Food & Beverage Acquisitions in Texas

Western Smokehouse Partners, backed by Monogram Capital Partners, has acquired Junior's Smokehouse, a family-owned jerky and meat snack manufacturer based in El Campo, Texas. The deal expands Western's national manufacturing footprint, adds capacity and private-label production capabilities, and follows Western’s recent facility expansions and Monogram’s continued investment in supply-chain manufacturing platforms.

PAK Quality Foods LLC, a portfolio company of Cross Rapids Capital, has acquired substantially all assets of Vernon Transportation LP and AmTex H&R Foods LLP, which operate as H&R Foods, a regional food distributor based in Amarillo, Texas. The deal expands PAK Quality Foods’ product and service offerings and broadens its customer footprint across Texas and neighboring states; H&R Foods’ leadership (John and Barry Vernon) will remain with the business.

Sazerac Company has acquired Western Son Vodka and Distillery, a Texas-based small-batch spirits maker. The acquisition adds the Western Son brand and production capacity to Sazerac’s global spirits portfolio, supporting portfolio and capability expansion.

MBC Companies, a portfolio company of Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (e2p), has acquired Alpha Foods, a family-owned frozen pizza manufacturer based in Waller, Texas. The deal adds Alpha's purpose-built 115,000 sq. ft. facility to MBC's footprint, expanding manufacturing capacity and pizza capabilities to better serve K-12, retail grocery and foodservice customers; terms were not disclosed.

Fort Worth-based PAK Quality Foods has acquired the assets of Las Colinas International Inc. (Formosa Foods), a Dallas family-owned foodservice distributor, expanding PAK's product mix and geographic reach across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. The Formosa owners, Jesse and Weldon Chang, will continue to lead the business and have made an investment in PAK; the move builds on PAK's expansion under PE owner Cross Rapids Capital.

PepsiCo has completed the acquisition of poppi, an Austin-based prebiotic soda brand, for $1.95 billion (including $300 million of anticipated cash tax benefits for a net purchase price of $1.65 billion), with a performance-based earnout. The deal is intended to accelerate PepsiCo's portfolio transformation into functional and better-for-you beverages and to scale poppi's rapid consumer growth and digital engagement.

High Basin Brands, a Texas-based spirits company, has acquired Can-Tini, an Austin-based ready-to-drink (RTD) nitrogen-infused espresso martini brand. The acquisition expands High Basin's premium RTD and spirits portfolio—joining Treaty Oak Distilling and Ghost Hill Organic Vodka—and provides Can-Tini with broader distribution and scaling resources.

Luxembourg-based private equity firm Apheon has acquired Dallas-based Cain Food Industries and merged it with its portfolio company Millbio (Milan) to create a global clean-label bakery ingredients group. The combined business will operate in North America as Cain Food Industries Inc., with Cain's CEO Tom McCurry leading regional operations; financial terms were not disclosed.

Frazil, the leading U.S. slush brand, has acquired Trident Beverage, maker of the Juice Alive 100% juice slush for K-12 schools. The acquisition expands Frazil’s presence in the K-12 channel and combines Trident’s school-focused product line with Frazil’s broader frozen-beverage platform and distribution.

PepsiCo has completed the acquisition of Garza Food Ventures LLC (dba Siete Foods) for $1.2 billion. The deal brings the Austin-based, Mexican‑American better‑for‑you food brand (available in over 40,000 retailers) into PepsiCo’s portfolio to expand its offerings in healthier and ethnic snack and meal categories.

Entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria has purchased Waterloo Gin, the Texas-crafted gin brand developed by Treaty Oak Distilling in Dripping Springs, Texas. DeJoria plans a brand refresh and expanded national distribution while retaining the recipe and production process; Justin Meigs will lead the company as CEO.

Rotunda Capital Partners has invested in Mama Lycha Foods in a recapitalization alongside the Padilla family, positioning Mama Lycha as a platform for accelerated growth. Mama Lycha is a Houston-based manufacturer and distributor of Latin American food products with 600+ SKUs, serving 750+ retail grocery customers and 150+ regional distributors across 37 U.S. states and 4 Canadian provinces; longtime executive Luis Marconi will become Executive Chairman.

