Bain May Buy PE-Backed Restaurant Operator

Bain Capital, a US mega buyout firm, is in the final stage of negotiations with Nomura Principal Finance, the investment unit of Nomura Group, to acquire Skylark Co., Ltd., a major family restaurant chain operator, according to the Nikkei. The proposed deal is estimated at nearly 300 billion yen. Skylark went private via MBO with Nomura Principal in 2006. It has been said that Skylark has had a very difficult time with fierce price competition as well as weak economic growth.