About half of the interest payments are made to its Chinese parent company, Hony Capital. Its 2019 accounts revealed that, even before the novel coronavirus hit U.K. restaurants, it was already making an annual loss of £350 million. Pizza Express went through a restructuring in the summer to cut its rental costs, ... is majority-owned by Chinese investor Hony Capital, which bought it for £900m in 2014. PizzaExpress Hony Capital M&As Gondola Group Cinven London: Chinese private equity group Hony Capital Ltd agreed to buy UK restaurant chain PizzaExpress Ltd for about £900 million ($1.54 billion). Each Pizza Express shop is individually designed depending on the local tastes of the area. It has over 470 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 100 overseas in Europe, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, The Philippines, The United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Hony Capital is a pioneering buyout fund in China and has strong expertise incross-border investments. An affiliate of Pizza Express’ owner Hony Capital is understood to have launched a tender offer to acquire up to £80m of the group’s senior notes, due in 2022. Hony Capital bought the business from Gondola Group for around £900 million in 2014. Cinven borrowed money to buy Pizza Express, saddling the company with the debt. Pizza Express is the largest casual dining restaurant operator in the UK, and this is the largest deal in the European restaurant sector in the past five years. Hony Capital, founded in 2003, is sponsored by the Lenovo Group as well as Chinese and global institutional investors. MailOnline contacted both Pizza Express and Hony Capital, neither of which could be reached this afternoon. Hony Capital, one of China’s largest private equity firms, has acquired PizzaExpress, in a deal that values the Cinven-backed chain at £900m - the largest transaction in … PizzaExpress celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015. The business is also in a strengthened position since Autumn 2020, which saw a major restructuring of the pizza chain’s capital. Some of these cookies tell us how you use this site to help you get the most out of it – if you’re happy with that, click Accept For information on the cookies used, click on More about cookies Holders of the existing £200m senior unsecured notes (including Hony Capital) and Hony Capital, in its capacity as existing shareholder, were given a minor shareholding in the restructured Group. By Mike Didymus-August 4, 2020. Pizza Express sold to Chinese private equity group Hony Capital for £900m. Pizza Express is only one of a string of headache investments for Hony, a $10bn private equity firm that also poured $500m into struggling co-working landlord WeWork in 2017. Hony Capital is a Chinese private equity firm, owned by Legend Holdings.Legend Holdings provided Hony, a pioneer in China's private equity industry, with its start-up capital. The Guardian reports that the chain’s Chinese owner, Hony Capital, could lose control of the company as part of a debt-for-equity swap. Hony Capital acquired the largest private hospital in Shanghai, Yangsi Hospital, through its hospital management group. In Hong Kong, Pizza Express has 23 restaurants. China’s Hony Capital raises $130m for first venture fund The firm rose to international prominence in 2014 for its acquisition of London-based restaurant chain Pizza Express, which was taken over by its bondholders earlier this year Hony Capital, the China-based buyout fund with $7bn assets under management, will work together with the Pizza Express management team to accelerate its expansion in China and continue to grow the UK business. 2013 Hony capital invested in Shanghai Chengtou Holdings (600649.SH), which was a ‘wind indicator’ for new era of SOE reform in Shanghai. The only way out was for Hony to exit, and for Pizza Express to close a lot of restaurants and cut a debt-for-equity deal with shareholders on the risky promise that it would lead to a brighter future. It has been helpful in expanding the Pizza Express brand in that important market, although the Far East operations first began in 2001 in Hong Kong. Hony’s origins began in 2003 and it has particular expertise with state owned enterprises. Private equity house Hony Capital is at risk of losing its entire investment in UK pizza restaurant chain Pizza Express as the business reels under the strain of the coronavirus lockdown. MailOnline contacted both Pizza Express and Hony Capital, neither of which could be reached this afternoon. China’s Hony Capital is set to pump more money into PizzaExpress, cutting the 54-year-old restaurant chain’s debts and increasing its chances of retaining control in any restructuring. Pizza Express, which is majority owned by Chinese firm Hony Capital, also confirmed it had hired advisers from Lazard to lead a sale process for the business. The company has $7bn under management, with the latest fund having a capital commitment of $2.4bn. Sign in. PizzaExpress, a UK-based restaurant chain backed by Chinese private equity firm Hony Capital, is permanently closing 73 of its 470 restaurants as part of a rescue deal awaiting approval from creditors, according to reports.PizzaExpress is one of several chains hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown. Leveraging its domestic and international expertise, Hony Capital will work together with the PizzaExpress management team to drive continued growth both in the UK and internationally, with a particular focus on expansion in China. Expansion of the British restaurant chain into the Asia market is seen as key for its growth Latest News; ... Hony Capital burned by Pizza Express as bondholders agree deal for struggling restaurant chain. Struggling private equity-backed restaurant group Pizza Express is set to be largely taken over by bondholders as the business reels under the strain of the coronavirus lockdown. It was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot. Hony has about US$10 billion under management. PizzaExpress’s unsecured creditors -- which include Beach Point Capital Management -- will have one month to review Hony’s offer to buy back the bonds at discount. Hony Capital buys PizzaExpress for about £900 million ($1,540 million). Suite 06-11, 70/F Two International Finance Centre, No.8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong Tel：+852 3961 9700 Fax：+852 3961 9799 The restructuring plan will enable Hony Capital to complete the carve-out purchase of the China business of PizzaExpress Group, which it will continue to own and operate going forward. Pizza Express operates 436 restaurants in the UK along with 68 internationally, including 22 in China. Pizza Express’ struggles with debt have made the headlines several times in the past few months – it has £465m of secured bonds due in August 2021 and £200m of unsecured notes due the following year. Pizza Express opened its first restaurant in Beijing in May Credit: Photo: ALAMY Chinese investment group Hony Capital has agreed to buy restaurant chain Pizza Express for around £900m. It is currently majority owned by Chinese firm Hony Capital. Beyond pizza, there are cookies – we use the non-edible kind on this site. Pizza Express, which is majority owned by Chinese firm Hony Capital, said it had also placed the business up for sale. The group is owned by Hony Capital, a Chinese company that bought Pizza Express in 2014 in a £900m deal with hopes of expanding the chain in China. PizzaExpress is a restaurant group based in the United Kingdom and owned by a group of bondholders. Hony Capital, the private equity group that bought PizzaExpress in 2014, has secured a controlling majority of its unsecured bonds, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The company has said it will look for redeployment opportunities for those affected by the closures. 985. Pizza Express also confirmed it had hired advisers from Lazard to lead a sale process for the business. All of the group’s current equityholders have been offered the opportunity to co-invest in the divested China group, and all SUN holders will also have the option to do so at the closing of the restructuring transaction. Coronavirus: Pizza Express slimming plans that put 1,100 jobs at risk are approved. Hony picked up Pizza Express in a £900m buyout from fellow PE house Cinven six years ago, but the business had already seen its debt surge to a reported £1.1bn by the end of 2018. 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