The Anderson Group, LLC has acquired Double B Foods, Inc., partnering with Double B's executive management team led by CEO Patrick O'Ray and CFO Don Wall. The deal provides Double B with capital to accelerate organic growth, expand customer relationships across retail (primarily private label) and foodservice channels, and pursue complementary add-on acquisitions under Anderson's ownership.

Riverarch Equity Partners has made a majority investment in Hill Country Dairies (HCD), a Texas-based full-service dairy distributor serving foodservice customers through a high-touch DSD model. Riverarch will take board seats and partner with HCD’s management to accelerate growth through product, geographic, and service-line expansion, supported by senior debt from Principal Asset Management and Manulife Investment Management.

GrubMarket has completed the acquisition of Houston-based Brothers Produce, a major foodservice distributor operating three distribution centers across Texas and serving more than 6,000 customers across the Southwestern U.S. Brothers Produce's temperature-controlled warehousing and fleet of refrigerated vehicles will be integrated with GrubMarket's AI-powered WholesaleWare ERP and logistics platform to expand GrubMarket's footprint and capabilities in Texas and the surrounding region.

Sazerac Company has acquired BuzzBallz (dba Southern Champion), the Dallas-area ready-to-drink cocktail maker founded by Merrilee Kick. The deal will add BuzzBallz's spherical RTD cocktail portfolio to Sazerac’s spirits platform and support international and U.S. distribution expansion; financial terms were not disclosed.

Sodexo's InReach, the foodservice arm of Sodexo North America, has acquired Five Star Food Services, a family-owned foodservice provider headquartered in Stafford, Texas. The purchase expands InReach's presence in the Houston area and integrates Five Star's local contract catering capabilities into Sodexo's Houston operations.

Trek One Capital, a Houston-based private equity firm, has completed the acquisition of Alter Eco Foods, a premium organic chocolate and snack manufacturer. Trek One will partner with recently appointed CEO Keith Bearden to grow Alter Eco’s presence in the organic/natural retail channel across the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

An affiliate of Cross Rapids Capital completed an equity recapitalization of PAK Quality Foods, LLC (which includes D Bar Cold Storage d/b/a FrigiServe). The transaction brings in Cross Rapids' capital and resources to support growth and expansion; John Pieper was appointed CEO while founders Gary and Patty Stokes remain significant shareholders. Debt for the recapitalization was provided by Maranon Capital L.P. and Manulife Investment Management.

Imperial Dade has acquired Wedge Supply, LLC, a two-location distributor of janitorial supplies and foodservice packaging serving the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The founder, Kevin Wedge, will remain with the business as Imperial Dade continues to expand its presence in Texas; financial terms were not disclosed.

Benford Capital Partners’ portfolio company Gum Products International has completed an add-on acquisition of International Protein Colloids, a Venus, Texas-based manufacturer of proprietary gelatin and protein blends for pet treat and pet food customers. The deal will expand GPI’s product portfolio and presence in the pet end market; IPC will continue operating from its current location under President David Walsh.

Chicago-based private equity firm Benford Capital Partners completed a recapitalization of Dallas-based RP Foods, partnering with Founder and CEO Guillermo Trevino and VP of Sales Longinos Zuniga, who will remain with the company. The investment will fund sales & marketing, operational capability upgrades, product portfolio expansion and support pursuit of add-on acquisitions.

Azalea Capital has made a platform investment in Brittle-Brittle, Inc., a DeSoto, Texas-based maker of all-natural peanut brittle, toffees and other nut-based confections. As part of the deal Susan DiPietro joins as CEO and the Brown family will remain owners and continue to run day-to-day operations; Azalea intends to expand product lines, distribution and pursue add-on targets in the confectionery/snack segment.

LongueVue Capital, a New Orleans-based growth equity firm, invested growth capital in Global Gourmet Food Solutions to support the company's continued expansion and production capacity growth. Global Gourmet, headquartered in Garland, Texas, is a manufacturer of specialty frozen ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat foods serving retail, food service, distribution, education, and institutional customers nationwide.

Patriot Pickle, a Swander Pace Capital portfolio company, has acquired First Place Foods, a Garland, Texas-based producer of fresh and fermented pickles, relishes, and other pickled vegetables. The acquisition expands Patriot Pickle's geographic footprint and manufacturing capacity to serve national restaurant, foodservice and institutional customers with dual-source refrigerated and shelf-stable pickled products as part of its platform growth strategy.

