Cara announces the purchase of Canadian restaurant chain Pickle Barrel

Pickle Barrel was founded in 1971 and today it has 12 corporately-owned restaurants in highly sought after locations along with a thriving catering business, all across the Greater Toronto Area. Image: Pickle Barrel, Twitter

VAUGHAN, ON -- Cara Operations Limited is pleased to announce that on October 13, 2017 it entered into a purchase agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Pickle Barrel Group of Restaurants. The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of the year.   

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Pickle Barrel was founded in 1971 and today it has 12 corporately-owned restaurants in highly sought after locations along with a thriving catering business, all across the Greater Toronto Area.  Pickle Barrel generates approximately $50 million a year in sales through its 11 Pickle Barrel restaurants and 1 Glow Fresh Grill & Wine Bar.  It also has a significant catering business through Pickle Barrel catering as well as through a 50% interest in Rose Reisman Catering.  Rose Reisman Catering is a menu development, catering and individual meal delivery business that is focused on health and wellness – it has been a popular and growing alternative in the Greater Toronto Area for over 20 years. 

Since its inception, Pickle Barrel has grown from a small deli concept into a beloved family destination, with a contemporary menu offering 300 items that are made fresh to order in each restaurant.  Since 1971, Pickle Barrel's catering business, with its fleet of refrigerated trucks, has catered over 1.2 million events, specializing in occasions that range from casual barbecues and picnics to elegant parties and fine dining affairs.

Peter Higley, who has been running Pickle Barrel since 1992 and who is the current President of Pickle Barrel commented, "We're extremely excited to be joining Cara – its behind the scenes support will allow us to focus on strengthening our already successful restaurant and catering businesses, scaling them even faster in the years ahead".  Peter Higley will join Cara's Executive Leadership Team and will continue to lead and operate the Pickle Barrel Group within Cara.

The acquisition of Pickle Barrel adds another established, Canadian brand to Cara's portfolio of restaurants.  Cara is acquiring Pickle Barrel for cash consideration which will be funded through Cara's existing credit facility. The addition of Pickle Barrel helps expand Cara's portfolio of restaurants further into shopping centers where, aside from New York Fries, Cara's brands have limited presence.  Pickle Barrel's successful catering business also adds a new sales channel for Cara.  Catering will be added to Cara's existing quick-service, full-service, dine-in, off-premise and retail-grocery food offerings.

Cara's Chief Executive Officer, Bill Gregson, commented, "We view our investment in Pickle Barrel as an opportunity to partner with a proven management team who has a strong track record of operating profitable restaurants and catering businesses under both the Pickle Barrel and Rose Reisman brands.  This acquisition is accretive for our shareholders".  Pickle Barrel's head office and operations team office will be relocated to Cara's existing head office in Vaughan, Ontario and its business and back-end processes will be integrated into Cara's over the course of the next 12 months. 

SOURCE Cara Operations Limited