Roark Capital is in the news, after the investment firm’s Inspire Brands unit opened talks to buy Dunkin’ Brands for nearly $9 billion. Today’s DealBook newsletter provides a primer on the firm. Roark, based in Atlanta, bought Arby’s for $430 million 2011 and used the company to amass a portfolio of what it calls “quick service restaurants.” After it closed a $2.9 billion acquisition of Buffalo Wild Wings in 2018, it merged the businesses to create Inspire Brands. Inspire has since bought chains like Sonic and Jimmy John’s (which it acquired from another part of Roark’s portfolio).