Trinity Investors invested $34.5 million in Waterloo Sparkling Water, an Austin-based flavored sparkling water consumer packaged goods brand, in a recapitalization to fund the company's growth. Waterloo, founded in 2017, has posted strong revenue growth and is noted for its in-house flavor development and category-leading sales velocity.

Universal Pure LLC, a portfolio company of Aurora Capital Partners, has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all High Pressure Processing (HPP) assets of Texas Food Solutions. The transaction expands Universal Pure's HPP and cold‑chain capacity in southeast Texas and Louisiana, adding redundancy and supporting growth across its facility network.

Riveter Capital, a Miami-based private equity firm focused on women- and minority-led businesses, completed the add-on acquisition of Twelve Oaks Catering, a Dallas-based provider of nutritious school and daycare meals. The deal expands Riveter's school-meals platform (which includes The Healthy Lunch Box) into the Dallas market and strengthens its presence across Texas.

Sweet Harvest Foods Holdings (SHFH), a leading U.S. natural sweetener platform, has acquired Sweet River Honey, a beekeeping business based in Driftwood, Texas. The acquisition adds hives and beekeeping expertise to SHFH's portfolio to expand its sustainable, hive-to-table honey supply and support broader distribution through SHFH's existing channels.

JTM Foods, LLC (dba JJ’s Bakery) has acquired Cookies-n-Milk (CnM), a family‑owned producer of edible cookie dough bites, individually wrapped cookies and brownies, donut holes and ready‑to‑bake frozen cookie doughs. Cookies‑n‑Milk operates a production facility in McKinney, Texas, and JTM said the acquisition strengthens its sweet goods portfolio and will leverage JTM's operations and sales capabilities to expand the edible cookie dough category nationally.

Keurig Dr Pepper entered a strategic partnership with Nutrabolt, acquiring a minority equity stake (reported ~30%, ~$863M) and agreeing a long-term sales and distribution arrangement. The transaction coincides with MidOcean Partners' exit of its investment in Nutrabolt, the owner of brands including C4 Energy, Cellucor and XTEND.

Decathlon Capital Partners has provided revenue-based growth capital to It's Skinny, an Austin-based maker of low-calorie, konjac-based pasta. The non-dilutive financing will support new product introductions and expanded distribution across digital and retail channels; terms were not disclosed.

An investment vehicle held by Investindustrial VII L.P. has acquired Parker Food Group (PFG), a Fort Worth–based developer and manufacturer of specialty inclusions, toppings and bakery/confectionery components, from The Riverside Company. Investindustrial plans to integrate PFG into its broader food ingredients group to accelerate growth and expand capabilities and market reach.

SYSTM Foods, a food & beverage brand platform formed by SYSTM Brands and PowerPlant Partners, has acquired Chameleon Organic Coffee (Chameleon Cold-Brew) from Nestlé USA. The acquisition brings a leading organic cold-brew brand into SYSTM Foods’ portfolio to accelerate product innovation, expand distribution, and support global growth of the brand.

Standard Meat Company, a Fort Worth, Texas-based meatpacker owned by the Rosenthal family, has acquired Syracuse Sausage of Ponder, Texas. The deal brings Syracuse's sausage manufacturing capabilities and customer relationships (national restaurant chains, major grocery stores and meal-kit companies) into Standard Meat's operations, with industry veteran Chris Horan tapped to lead the new division.

Treaty Oak Equity LLC acquired and recapitalized DJ's Boudain, LLC in a transaction that closed March 31, 2022. Treaty Oak (via a newly formed affiliate) completed the purchase from the company/founding ownership to provide liquidity and support future growth for the Beaumont, Texas specialty Cajun food manufacturer.

On March 3, 2022 Valesco Industries (via Valesco Fund II) closed a majority buyout and control recapitalization of Central Texas Ingredients I, LLC (dba Adams Flavors, Foods & Ingredients) in Gonzales, Texas. The transaction included co-investors Brookside Capital Partners, Deason Capital, Midwest Growth Partners and CEO Daniel (Dan) Shannon; proceeds will support new private label programs and nationwide expansion of the Adams brand.

