The five founding partners had been colleagues at the convenience store chain 7-Eleven, whose Norwegian franchise is operated by local Norwegian retail giant Reitan-Gruppen.[5] The Deli de Luca founders had been frustrated by what they perceived as a rigid and uncreative environment within Reitan's 7-Eleven business. With the financial support of several silent partners, the five broke out on their own to create a cross between a convenience store and a delicatessen.[7]
According to Capoferro, the sale of Deli de Luca was driven by its financial backers' wish to cash out at a pre-set exit date. The purchase of Deli de Luca by NorgesGruppen included a total cashout by the financial partners and a partial cashout by the five operating partners.[6] NorgesGruppen has a reputation for acquiring smaller Norwegian food retailing chains and leaving them a wide latitude in their branding and front office operations, but leveraging its purchasing power and back office platform to boost operating margins.[6]