A new owner for the troubled Eagle Boys’ Pizza brand is expected to emerge in the next six weeks as the administrator looks for a buyer before the end of September.

So could the new owner be among the current franchise community?

Don Meij, Domino’s CEO, has expressed interest in the rival pizza chain as part of his expansion plan for the dominant network in Australia.

“We are taking a look (at Eagle Boys),” Meij said, according to Inside Retail, adding “it is quite small”.

One of those to receive an Information Memorandum from the appointed administrator SV Partners, franchisor Stan Gordon, reveals he may not be up for the challenge after all.

“We were interested and we briefed solicitors and received an information memorandum but it was superficial at best,” Gordon said on Friday, according to Inside Retail.

“I don’t know now if I want to incur the costs involved in pursuing Eagle Boys.”

Gordon heads up the Franchised FoodCo which includes Mr Whippy, Cold Rock Ice Cream and Pretzel World.

Speculation that a private equity firm could be eyeing up the Eagle Boys business alongside a purchase of the Pizza Hut business from Yum, has not been confirmed by SV Partners.

“We have had a large number of interested parties contact us and are now looking for a clear commitment through the due diligence and binding offers stage. Despite recent press articles, we are not preferring any one interested party over another at this point. That decision will be made during the due diligence stage once Expressions of Interest have been received.”

David Stimpson, administrator, and executive director at SV Partners, said “We are operating on a short time frame to minimise interruption to the Eagle Boys business, including that of franchisees.”

So who will be the new owner? Could it be an existing franchisor? We’ll have to wait a few weeks to find out.