#AbuDhabi Fund Mubadala Capital Buys Major Taco Bell Franchisee - Bloomberg

Abu Dhabi Fund Mubadala Capital Buys Major Taco Bell Franchisee - Bloomberg

A unit of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co. acquired one of the largest Taco Bell Corp. franchisees in the U.S., underscoring the $243 billion sovereign wealth fund’s growing appetite for private equity deals.

Mubadala Capital, the fund’s asset management arm, bought K-Mac Holdings Corp. from Lee Equity Partners Opportunities Fund, according to a statement on Thursday. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. K-Mac operates some 300 fast-food Taco Bell outlets that are primarily located in the country’s Midwest and South.

The deal reflects Mubadala Capital’s foray into the food and beverage sector, where it invested about $1.8 billion in the past seven years alone. It also underlines the buyout division’s U.S. focus, a destination for about 80% of its capital, said Adib Martin Mattar, who heads private equity at Mubadala Capital.

“It’s still the world’s biggest market when it comes to doing private equity deals and finding investments,” Mattar said.