Food & Beverage Acquisitions in California

Highlander Partners has acquired Tapatío, the No. 5 hot sauce brand in the U.S., from the Saavedra family with The Arnold Companies investing as a significant minority partner; the Saavedra family will retain a minority stake. J.P. Morgan led senior financing and NMP Capital provided financing and equity support. Highlander plans to use Tapatío as a platform for geographic expansion, deeper retail and foodservice penetration, and new product innovation.

CookUnity has acquired flavrs, a shoppable-video platform for immersive food discovery, to integrate a video-first discovery and commerce layer into its chef-to-consumer meal delivery service. The deal aims to deepen consumer engagement, drive conversion and retention, and expand CookUnity's content-driven ordering experience.

WarRoom Cellars has acquired the historic SIMI wine brand from The Wine Group. The purchase brings the 1876-founded Sonoma label into WarRoom's portfolio of heritage wine brands as the buyer aims to revitalize SIMI's legacy while relying on partner Total Beverage Solution for distribution.

Burdette Beckmann Inc. (BBI), a national confectionery sales agency, has acquired Action Sales West Inc., a regional sales agency serving California, Nevada and Arizona. The acquisition expands BBI’s western U.S. coverage and will integrate Action Sales West’s team and client relationships into BBI’s national platform.

Urban Farmer, a Paine Schwartz Partners–backed manufacturer of frozen dough and pizza products based in Manteno, Illinois, has acquired CAULIPOWER, the leading better‑for‑you cauliflower‑crust and gluten‑free frozen pizza brand. The deal combines Urban Farmer’s integrated manufacturing platform with CAULIPOWER’s brand, nationwide distribution, and innovation pipeline to create a vertically integrated frozen better‑for‑you foods platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

Cotton Creek Capital has made a strategic investment to acquire Ne-Mo's Bakery, a San Diego–based producer of individually wrapped cakes and baked goods. The investment is intended to accelerate growth through expanded manufacturing capacity, product innovation, and commercial investment to broaden the company's retail and convenience-store distribution.

Odeko, an operations and technology partner for independent food & beverage businesses, has acquired Six Degrees Coffee Service & Distribution, a specialty distributor based in Chico, California. The deal gives Odeko a direct presence in Northern California and lets Six Degrees' customers access Odeko's online ordering platform, national catalog, and support services.

Arbor Investments, a private equity firm focused on food and beverage, has acquired Acxion Foodservice, a North American sales and marketing platform serving the foodservice channel, from Prospect Hill Growth Partners. The deal is Arbor Investments VI's second platform investment; Acxion's existing leadership team will remain in place and the transaction terms were not disclosed.

Calbee, Inc. has acquired a majority stake in Oakland-based plant-protein and tofu maker Hodo, Inc., accelerating Calbee's U.S. expansion and strengthening its Food & Health business. Japanese tofu maker Sagamiya Foods also took a minority stake and will provide technical support as part of the venture.

Capol, a Freudenberg Group company and global leader in confectionery coatings, has acquired Blue Pacific Flavors to create an expanded global food ingredients platform combining flavors, coatings, and product development capabilities. Blue Pacific Flavors will remain led by CEO Donald Wilkes and will continue operations as part of the combined group to accelerate innovation and expand customer reach across North America, Europe and Asia.

Australia-based plant-based meat company v2food has acquired Daring Foods, the leading unbreaded plant-based chicken brand in the United States, and announced a strategic partnership with Ajinomoto Co., Inc. The deal positions Daring as v2food's U.S. operating brand and provides v2food with a platform to launch its proprietary food technologies across the U.S., while Ajinomoto brings global food-science expertise and scale to accelerate product development and international expansion.

Generous Brands, a Butterfly portfolio company, has completed its acquisition of Health-Ade from private equity firms First Bev and Manna Tree Partners, with Manna Tree remaining as a minority shareholder in Generous Brands. The acquisition expands Generous Brands' premium refrigerated beverage portfolio—adding the fast-growing Health-Ade kombucha brand (retail sales near $200–250M, distribution in ~65,000 outlets)—and increases the platform's scale, manufacturing capabilities, and channel strength.

