Mastodon Ventures, Inc
Mastodon Ventures, Inc. provides strategic advisory services to restaurant companies and states an enterprise-value focus of $20 million to $400 million. Its listed services include M&A, buy-side and sell-side advisory, sale-leaseback financing, restructuring, capital formation, valuation, special committees, and special situations. The firm also lists direct investments and bridge investments under proprietary capital.
What stands out about Mastodon Ventures, Inc
Mastodon Ventures is an Austin-based restaurant-focused advisory firm serving companies with stated enterprise values of $20 million to $400 million. Publicly listed services span M&A, capital formation, restructuring, valuation, and special situations, while the firm also identifies direct and bridge investments as proprietary-capital activities.[1][2][3]
What does Mastodon Ventures, Inc do?
Mastodon Ventures, Inc. is an Austin, Texas firm that provides strategic advisory services to restaurant companies. Its website states that it focuses on restaurant companies with enterprise values of $20 million to $400 million.
A client SEC filing describes Mastodon as an Austin-based advisory firm focused on mergers and acquisitions and capital formation for emerging-growth and middle-market companies, with particular expertise since 2004 in multi-unit restaurant transactions.[1][2]
Mastodon publicly lists mergers and acquisitions, buy-side advisory, sell-side advisory, sale-leaseback financing, and special-committee services. Its listed services also include restructuring outside bankruptcy, 363 sales, reorganization, turnaround strategies, capital formation, fairness opinions, portfolio review, and complex transactions.[1]
Owners comparing advisory firms can also review Auxo’s M&A advisor vs. business broker vs. investment bank comparison, advisor-selection guide, and sell-side advisor evaluation framework.
Published criteria: Mastodon states that it provides strategic advisory services to restaurant companies with enterprise values of $20 million to $400 million.[1]
What should a business owner evaluate before hiring Mastodon Ventures, Inc?
For a restaurant owner evaluating an adviser, the publicly stated mandate includes restaurant companies with enterprise values of $20 million to $400 million, alongside sell-side advisory, capital formation, restructuring, valuation, and special-committee services. The public transaction examples include a completed restaurant sale, a Boudreaux’s Cajun Kitchen asset acquisition and a disclosed agreement by Boudreaux’s to pay Mastodon Ventures, an affiliate of Oz Rey, LLC, an aggregate fee of $250,000 in connection with it, majority investment activity, and restructuring work.
Because the firm also lists direct investments and bridge investments under proprietary capital, an owner should clarify whether Mastodon or an affiliate may provide or hold capital in a client transaction and how related conflicts would be handled. The cited Mastodon homepage does not publish standard engagement terms, so fee, exclusivity, tail, and related provisions should be requested directly.[1][3][4]
What is the current legal and regulatory structure for securities-related engagements, and does Mastodon or an affiliate provide broker-dealer or investment-adviser services
Does Mastodon or an affiliate invest proprietary or affiliated capital in client transactions, and how are conflicts handled
What are the current fee, retainer, success-fee, exclusivity, and tail provisions
What size transactions and clients does Mastodon Ventures, Inc focus on?
Mastodon states that it has a singular focus on the restaurant industry. A client SEC filing separately describes particular expertise in multi-unit restaurant transactions.[1][2]
Mastodon announced the completion of the sale of Mambo Seafood to Garnett Station Partners on November 9, 2021.
A company SEC filing states that, in connection with Amergent Hospitality’s acquisition of the assets of Boudreaux’s Cajun Kitchen, Inc. on March 17, 2023, Boudreaux’s agreed to pay Mastodon Ventures, an affiliate of Oz Rey, LLC, an aggregate fee of $250,000.
A Mastodon-issued announcement also identifies work involving Ampex Brands’ acquisition of Au Bon Pan from Panera, Rackson Restaurants’ majority investment from City Capital Ventures, Pizza Rev’s sale to Amergent Hospitality, and the restructuring of Barfly Ventures, Inc.[3][4]
The firm’s publicly listed transaction services include mergers and acquisitions, buy-side and sell-side advisory, capital formation, restructuring, sale-leaseback financing, special committees, valuation-related work, and complex transactions.
A client SEC filing describes Mastodon’s work as focused on mergers and acquisitions and capital formation for emerging-growth and middle-market companies.[1][2]
What does Mastodon Ventures, Inc publicly disclose about fees, process and engagement terms?
The cited Mastodon homepage does not publish a standard fee schedule, minimum fee, success-fee schedule, exclusivity provision, tail period, or other engagement terms.
The cited Mambo Seafood transaction announcement does not disclose purchase price or other consideration terms.[1][3]
Mastodon’s official website publicly lists proprietary capital activities consisting of direct investments and bridge investments.
The cited Mastodon homepage does not state a broker-dealer registration number, investment-adviser registration status, or regulator affiliation.[1]
In a 2010 client process, Mastodon contacted potential investors, arranged meetings, prepared disclosure materials, and supported a proposed $2.1 million investment transaction involving Good Times Restaurants.[2]
Questions to ask before hiring Mastodon Ventures, Inc
What is the current legal and regulatory structure for securities-related engagements, and does Mastodon or an affiliate provide broker-dealer or investment-adviser services?
Does Mastodon or an affiliate invest proprietary or affiliated capital in client transactions, and how are conflicts handled?
What are the current fee, retainer, success-fee, exclusivity, and tail provisions?
What restaurant subsectors, geographies, and enterprise-value ranges does the firm currently serve or state?
Can the firm provide recent comparable transactions with dates, transaction type, consideration structure, and references?
Sources & research notes
- Official website / firm overview
- Investment approach
- Transaction / portfolio evidence
- SEC filing / regulatory record
How this profile was researched
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Independent research profile
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