West Madison Foods, a portfolio company of Brynwood Partners, has acquired The Flavor of California, the holding company for the Bob’s Big Boy Salad Dressings & Dips retail license, expanding its portfolio of refrigerated salad dressings and dips.
The Flavor of California was acquired from an ownership group consisting of CEO Julie Pantiskas and Salt Creek Capital. The company was formed in 2018 to acquire the Bob’s Big Boy Salad Dressings & Dips business, which is licensed from Big Boy Restaurant Group. The transaction does not include the Bob’s Big Boy restaurant business.
The licensed product portfolio includes Bob’s Big Boy Bleu Cheese, Country Ranch, Roquefort, and Thousand Island dressings and dips, along with the brand’s Red Relish used on its Original Double-Deck Hamburger. Products are distributed through grocery and mass retail channels and are merchandised in refrigerated cases.
West Madison Foods already manufactures and markets Dean’s Dips and Marie’s salad dressings, making Bob’s Big Boy complementary to its existing refrigerated food portfolio. Brynwood Partners said the acquisition will strengthen West Madison’s position in the refrigerated salad dressing category while giving the company another established consumer brand with a long history.
Concurrent with the acquisition, West Madison entered into an amended licensing agreement with Big Boy Restaurant Group that expands the licensed geographic territory for the Bob’s Big Boy retail products. The expanded rights will allow West Madison to distribute the products throughout the entire United States, including markets such as Michigan and Ohio where the Bob’s Big Boy brand has longstanding recognition.
Bob’s Big Boy has a roughly 90-year history rooted in the restaurant industry. West Madison plans to leverage the brand’s existing recognition while expanding retail distribution and availability beyond its previous Western U.S. and Mexico territory.
Brynwood Partners’ broader portfolio includes West Madison Foods, Carolina Beverage Group, Hometown Food Company, and Miracapo Pizza Company. Those businesses collectively generate more than $2.5 billion in annual sales and employ more than 3,700 people across 11 U.S. manufacturing facilities.
Brynwood Partners manages more than $1.7 billion in assets and focuses on control investments in lower-middle-market consumer businesses, including non-core brands and companies.
Winston Taylor served as legal counsel to West Madison Foods, while UB Greensfelder represented The Flavor of California.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are pleased to add Bob’s Big Boy salad dressing business to the West Madison Foods portfolio. This acquisition strengthens our position in the refrigerated salad dressing space. We are also excited to now expand the Bob’s Big Boy availability to the entire US as we have expanded our territory concurrent with this transaction. This will enable us to begin selling the Bob’s Big Boy items in states like Michigan and Ohio where the brand has a rich history.”
Henk Hartong, Chairman And CEO Of Brynwood Partners
“I’d like to express my gratitude, both personally and on behalf of Salt Creek Capital, to Brynwood and West Madison for their partnership in bringing this transaction to fruition. We are delighted to have found such an exceptional home where the Bob’s legacy can continue to thrive.”
Julie Pantiskas, CEO Of The Flavor Of California
