Is Driven Brands Private Equity Owned?
Driven Brands
Includes Meineke, Maaco, Take 5 Oil Change, Take 5, CARSTAR, 1-800-Radiator, DRVN
auto repair & services · Charlotte, NC
2015
“The largest auto repair empire in North America — where your oil change funds franchise fees to a PE firm.”
The PE Playbook
- •Roark Capital acquired Driven Brands from Harvest Partners in April 2015, then rolled up Meineke, Maaco, Take 5, CARSTAR, and 1-800-Radiator into the largest automotive services company in North America
- •IPO'd on NASDAQ in January 2021 (ticker: DRVN) raising $700M — Roark retains a significant stake and continues to influence operations while collecting both management fees and public-market gains
- •Dumped the car wash business in 2025 for $385M (U.S.) and $471M (international) to 'focus on core strengths' — after years of aggressive acquisition left the company with billions in debt
- •Nearly one-third of Meineke's 280 SBA-backed franchise loans have defaulted — the PE playbook works great for the parent company, less so for the franchisees actually doing the work
Since the Acquisition
- ▸Take 5 Oil Change carries an F rating from the BBB with 300+ complaints in a single year — drivers report engine damage, oil leaks, and overheating after routine oil changes
- ▸Jacksonville, FL police reported 45 officers experienced 'substandard' work on patrol vehicles at Take 5, requiring costly additional repairs
- ▸Meineke locations have been caught recommending expensive unnecessary repairs — documented cases of shops claiming vehicles needed work that a second mechanic found entirely fabricated
- ▸Franchise churn means your 'trusted local mechanic' is actually a rotating cast of operators squeezed between corporate royalty fees and pressure to upsell
Sources
Also owned by Roark Capital
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Driven Brands owned by private equity?
Yes. Driven Brands is currently owned by Roark Capital, which acquired it in 2015. The largest auto repair empire in North America — where your oil change funds franchise fees to a PE firm.
What happened to Driven Brands after the acquisition?
Take 5 Oil Change carries an F rating from the BBB with 300+ complaints in a single year — drivers report engine damage, oil leaks, and overheating after routine oil changes Jacksonville, FL police reported 45 officers experienced 'substandard' work on patrol vehicles at Take 5, requiring costly additional repairs
Who owns Driven Brands?
Driven Brands is owned by Roark Capital, which acquired it in 2015.