Bart’s Retail
Squarefield acted as exclusive financial advisor to Bart’s Retail on its combination with Bakerstreet Holding
On July 22, 2019, our client Bart’s Retail B.V. (“Bart’s Retail” or the “Company”), operator of Bakker Bart, one of the most renowned franchise bakery concepts in the Netherlands, announced it has combined forces with Bakerstreet Holding B.V. (“Bakerstreet”), a Dutch independent multi-brand Foodservice operator.
As part of the transaction, the shares in Bart’s Retail, with headquarters in Beuningen and Bakerstreet, with headquarters in Utrecht, have been transferred to a new holding company named Vital Food Group B.V. (the “Group”). The current majority shareholder of Bakerstreet, the Companjen family, will hold the majority of the shares in the Group, with both management teams as well as Gilde Equity Management remaining minority shareholders. Herbert schalkwijk (CEO of Bart’s Retail) and Henri Froeling (CEO of Bakerstreet) will jointly head the newly-formed company.
With the combination of Bakerstreet and Bart’s Retail, a unique Foodservice platform is created which will offer even more added value to current and future partners in the growing and rapidly changing Foodservice market. Bart’s Retail’s strategy remains unchanged, with Bakerstreet envisaged to contribute to its out-of-home focused growth strategy through accelerating the roll-out of the new Bakker Bart store concept as well as the further optimisation of (store) operations.
Herbert Schalkwijk – CEO Bart’s Retail“Squarefield has assisted our organisation in the process of obtaining a new shareholder. The working method of Squarefield is characterised by a high degree of professionalism, involvement and, most importantly, a dose of positive energy. What was important to me personally was the empathy of the advisors who were directly involved in a special process. Ultimately, that interpersonal aspect is what distinguishes them from others in my opinion.”