Arable Capital Partners’ portfolio company organicgirl has merged with Braga Fresh and acquired Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle to create a combined produce platform focused on branded organic salads and value‑added vegetables. The transaction brings together vertically integrated growing and processing capabilities and appoints Tim Stejskal as CEO to lead the newly combined business.

Vilore Foods, a San Antonio-based importer and distributor of Hispanic brands, has acquired Tia Lupita Foods, the Mexican-origin brand known for its hot sauces, cactus tortilla chips and Mexican Chili Crunch. The deal marks Vilore's entry into the natural foods category and is intended to expand distribution of Tia Lupita’s gluten-free, non-GMO, preservative-free products across U.S. retailers.

Danone has acquired Kate Farms, a U.S.-based maker of plant-based clinical nutrition formulas, bringing the company into Danone’s North America Medical Nutrition business. Investors including Novo Holdings, Goldman Sachs, Kaiser Ventures, Main Street Advisors, Aliment, Coeffecient, Ithaka and individual investors supported Kate Farms’ growth and are parties to the transaction. Kate Farms will continue operating as part of Danone’s North America Medical Nutrition unit under leadership led by Brett Matthews.

GrubMarket has completed the acquisition of San Diego-based Coast Citrus Distributors, a national importer and distributor of tropical produce and specialty vegetables. The deal brings Coast Citrus' national footprint, grower relationships, ripening/packing capabilities and fleet into GrubMarket's technology-enabled food supply chain platform to expand its produce distribution and logistics capabilities across the U.S.

HighPost Capital has made a significant growth investment in Equip Foods, a San Francisco–based real-food supplements brand known for its grass-fed beef protein powder Prime Protein. The investment will support Equip's expansion of product distribution and digital growth; terms were not disclosed.

Masters Gallery Foods acquired Rumiano Cheese Company's converting and distribution facility in Willows, California to expand its manufacturing footprint to the West Coast and reduce freight costs. Separately, Sartori Cheese purchased Rumiano's cheesemaking facility in Crescent City and will market the Rumiano Family Organics brand; Rumiano (the selling family) divested these assets after more than a century of family ownership.

The Wine Group (TWG) has completed the acquisition of several premium and ultra-premium wine brands and production facilities from Constellation Brands, including Cook's, J. Rogét, Meiomi, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, SIMI, and Woodbridge. The deal adds three production sites (Lodi, Monterey County, and the SIMI winery in Healdsburg), roughly 6,600 vineyard acres across California and approximately 500 employees, expanding TWG's premium portfolio, production capability and on‑premise and retail presence.

Sartori Cheese, a fourth-generation family-owned cheesemaker, has acquired Rumiano Cheese Company, a Northern California organic cheese and butter producer, to expand its product offerings and market reach. Separately, Masters Gallery Foods purchased Rumiano's converting (packaging) facilities in Willows, California; Brown Gibbons Lang & Company served as exclusive financial advisor to Rumiano.

Verde Valle Foods, the U.S. subsidiary of family-owned Verde Valle, has acquired A Dozen Cousins, a ready-to-eat beans, rice and seasoning sauces brand. Founder and CEO Ibraheem Basir will remain as General Manager as Verde Valle looks to strengthen supply chain capabilities and expand its ready-to-eat pouch meal portfolio into the natural products channel.

The Polenghi Group has acquired Nielsen Citrus Products Company, a California-based producer of lemon juice, to strengthen its US presence and shorten supply chains for improved quality and sustainability. Italian development finance institution Simest supported the deal with an €8 million investment, acquiring a minority stake in Nielsen.

Apex Capital, a Miami-based private equity firm affiliated with Grupo Mariposa, has acquired a majority stake in Juanita's Foods, the Wilmington, California–based producer of shelf-stable Mexican food products. The De La Torre family will retain a significant ownership interest and remain involved as Apex seeks to scale the brand, drive operational improvements and expand its market reach.

KJ Holding Corp, owner of Calypso Lemonades, has acquired Mela Water, a premium watermelon water brand. The deal brings Mela onto the Calypso beverage platform to leverage Calypso's national and international distribution, commercial and supply-chain capabilities to accelerate Mela's growth.

