Sam Nazarian’s C3 (Creating Culinary Communities) announced new strategic investments from Abu Dhabi Capital Group, Arden Digital Ventures, and Clearlake Capital Group to continue forging a new, innovative path for the brand’s digital-first, intellectual property (IP) technology and brick-and-mortar locations. Adding to C3’s celebrated brands and locations, these investments will evolve C3’s presence globally and solidify the company’s offerings across the United States (US) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) markets.
The venture with Abu Dhabi Capital Group represents a monumental international venture for C3’s portfolio of digital restaurant brands and brick-and-mortar locations, with plans for continued expansion in the UAE. Supporting this successful growth in the UAE, Abu Dhabi Capital Group will also provide counsel in the region surrounding joint ventures and further expansion. Plans call for the introduction of C3 brands to the region, including the new Umami Burger menu from Chef Alvin Cailan, Host of the popular web series “The Burger Show,” as well as concepts from C3’s roster of world-renowned chefs, celebrities and creator partners. The venture with Abu Dhabi Capital Group will also further support C3’s joint venture with Kitopi, the state-of-the-art, managed cloud kitchen platform across the United Arab Emirates, KSA, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait.
With a continued focus on national expansion in the US, C3’s work with Clearlake Capital Group and Arden Digital Ventures will allow for strategic growth, bringing C3’s popular virtual restaurant brands to additional metropolitan cities, as well as America’s suburbs.
Building upon C3’s existing hotel and real estate portfolio across the US, Arden Digital Ventures will strengthen and fortify C3’s physical presence in prime commercial real estate developments and hotels. Leading with an innovative and impactful approach to real estate and technology, C3’s work with Arden Digital Ventures will satisfy the varying palettes and needs of commercial space users, whether through a culinary market, hotel in-room dining, elevated dining restaurant, or last-mile delivery experiences.
Adding to the US expansion, C3’s venture with Clearlake Capital Group, specifically Clearlake’s subsidiary Victory Live, will place C3’s virtual restaurant brands in sporting stadiums across the country. Clearlake Capital Group and Victory Live operate some of the world’s leading stadiums, providing an added opportunity for C3-centered brands around Victory Live’s ticketing and events business. Adding to this, Clearlake Capital Group will provide added counsel as one of the world’s leading investment firms focused on private equity and special situation transactions in the technology, industrial and consumer sectors. Clearlake Capital Group currently has over $72 billion of assets under management and its’ senior investment principals have led/co-led over 300 investments.
“As a result of our undoubted success and to keep pace with consumer demand, it’s imperative we continually and tactically expand our presence,” says Sam Nazarian, CEO and Founder of C3. “Through our strategic alignment with Abu Dhabi Capital Group, Arden Digital Ventures, and Clearlake Capital Group, we are able to not only maintain our expansion rate and scale as needed but also exceed expectations and continue to establish C3 as a leader in the food tech industry.”
A leader in food tech, C3 continues to expand at a rapid rate. In the past two years, C3 has developed more than 45 digital brand and restaurant concepts, including Umami Burger, Sam’s Crispy Chicken, Krispy Rice, Sa’Moto, Cicci di Carne, El Pollo Verde, Kumi, EllaMia, Stonie Bowls, In A Bun, Plant Nation, Soom Soom Fresh Mediterranean, and Cindy Lou’s Cookies. Additionally, the brand has engaged in several strategic partnerships, including chefs Dani Garcia, Masaharu Morimoto, Dario Cecchini, Katsuya Uechi, Shimi Aaron, Alvin Cailan, Ralph Perrazzo and Cindy Kruse, as well as a collection of leading digital creators, influencers, and celebrities.
