Jack in the Box to sell Qdoba

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Qdoba Restaurant Corporation to certain funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC  (NYSE:APO) for approximately $305 million in cash, subject to customary closing conditions and adjustments.

The transaction is expected to close by April 2018. The Company expects to use the net cash proceeds after tax and transaction costs to retire outstanding debt under its term loan, as required by the terms of its credit facility.

Lenny Comma, chairman and chief executive officer of Jack in the Box Inc., said, “For the past several months, we have worked closely with our financial advisors and evaluated various strategic alternatives with respect to Qdoba, including a sale or spin-off, as well as opportunities to refranchise company restaurants. Following the completion of this robust process, our Board of Directors has determined that the sale of Qdoba is the best alternative for enhancing shareholder value and is consistent with the Company’s desire to transition to a less capital-intensive business model."

Apollo Senior Partner Lance Milken said, “We are extremely excited to be acquiring Qdoba and look forward to working with the management team, employees and franchisees to continue building the Qdoba brand. We are firmly committed to Qdoba’s continued growth as a leading fast-casual restaurant operator.”

The Company intends to provide guidance for fiscal 2018 in connection with its presentation at the ICR Conference on January 9, 2018.

The Associated Press contributed to this report