Houston-based GP Capital Partners provided an $8 million strategic growth investment in Qualitas Health d/b/a iwi, including $5.5 million in senior secured term debt and a $2.5 million direct equity investment. iwi will use the proceeds to accelerate sales, ramp development and marketing of a new protein product, and expand into international markets.

Sweet Harvest Foods, a natural sweeteners platform in the Blue Road Capital portfolio, has purchased Nature Nate's Honey Co. from founder Nathan Sheets and will merge the brand into the Sweet Harvest platform. The deal brings the leading U.S. branded honey business together with Sweet Harvest to accelerate growth of the honey and natural sweetener market and expand retail availability.

Vimian Group's Specialty Pharma segment Nextmune has acquired GlobalOne Pet Products LLC, a US-based maker of super-premium, rawhide-free pet treats and chews. The deal is valued at USD 50 million plus up to USD 30 million in earnouts, and will be consolidated into Vimian's Specialty Pharma segment; GlobalOne's co-founder Michael Farmer will continue to lead the business.

Riveter Capital, a women-owned private equity firm, completed the acquisition of Healthy Lunch Box, Inc., a Houston-based provider of nutritious cafeteria-style meals to charter schools, private schools, Head Start programs, health clinics, and adult-care centers. The deal — Riveter's first investment — will support growth and operational expansion under new president Nakita Johnson while honoring founder Theresa Barajas' legacy.

Gourmerica Inc. made an investment in and formed a strategic partnership with Dave's Gourmet LLC to accelerate the specialty food brand's growth and support future M&A activity. As part of the transaction, David Neuman joined Dave's Gourmet as President; 41 North LLC acted as financial advisor and Dominion Bank provided senior financing support.

Sauer Brands Inc., a portfolio company of Falfurrias Capital Partners, has acquired Mateo's Gourmet Salsa, a leading independent shelf-stable salsa brand based in Frisco, Texas. Terms were not disclosed; the deal is an add-on to Sauer's packaged foods platform to expand into the salsa category and broaden its retail distribution.

An affiliate of The Jordan Company’s Resolute Fund V has completed a majority investment in Sunny Sky Products, providing an exit for minority investor Seidler Equity Partners. Founder and CEO Ashley Edens remains in place and TJC’s capital will support Sunny Sky’s organic growth and strategic M&A activity.

Performance Food Group Company (PFG) has completed the acquisition of Core‑Mark Holding Company, Inc., creating a combined convenience-store distribution business operating under the Core‑Mark brand and headquartered in Westlake, Texas. The deal, valued at about $2.5 billion including net debt, was structured as a stock-and-cash transaction and brings Core‑Mark's ~7,500–8,000 employees, 32 distribution centers and ~40,000 customer locations into PFG's Vistar segment.

Catalent, Inc. agreed to acquire Bettera Holdings, LLC (Bettera Brands) from Highlander Partners for $1 billion. The acquisition expands Catalent's consumer health and nutraceutical manufacturing capabilities—adding Bettera's gummy, soft chew, and lozenge production capacity and approximately 500 employees across four U.S. facilities.

Kainos Capital, a Dallas-based private equity firm focused on food and consumer businesses, has acquired Muenster Milling, a fourth-generation pet food and ingredient manufacturer based in Muenster, Texas. The transaction partners Kainos with owners Mitch and Chad Felderhoff to scale Muenster's manufacturing capabilities and build a broader pet food and ingredient platform within Kainos' portfolio.

Warburg Pincus and Tilia Holdings have acquired FlexXray, a leading provider of x-ray inspection and recovery services for the food industry, from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. The investment is intended to support FlexXray's growth and expansion of its food-safety inspection capabilities and geographic reach; financial terms were not disclosed.

Satori Capital has acquired Formulife, a specialty contract manufacturer of custom-formulated nutritional supplements based in Allen, Texas. Brookside Capital Partners provided a unitranche debt facility and an equity co-investment to facilitate the transaction; Satori will use part of the investment to complete a major expansion of Formulife's production facility to more than double capacity and reduce customer lead times.

Warburg Pincus and Tilia Holdings announced an investment in Food Safety Net Services (FSNS) and a merger between FSNS and Certified Group to create a leading national testing and regulatory consulting platform for the food, supplements and related regulated industries. The combined business will expand geographic footprint and capabilities across chemistry and microbiology testing, bringing the organization to a large North American laboratory network and an expanded employee base.