Infinium Spirits, a family-owned spirits company based in San Diego, has acquired Howler Head, the banana-flavored Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey brand, from Monkey Spirit, LLC. Infinium plans to leverage its sales, marketing and global distribution network to expand Howler Head's presence across the United States and in international markets.

GS Foods Group, a specialized foodservice distributor owned by affiliates of Highview Capital and A&M Capital Partners, has acquired The Danielsen Company, a Chico, California-based foodservice provider. The deal expands GS Foods' presence in Northern California and strengthens its school nutrition and specialized foodservice distribution network while retaining Danielsen's leadership and staff to ensure continuity for customers.

Brooklyn-based investment firm Next In Natural has acquired a majority stake in Aura Bora, the San Francisco-based craft sparkling water brand, with terms not disclosed. Aura Bora will join Next In Natural’s shared services ecosystem to scale operations and innovation; founder Paul Voge remains CEO while Next In Natural CEO Jeff Lichtenstein will serve as chairman.

Bronco Wine Co. acquired key assets of Wine Hooligans at auction, taking full control of brands including Portlandia, Shortbread, Broadside and alcohol-removed Sea Monster, plus production facilities in Santa Rosa. Bronco, which had been Wine Hooligans' majority shareholder since 2023, will retain most Wine Hooligans employees to support ongoing operations under Bronco ownership.

CenSea, a Captain Fresh group company, has acquired the Ocean Garden brand portfolio, bringing celebrated shrimp brands such as Ocean Garden, Compass, Asian Garden, and Pride of Mexico into its fold. The deal integrates Ocean Garden's San Diego-based team into CenSea, strengthening the group's US shrimp and broader seafood supply chain presence and expanding its brand and product offerings across North America.

GrubMarket has completed the acquisition of Gilroy, California-based Sally Produce, a leading Asian fresh-produce wholesaler that supplies grocery retailers and restaurants across the U.S. West Coast. The deal expands GrubMarket’s West Coast distribution footprint and brings Sally Produce access to GrubMarket’s AI-powered SaaS and eCommerce tools while retaining Sally Produce’s existing leadership team.

Ferrero Group has signed an agreement to acquire protein snack maker Power Crunch from Bio-Nutritional Research Group, Inc. The deal will bring Power Crunch's Irvine, California office and roughly 50 employees into Ferrero's North America organization and expands Ferrero's presence in the better-for-you snacks category in the U.S.; the transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks.

Ziyad Brothers, a portfolio company of Peak Rock Capital, has acquired Indo~European Foods (IEF), a value-added importer and distributor of ethnic and specialty food products, from Corridor Capital. The deal combines complementary brand portfolios and footprints to expand product assortment and accelerate IEF's national presence.

Full Glass Wine Co. has acquired Wine Access and Cameron Hughes Wine, marking the company's sixth and seventh acquisitions as it builds a multi-brand direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine marketplace. The transactions expand Full Glass Wine Co.'s portfolio, strengthen its e-commerce and curation capabilities, and position the business for accelerated revenue growth and scale in logistics and personalization.

Livermore winegrowers Lemmons Family Vineyards LLC and Darcie Kent Winery LLC have acquired historic Concannon Vineyard, a 230‑acre estate winery, from The Wine Group LLC. The Wine Group said the sale aligns with its portfolio strategy, while the buyers plan to restore historic varietals, return to organic farming practices, and repurpose estate facilities to expand winemaking, hospitality and custom crush capacity.

Natural Healthy Concepts (a subsidiary of Renew Wellness Brands) has acquired Phat Fudge, a tahini-based, low-sugar spread founded by Mary Shenouda. The product will be made available nationwide through NHC.com and retail stores, expanding NHC's healthy snack and functional foods assortment.

Kagome Co., Ltd. has increased its ownership in Ingomar Packing Company, LLC from 20% to a 70% majority stake, making Ingomar a Kagome majority-owned subsidiary. The deal strengthens Kagome's tomato processing capacity and US value chain while accelerating its global tomato-processing network and agricultural initiatives.

Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI), through its CMI Foods business, has entered a definitive agreement to acquire a significant equity stake in Del Real Foods from Palladium Equity Partners. The Cardenas family and Palladium will each retain minority stakes; the deal expands CMI's U.S. footprint and strengthens Del Real's position in refrigerated Hispanic prepared foods. Financial terms were not disclosed and the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.

