Harris Williams & Co., middle-market investment bank focused on the advisory needs of clients worldwide, announced the sale of Huddle House, Inc., a family dining restaurant franchisor, to Sentinel Capital Partners. Huddle House was a portfolio company of Ares Capital Corporation. Harris Williams acted as the exclusive advisor to Huddle House. The transaction was led by the firm’s Consumer Group.

“Over the last 48 years, Huddle House has built a leading brand in the U.S., known for outstanding service and great tasting food that’s cooked-to-order. The company’s loyal customer base and attractive franchisor model have driven recent impressive performance, following a period of relative stability through the economic downturn. We are pleased to have found a partner for the Huddle House management team that shares their vision for the future. We look forward to watching as Huddle House continues to build on its recent momentum,” said Glenn Gurtcheff, a managing director and head of Harris Williams & Co.’s Consumer Group.

“Huddle House is indicative of how buyers in today’s market continue to be attracted to well run restaurants, especially those with stable franchisor models. Huddle House is poised for continued growth and we are excited to watch the company in its next phase of development,” added Tim Alexander, a managing director at Harris Williams & Co.

Huddle House, a full-service family restaurant chain, is well-known for serving “Any Meal. Any Time.” in communities around the country. Founded in 1964, Huddle House typically serves breakfast, lunch and dinner 24-hours a day. The Atlanta-based, 393-unit franchise is located in 20 states, primarily in the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest U.S.

Sentinel specializes in buying and building lower-middle-market companies in the United States and Canada in partnership with management.