Cassimus, whose energetic leadership has created a culture of operations excellence at ZOËS KITCHEN. He's someone who knows how to lead by example, and his make-it-happen approach is infectious. We are also excited be to partnering again with Greg Dollarhyde, whose industry experience will be invaluable in helping the Company achieve its growth objectives.'
Founded in 1995 by Marcus and Zoë Cassimus, ZOËS KITCHEN is renowned for its straightforward menu with 'craveable' items such as the Chicken Roll-Up, the all white meat Chicken Salad Sandwich and the grilled turkey 'Gruben' that allow loyal customers to Eat Smart. Eat Fresh(C). A three-time football letterman and finance graduate of the University of Alabama, Cassimus assumed control of the Company in 1999, creating an innovative re-design that led to the company's successful and rapid geographic expansion. Today, the ZOËS KITCHEN system has 19 locations, comprised of 16 company-owned and 3 franchised locations in the six states of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas.
Commenting on the new partnership, CEO Cassimus said 'I am truly excited about our future opportunities at ZOËS and look forward to the experience, strategic input and financial resources of my new partners as we continue to rapidly grow ZOËS in the Southeast and beyond. I believe they understand that our unique concept and passionate people are the key drivers of our success.'
Brentwood will again be partnering with Dollarhyde who has served as the Chairman or CEO of six different restaurant companies. Dollarhyde currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Pacific Island Restaurants, a Brentwood portfolio company that is the exclusive franchisee of 93 PIZZA HUT and TACO BELL restaurants in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. Prior to Pacific Island Restaurants, Dollarhyde was the CEO of BAJA FRESH, where he oversaw its rapid growth from less than 50 restaurants to over 200 restaurants in less than four years.
Commenting on the transaction, Dollarhyde simply stated, 'John and ZOËS KITCHEN are real winners. I'm thrilled to support the team in achieving ZOËS KITCHEN's full potential!'
Anthony Choe, general partner at Brentwood, commented 'We are delighted to be partners with John Cassimus, whose energetic leadership has created a culture of operations excellence at ZOËS KITCHEN. He's someone who knows how to lead by example, and his make-it-happen approach is infectious. We are also excited be to partnering again with Greg Dollarhyde, whose industry experience will be invaluable in helping the Company achieve its growth objectives.'
Advertisement
Founded in 1995 by Marcus and Zoë Cassimus, ZOËS KITCHEN is renowned for its straightforward menu with 'craveable' items such as the Chicken Roll-Up, the all white meat Chicken Salad Sandwich and the grilled turkey 'Gruben' that allow loyal customers to Eat Smart. Eat Fresh(C). A three-time football letterman and finance graduate of the University of Alabama, Cassimus assumed control of the Company in 1999, creating an innovative re-design that led to the company's successful and rapid geographic expansion. Today, the ZOËS KITCHEN system has 19 locations, comprised of 16 company-owned and 3 franchised locations in the six states of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas.
Commenting on the new partnership, CEO Cassimus said 'I am truly excited about our future opportunities at ZOËS and look forward to the experience, strategic input and financial resources of my new partners as we continue to rapidly grow ZOËS in the Southeast and beyond. I believe they understand that our unique concept and passionate people are the key drivers of our success.'
Brentwood will again be partnering with Dollarhyde who has served as the Chairman or CEO of six different restaurant companies. Dollarhyde currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Pacific Island Restaurants, a Brentwood portfolio company that is the exclusive franchisee of 93 PIZZA HUT and TACO BELL restaurants in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. Prior to Pacific Island Restaurants, Dollarhyde was the CEO of BAJA FRESH, where he oversaw its rapid growth from less than 50 restaurants to over 200 restaurants in less than four years.
Commenting on the transaction, Dollarhyde simply stated, 'John and ZOËS KITCHEN are real winners. I'm thrilled to support the team in achieving ZOËS KITCHEN's full potential!'
