Carlyle Group Signs Acquisition Deal for Cafe Franchise 'Twosome Place'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Jeong-su] Global investment firm Carlyle Group's Asia regional buyout fund, 'Carlyle Asia Partners V,' announced on the 19th that it has signed a contract to acquire Korea's leading cafe franchise 'Twosome Place' from the existing shareholder Anchor Equity Partners.

Founded in 2002, Twosome Place currently operates over 1,400 franchise and directly managed stores. Established as a premium dessert cafe, Twosome Place differentiates itself by offering a variety of high-quality cakes and desserts.

Carlyle Group plans to leverage its expertise in consumer goods and distribution sectors, along with its global network and resources, to enhance Twosome Place's brand value, optimize store operations, and improve product development and marketing capabilities.

Kim Jong-yoon, Head of Carlyle Group Asia Partners Korea, stated, "Twosome Place has established a strong brand power in Korea's premium cafe sector and positioned itself as an industry-leading company," adding, "We will collaborate with CEO Lee Sang-yang and the experienced management team to build a more robust franchise network and explore new business opportunities in the Korean market."

CEO Lee Sang-yang said, "The Twosome Place management team is very pleased to embark on a new leap forward in cooperation with Carlyle Group," and added, "This is a very important opportunity for growth in the domestic market, and we look forward to receiving significant support through Carlyle Group's proven global expertise in consumer goods and distribution."

As of the end of September this year, Carlyle Group is a global investment firm with a track record of investing over $24 billion (approximately 27.6 trillion KRW) in the consumer goods and distribution sectors through more than 135 transactions worldwide. It has been active in the Korean market for over 20 years.

In 2018, it attracted market attention by selling its stake in ADT Caps, the second-largest security service company in Korea, to SK Telecom and Macquarie. Last year, it executed an investment in KB Financial Group, establishing a strategic partnership to explore new domestic and international investment opportunities.

Additionally, Carlyle Group continues active collaboration with Korean companies, such as jointly pursuing reinsurance business with Korean Re. This year, it also played a supportive role for fourth industrial revolution companies by investing $200 million (approximately 230 billion KRW) in Kakao Mobility.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.