CapMan press release 25 September 2009 at 10.00 a.m.
CapMan Russia Fund has acquired a 49% stake in the master franchise of the Papa John’s pizza chain in Russia. Papa John’s is an American chain and it currently has nine restaurants in Moscow. The aim of the investment is to expand the chain’s operations in Moscow and other large Russian cities over the next few years.
Entrepreneur John Schnatter founded the Papa John’s 25 years ago and the chain currently operates over 3,000 restaurants worldwide. The first Papa John’s restaurant in Russia was opened in Moscow in 2003. Russia’s fast-food market has grown strongly in recent years and this growth is expected to continue, particularly outside city-centre locations.
“We see good opportunities for Papa John’s to succeed in Russia, thanks to its excellent brand and skilled management. The chain already has a strong position in Moscow, and our plan is to work with management to expand its operations by opening new restaurants in both Moscow and elsewhere in Russia over the next few years,” says CapMan’s Senior Partner and Head of CapMan Russia Petri Saavalainen.
“We are very pleased to receive the support of such an experienced investor such as CapMan for our growth. With CapMan as a partner, we will be able to further develop our business and continue to focus on providing quality restaurant services for our customers,” says Christopher Wynne, CEO of Papa John’s Russia. Wynne will continue as a major company shareholder following the CapMan acquisition.
CapMan Russia invests in mid-sized companies operating in Russia, and has so far invested in Region-Avia Airlines and Russia Baltic Pork Invest.
For further information, please contact:
Petri Saavalainen, Senior Partner, Head of CapMan Russia, tel. +358 500 415 911
Hans Christian Dall Nygård, CapMan Russia, Head of Investment Operations, tel. +7 812 913 7834
Chris Wynne, CEO, Papa John’s Russia, tel. +7 495 995 1072
CapMan www.capman.com
CapMan is one of the leading alternative asset managers in the Nordic countries and Russia and manages private equity funds with approximately EUR 3.5 billion in total capital. CapMan has six investment areas (CapMan Buyout, CapMan Technology, CapMan Life Science, CapMan Russia, CapMan Public Market and CapMan Real Estate), and each of them has a dedicated team and funds. Altogether CapMan employs nearly 150 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo and Moscow. CapMan was established in 1989 and its B shares are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange since 2001.
CapMan is one of the leading alternative asset managers in the Nordic countries and Russia and manages private equity funds with approximately EUR 3.5 billion in total capital. CapMan has six investment areas (CapMan Buyout, CapMan Technology, CapMan Life Science, CapMan Russia, CapMan Public Market and CapMan Real Estate), and each of them has a dedicated team and funds. Altogether CapMan employs nearly 150 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo and Moscow. CapMan was established in 1989 and its B shares are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange since 2001.