Amass Brands Group has completed a majority acquisition of Calirosa Tequila, a premium tequila brand co-founded by Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo in partnership with the Real family distillery. Calirosa will continue to operate with its existing team and will gain access to Amass Brands Group's global distribution, marketing resources and industry expertise; financial terms were not disclosed.

Los Angeles-based private equity firm Butterfly Equity agreed to acquire The Duckhorn Portfolio (NYSE: NAPA) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.95 billion, paying $11.10 per share. The deal takes the luxury wine company private; Butterfly intends to scale Duckhorn’s operations, expand distribution, and pursue growth both organically and via strategic acquisitions.

Once Again Nut Butter Collective has acquired Big Tree Organic Farms, a California-based almond manufacturer with a dedicated facility in Turlock. The purchase positions Once Again closer to almond supply in California's Central Valley, improves supply-chain efficiency, reduces cross-country shipping and carbon footprint, and expands Once Again's ingredient portfolio to include certified organic and non-GMO diced, sliced, slivered almonds and almond flour.

Falfurrias Management Partners, through Falfurrias Capital Partners IV and V, has made an investment in Snak King, a leading U.S. manufacturer of private-label and co-manufactured snack foods. The investment will add industry expertise and board representation to support Snak King's growth, capacity expansion, and continued product innovation.

Butterfly has sold most of its minority stake in MaryRuth Organics back to founder MaryRuth Ghiyam and her family while retaining a small holding. King Street Capital will provide hybrid financing and take a board seat as part of the new capital structure to support the company's continued DTC and retail expansion.

Lindsay Goldberg has entered into an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Golden State Foods (GSF), partnering with the Wetterau family which will retain a significant ownership stake. The investment will provide GSF with additional resources to support growth across its global foodservice manufacturing and distribution operations while the company remains headquartered in Irvine, California under existing management.

Cal Marine Fish Company, LLC, backed by parent Inter Oceanic Holdings, LLC, acquired the assets of Monterey Fish Company, Inc. Plethora Businesses served as exclusive sell-side advisor; the deal expands Cal Marine's harvesting, processing and packing capabilities and strengthens its market presence in the California seafood industry.

GrubMarket has completed the acquisition of Best Oriental Produce, a Vernon, California-based grower, importer and distributor of Asian produce and the largest Asian squash provider in the U.S. The deal brings Best Oriental's 700-hectare farming operations, PrimusGFS-certified warehouse and longstanding supermarket and retail relationships into GrubMarket to strengthen its Southern California footprint and expand its fresh-produce supply capabilities while the existing leadership team remains in place.

FreshEdge, a Wind Point Partners–backed super-regional fresh food distributor, acquired Western Sky Produce, a Salinas, California–based fresh produce service provider. The acquisition strengthens FreshEdge's vertical integration and consolidated procurement, distribution and logistics capabilities and brings Western Sky's founders and team into the FreshEdge platform.

William H. Kopke Jr. Inc. has acquired the operations of Safco of America in Visalia, California, and the R B Sandrini cold storage facility in Delano, California to expand its West Coast footprint. Kopke plans to convert the Sandrini facility into a refrigerated distribution center (KDC West) and integrate Safco’s grape, citrus and cherry supply to enhance its year‑round product offerings and distribution capabilities.

Sunrise Produce, an Investcorp-backed wholesale produce distributor, has acquired Moceri Produce, a family-owned specialty produce distributor based in San Diego. Moceri will continue to operate in San Diego under the Sunrise banner, with co-owners John and Dominic Moceri joining Sunrise's executive leadership; terms were not disclosed.

Encore Consumer Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm focused on consumer products, has acquired Chalet Desserts, a Sacramento-based specialty manufacturer of frozen bakery desserts. Encore said it will partner with founder and CEO Dave Laukat and the existing management team to pursue organic growth, capacity investments and add-on acquisitions to expand the platform.

PANOS Brands, a portfolio company of private equity firm HKW, has acquired The Santa Barbara Smokehouse (SBS), a producer of premium smoked salmon. The purchase expands PANOS’s specialty food portfolio and distribution into premium smoked salmon across retail and foodservice channels; financial terms were not disclosed.