Sapient Corporate Finance
Sapient Corporate Finance was established in 1997 to provide corporate finance advisory services to clients in the pub, bar, restaurant and broader leisure sectors.
Since then we have advised clients both large and small on acquisitions, disposals and debt and equity fundraisings including:
• Mitchells & Butlers in 2010 — sale of 333 pubs to TDR Capital's Stonegate Pub Company for £373m and acquisition of 22 Ha Ha Bar & Grill restaurants for £19.5m.
• Punch Taverns in 2009 and 2010 on 16 separate portfolio disposals, raising over £150m for debt repayment.
• MA 250 members Geronimo Inns and Realpubs on fundraisings in 2006 and 2007:
The £25m we raised for Geronimo from Penta Capital and Barclays allowed the company to double the size of its estate and quadruple its profits prior to its recent exit to Young's for £60m, with the founders realising very attractive returns.
Brockton Capital's investment in Realpubs has enabled the transformation of the estate from seven leaseholds (six of which were tied) to 13 freeholds and one free of tie lease. This has multiplied the value of the founder's stake in Realpubs.
Our recent transactions provide us with an unrivalled knowledge of today's M&A market. In the last two years Sapient has been involved in 75% of sector transactions and dealt with over 100 potential buyers including large pubcos, family brewers, private equity and smaller companies, including MA 250 members. We know who is buying, who is selling and the prices that have been paid.
Fundraising is an area of the market that we see growing in the next two to three years, especially for established businesses with a proven operating format that need further capital to reach the next level. Companies such as Geronimo and Realpubs have benefited from private equity investment, enabling them to grow profits and achieve substantial capital gains for all shareholders.
Sapient is proud to sponsor the MA 250.
For more information visit www.sapientcf.com.
