Financing

Custom-focused concept Stacked acquired by private-equity firms

The emerging chain from the founders of BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse has its sights set on becoming a national brand.
Photograph courtesy of Stacked

The high-tech, highly customizable full-service concept Stacked has been acquired by two private-equity firms, the investors announced Monday.

California-based Stacked, which was founded in 2010 by the creators of BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, currently has just five units in California. But the emerging chain’s leaders hope the majority investment will allow it to expand throughout the country, Paul Motenko, the concept’s co-founder, said in a statement.

“We are partnering with restaurant experts that share our vision for enhancing the full-service dining experience with hospitality-driven personalization,” Motenko said. “Collectively, we’re very excited to continue to build what we believe can be a national brand.”

stacked burger and iPad

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hargett Hunter, a North Carolina-based private-equity firm which last month invested nearly $3 million in the Bellagreen fast-casual chain, joined forces with private-equity group TriSpan on the Stacked investment.

“Stacked is a differentiated growth brand that successfully pairs approachable, delicious food with a fun dining experience where customers control their interaction with the brand,” Hargett Hunter founder Jeff Brock said in a statement.

At Stacked, which has the tag line “Food well built,” consumers use tablets to customize items such as burgers, pizzas, salads or macaroni and cheese with a wide range of add-ons, from vegetables to proteins and sauces. Restaurants also feature a full bar.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Leadership

Meet the restaurant fixer who now owns Etta

Tech entrepreneur Johann Moonesinghe suddenly finds himself leading a growing group of restaurants. His secret? He doesn't expect to make a profit.

Financing

Looking for the next Chipotle? These 3 chains are already there

The Bottom Line: Wingstop, Raising Cane’s and Jersey Mike’s have broken free from the pack of well-established growth chains. Here’s why this trio stands out.

Financing

For Starbucks, 2 years of change hasn't yielded promised results

The Bottom Line: The coffee shop giant’s sales struggles worsened earlier this year, despite a flurry of efforts to improve operations and employee satisfaction.

Trending

More from our partners