LVMH-backed private equity firm L Catterton said it is offloading a majority stake in the popular Asian restaurant chain Crystal Jade Group, according to sources aware of the development.
The investment in Crystal Jade was made in May 2014 by L Capital Asia through its second private equity fund for an estimated US$100 million. This was two years before the merger of L Capital Asia and Catterton to form L Catterton.
At that moment, the deal with Crystal Jade came as the third investment by L Capital Asia in the food and beverage sector, after investments in Jones The Grocer and Kudeta from its first private equity fund.
Founded in 1991, Crystal Jade is one of Asia’s premier diversified food and beverage groups. It operates over 120 outlets ranging from fine dining and casual dining restaurants to specialty bakeries across 27 major cities in the Asia Pacific.
The food chain are mainly in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. At the same time, it maintains a presence of having joint ventures and franchise arrangements in Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States.
Crystal Jade has become a household name in Chinese cuisine and is renowned for delicious food and excellent customer service, having been awarded 1 Michelin Star in the Singapore Michelin Guide 2016 and 2017.
On the other hand, backed by luxury goods giant LVMH, L Catterton has made over 150 investments in consumer brands across different segments of the industry.
The investment firm is ranked among over the most experienced consumer focused private equity groups in the world, and manages US$14 billion dedicated to investing in middle market companies.
In related news, L Catterton is recently intensifying its investment in the Latin America region, having bought shares in Colombian health and fitness firm Bodytech, Brazilian food retailer Grupo St. Marche, and Argentinian lingerie brand Caro Cuore.
