Brint Ryan

OneRyan Global LLC, the family office of businessman and philanthropist G. Brint Ryan, has acquired a controlling interest in Fort Worth-based Mr Gatti’s.

Ryan will serve as chairman and Amanda S. Ryan will serve as vice chairwoman of the company’s board of managers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Our deep appreciation for the Mr. Gatti’s brand, combined with our firsthand experience operating locations across multiple markets, made this acquisition a natural and exciting opportunity,” Amanda S. Ryan, CEO of OneRyan, said in a statement. “Mr. Gatti’s has built a category-leading platform in dining and family entertainment, supported by an exceptional network of franchisees. We look forward to helping the brand continue to grow and thrive.”

OneRyan took a slice of Mr Gatti’s last fall

The acquisition follows OneRyan’s announcement that it had taken a minority stake in Mr Gatti’s last September, and its purchase of the corporate-owned Mr Gatti’s restaurant at Southpark Meadows in Austin last October. That transaction completed the company’s transition to a 100% franchised system, concluding the re-franchising of all corporate-owned locations.

OneRyan also owns the Mr Gatti’s Family Entertainment Center in Big Spring, Texas. 

Mr Gatti’s corporate headquarters will remain in Fort Worth, and the leadership team will remain in place with no changes expected, including Jim Phillips as CEO and KC Mann as CFO, OneRyan said.

“Brint is an exceptional leader with enormous respect for the heritage of Mr. Gatti’s,” said Phillips. “He brings a compelling vision for the brand’s future, along with the expertise needed to help us reach our full potential. We are excited to have his leadership both as an owner-operator and as Chairman as we enter this next phase of growth.”

Mr Gatti’s Pizza first opened in 1964 as The Pizza Place in Stephenville.

Its 1969 move to Austin came with a name change that paid tribute to the wife of founder James Eure’s maiden name: Gatti. By the 1970s, the Mr Gatti’s chain was experiencing dramatic growth after it introduced high-quality dining and gaming combined in a single location.

In 2015, Mr Gatti’s relocated its headquarters to Fort Worth following its acquisition by Fort Worth-based private equity firm Sovrano LLC.

Mr Gatti’s has more than 200 restaurants open and in development throughout Texas and the Southeastern U.S.

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R E A D   N E X T

Dallas-based OneRyan Global is the family office of Ryan founder, Chairman, and CEO G. Brint Ryan and his family. Its minority stake in Mr. Gatti’s is a continuation of its investment in the pizza-and-family-entertainment brand.

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