Family behind United Cinemas snaps up Max Brenner chain

Could a suburban cinema chain and a gelato innovator be the white knights for two spluttering high-profile food brands? It's certainly shaping up that way.

The family behind Sydney's United Cinema chain has snapped up Max Brenner's Australian stores.

And Gelato Messina has confirmed an interest in the Zumbo Patisserie chain.

Investment firm Tozer & Co was in the box seat to buy the Australian arm of Max Brenner after it fell into the hands of administrators with reported debts of $33 million.

The administrator immediately closed 20 of the 37 stores. When that deal fell through, a new purchaser, MB Chocolate, stepped up.

They've been trying to keep a lid on the purchase, but a company search revealed members of the Mustaca clan – the family behind United Cinemas – are directors of MB Chocolate.

A senior United Cinemas staff member confirmed the link.

With some of the best performing Max Brenner stores located near cinemas, the involvement makes sense as a potential source of further retail roll-outs.

Meanwhile Gelato Messina co-owner Nick Palumbo has confirmed an interest in Adriano Zumbo's local operations, which were placed in the hands of administrators in July.

"Something could happen, but at this point I'm just trying to help him out," Palumbo says.

The Messina chief says his only contact with Zumbo's administrators has been a request for information on its store leases.

If a deal did go ahead the brands would be kept separate.

"If the numbers added up and Messina and Adriano Zumbo got together we'd try to salvage those stores … but we are at about the 25 per cent mark of anything happening," Palumbo says.