F&B Holiday Season Highlights

In this issue, we share real estate highlights, a notable funding and acquisition, plus a couple of articles I hope you’ll enjoy.

REAL ESTATE HIGHLIGHTS

Torani, a beverage syrup manufacturer, is expanding its presence in San Leandro, California, by pre-leasing a 200,000-square-foot warehouse under construction by Prologis. The new facility, located at 1919 Williams Street, will add to the company’s current 330,000-square-foot San Leandro “Flavor Factory” less than a mile away, just south of the Oakland airport, and address the tight industrial market in the East Bay, with a completion date set for next year. (source: The Real Deal)

Omeat opened its cultivated meat Pilot Plant in Los Angeles. A 15,000 square foot plant designed to house multiple 10,000L bioreactors This will allow Omeat to produce up to 400 tons of Omeat cultivated ground beef annually. The completion of the plant gives Omeat a farm-to-table vertical integration and establishes a clear path for regulatory approval and commercialization. (source: LinkedIn)

NOTABLE ACQUISITIONS, PRODUCT LAUNCHES, AGREEMENTS, AND FUNDINGS

Spirited Brands Holdings, Inc. has raised $4.5 million in a seed funding round ahead of its launch of two low-alcohol beverage brands early next year. The canned cocktail offerings were developed for consumers seeking premium, lower-calorie options. The funding round was led by an entrepreneur investor with experience in marketing strategy and product placement, according to the company. The unnamed backer will join the startup’s board of directors. (source: FoodBusinessNews)

Infant formula-making startup Bobbie acquired pediatric nutrition company Nature’s One last month as part of a bid to grow domestic manufacturing capacity. The acquisition includes Nature’s One $32 million manufacturing facility in Heath, Ohio, which produces organic infant powder formula. The new facility will give Bobbie end-to-end control of its production processes, the company said. The cost of the deal was not disclosed, but the startup was able to fund the acquisition with $70 million of outside funding, VP of Supply Chains Dominic Mills told Manufacturing Dive in an email. (source: ManufacturingDive)

WHAT I’M CONSUMING (AND ENJOYING!)

📋 What’s hot on restaurant menus in 2024. A fun read to see what dining out has in store for us this coming year. Hint: get ready for lots of comfort foods, from soups and stews to stuffed vegetables.

🥪 This article charts Los Angeles-based Chubby Snacks growth from self-manufacturing PB&J sandwiches in a commercial kitchen in Los Angeles to creating the Chubb-O-Matic, a fully automated peanut butter and jelly machine that will allow the company to go from 120,000 units per month to over 2 million units per month.

Thanks for reading.

If you have any feedback or suggestions, we’d love to hear them.

Happy holidays!

Erik Stiebel
Founder and Vice President
CA DRE License #02080746
(c) +1 424.241.4795
[email protected]