Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Grand Rapids & Holland, MI-based Village Inn Pizza and Sports Grille to Individual Investors!
The Village Inn Pizza and Sports Grille is a full-service casual-dining restaurant and bar with locations in Grand Rapids and Holland, Michigan. It serves award-winning pizza, a full line of Mexican food, burgers, pasta dishes, submarine sandwiches, paninis, specialty salads, and dessert. Village Inn also serves beer, wine, and liquor seven days a week, and offers a catering menu for parties or events.
The Village Inn also hosts live bands weekly at both locations and has a weekly karaoke night at its Holland location.
Robert Kunkel and Red Brummel opened Village Inn Pizza Parlor in 1967 on 28th Street in Grand Rapids. The original Grand Rapids location was the largest pizza parlor around. It opened with a new concept of sing-a-long music with piano and banjo entertainment. It quickly established itself as having an excellent reputation for food, service and entertainment for all ages. In the beginning there were a number of partners in that location, but eventually they were bought out.
In 1969 a second Village Inn Pizza Parlor opened on Alpine Avenue, and in 1972, the third Village Inn Pizza Parlor opened in Muskegon. In 1973, Robert and his wife bought Village Inn Pizza Parlor in Holland from a local owner and remodeled it extensively, which grew its sales and profits. At this point in time, with four open locations, Robert and his wife decided to sell the Muskegon location to their sons, Rick and Robert, who more than doubled sales in two years. The brothers then purchased the Holland location and nearly tripled sales in the subsequent two years. After a fire in 1994, the Holland restaurant was expanded and remodeled with an Applebee’s concept in mind. This doubled the sales to a level that remains consistent today.
Today Village Inn still operates its Holland and 44th Street locations, and until recently was under ownership of Rick Kunkel who was ready to make a transition.
Rick Kunkel began working with Calder Capital to sell the Company now because he has been in the restaurant business his entire life and would like to pursue other goals. He has been successful as a restaurateur and would like travel for 3-6 month periods, phase into retirement, and relocate somewhere warmer. He would also prefer to handle his retirement exit planning while he’s still healthy, so his family doesn’t have to worry about it.
Calder Capital served as the exclusive M&A advisor to Village Inn Pizza & Sports Grille. Calder provided advisory expertise, managing the preparatory, marketing, negotiation, and due diligence phases of the transaction.
