ADW Capital Proposes to Acquire Driven Brands for $18.00 per Share
ADW Capital, which owns approximately 3.7% of the common stock of Driven Brands, issued an open letter to the company's board of directors and controlling shareholder Roark Capital Group announcing its proposal to acquire the company for $18.00 per share in cash. The letter said, "As we mentioned in our letter dated March 26, 2026, we are a significant stockholder of Driven Brands Holdings Inc. and have spent considerable time analyzing its franchise system, capital structure, and strategic positioning. We have increased our position since our last letter, and now beneficially own approximately 3.7% of the Company's Common Stock. We are disappointed that neither the Company nor Roark Capital Group, the Company's controlling shareholder, has even acknowledged the receipt of our prior letter and call for the Company to undertake a strategic review process. As we remain convinced of the value of Driven Brands and believe that stockholders deserve a chance to realize value for their investment, we hereby propose to acquire all the outstanding shares of Driven Brands' Common Stock that we do not already own for $18.00 per share in cash. Our proposal represents a 41% premium over yesterday's closing price of $12.74 per share and a 42% premium over the 30-day volume-weighted average price of $12.69. We believe our proposal provides a highly attractive opportunity for shareholders to obtain substantial and immediate cash value for their shares, which is greater than what Driven Brands can be expected to achieve for shareholders on its current course. We continue to believe that Driven Brands is materially undervalued due to self-inflicted structural, capital allocation, and governance failures. Roark continues to focus on trying to position its larger restaurant platforms to go public for a limited partner base starved of "DPI" at the expense of attending to Driven Brands. Is this how Roark treats its private investors who "lock-up" their capital for 10,15, or 20 years? Is this the type of behavior that engenders goodwill with future public market investors? It is not lost on us that Roark is focused on preparing Inspire Brands to go public and that other large assets like Subway will eventually need to find their way into passive liquid markets as well. We ask both Roark and the Company, is this how public minority investors should expect to be treated by Roark controlled entities in the future?... We request that the Company meet with us as soon as possible and by no later than May 15th 2026, so we can start constructive discussions regarding our proposal and entry into an appropriate confidentiality agreement so we can start due diligence. We look forward to hearing from you and working together towards a mutually agreeable transaction that is in the best interests of shareholders. We also would support Driven Brands immediately undertaking a strategic review process to maximize value for all shareholders, as we urged the Board to do in our prior letter. If the Company refuses to engage with us in good faith, we reserve all rights, including taking our proposal directly to shareholders and pursuing any available legal remedies to ensure the Company's shareholders can realize the true value of their investment."
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- Lawsuit Background: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC has filed a class action lawsuit against Driven Brands Holdings Inc., alleging violations of federal securities laws on behalf of all investors who purchased or acquired the company's securities between May 9, 2023, and February 24, 2026.
- Misleading Financial Reports: The complaint alleges that Driven Brands made materially false statements in multiple financial reports submitted to the SEC, misleading investors about the company's true financial health during the class period.
- Lack of Internal Controls: The lawsuit also claims that Driven Brands lacked effective internal controls over financial reporting, resulting in an unreconciled cash balance that overstated revenue and cash for fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
- Investor Rights Protection: Affected investors have until May 8, 2026, to request to be appointed as lead plaintiff, with the law firm operating on a contingency fee basis, ensuring that investors' rights are protected in the recovery process.
- Class Action Notice: Rosen Law Firm reminds investors who purchased Driven Brands stock between May 3, 2023, and February 24, 2026, that they must apply to be lead plaintiff by May 8, 2026, or risk losing their opportunity for compensation.
- Lawsuit Background: The lawsuit alleges that Driven Brands had significant weaknesses in its internal controls over financial reporting, resulting in material errors in its financial statements for fiscal years 2023 and 2024, undermining investor confidence and potentially leading to financial losses.
- Law Firm Credentials: Rosen Law Firm specializes in securities class actions and recovered over $438 million for investors in 2019 alone, being ranked first by ISS Securities Class Action Services in 2017, showcasing its expertise and success in this field.
- Investor Selection Advice: Investors are advised to carefully choose law firms with proven success in leadership roles, avoiding those that merely act as intermediaries, to ensure effective legal representation in the class action.
- Lawsuit Background: Driven Brands is facing a securities fraud class action for alleged misconduct during the period from May 3, 2023, to February 24, 2026, prompting Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP to encourage affected investors to seek recovery of their losses.
- Financial Error Disclosure: On February 25, 2025, Driven Brands revealed significant errors in its financial statements, including improperly recognized revenue and discrepancies in cash accounts, necessitating a restatement of its financials, which led to a 30.2% drop in stock price.
- Investor Losses: Following the disclosure of these financial issues, Driven Brands' stock plummeted from $16.61 to $11.60, resulting in substantial losses for investors and highlighting serious deficiencies in corporate governance and financial transparency.
- Legal Assistance Opportunity: Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP offers contingency fee arrangements for affected investors, urging them to apply as lead plaintiffs by May 8 to pursue potential compensation, demonstrating the firm's commitment to protecting investor rights.
- Financial Reporting Delay: Driven Brands admitted on April 21, 2026, that it failed to timely file its Annual Report for fiscal year 2025 and Q1 2026, resulting in a non-compliance notice from Nasdaq, which could lead to delisting and negatively impact investor confidence.
- Internal Control Deficiencies: The company's internal review revealed 'material weaknesses' in financial reporting, stating that prior financial statements can no longer be relied upon, which may erode investor trust in corporate governance and affect stock performance.
- Increased Litigation Risk: A securities class action lawsuit against Driven Brands and its executives alleges concealment of financial errors and misleading investors, and an unfavorable outcome could result in substantial damages, further exacerbating financial pressures on the company.
- Revised Financial Expectations: The company expects to submit a compliance plan by June 15, 2026; however, preliminary unaudited results indicate a downward revision of financial expectations, potentially impacting future financing capabilities and market trust.
- Class Action Initiated: Bragar Eagel & Squire has filed a class action lawsuit against Driven Brands in the Southern District of New York on behalf of investors who purchased shares between May 3, 2023, and February 24, 2026, highlighting significant errors in the company's financial reporting that could lead to investor losses.
- Financial Reporting Errors: The lawsuit alleges that Driven Brands failed to disclose errors related to lease recording, impacting the balance sheet as of December 28, 2024, and September 27, 2025, which could misrepresent the company's financial health and operational viability.
- Stock Price Plunge: Following the February 25, 2026 announcement of material errors in financial statements, Driven Brands' stock price fell approximately 30%, indicating a loss of investor confidence and potential challenges in future financing and operations.
- Investor Rights Protection: Affected investors are encouraged to contact the law firm to understand their legal rights, suggesting that the company's lack of transparency and compliance may lead to broader legal and reputational risks.
- Class Action Initiated: Pomerantz LLP has announced a class action lawsuit against Driven Brands Holdings Inc., alleging securities fraud and other unlawful business practices by the company and certain executives, with investors advised to apply as Lead Plaintiff by May 11, 2026.
- Financial Restatement: On February 25, 2026, Driven filed a Notice of Non-Reliance with the SEC, admitting significant errors in its consolidated financial statements for fiscal years 2024 and 2023, necessitating a restatement that undermines the company's financial transparency.
- Stock Price Plunge: Following the disclosure of financial issues, Driven's stock price fell by $5.01, or 30.16%, closing at $11.60 per share on February 25, 2026, indicating severe market concerns regarding the company's financial health.
- Internal Control Failure: Driven also disclosed that its internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure were ineffective as of December 27, 2025, exacerbating investor confidence issues regarding corporate governance and financial management.











