Sun Capital Targets Boston Market, Friendly's

BOCA RATON, FL-Sun Capital Partners Inc. has acquired Boston Market Corp., a non-core business unit of McDonald’s Corp., and plans to close Thursday on its $337.2 million purchase of Friendly’s Ice Cream Corp. The Golden, CO-based Boston Market company, operates about 600 restaurants in 28 states. Friendly’s includes 515 company and franchised restaurants throughout the Northeast.

Michael Fieldstone, a principal with Sun Capital, tells GlobeSt.com that the company believes in the Boston Market brand. “It’s very high quality food at a good value for an individual or family,” he says. “We’re enthusiastic to improve operations and grow the company. We need to fix what we have first, then accelerate unit growth.” Company officials say the firm will also expand frozen food potential. Fieldstone says his company agreed with McDonald’s not to disclose the price of the purchase.