Chobani Acquires RTD Coffee Company La Colombe
Consumer goods company Chobani has added ready-to-drink coffee company La Colombe to its portfolio. The acquisition, a $900 million-dollar deal, finalized in December.
La Colombe will function as an independent brand; however, Chobani has stated there will be “collaboration and knowledge sharing” between the two companies. Chobani also has plans to elevate La Colombe’s procurement operations, elevating overall performance while introducing cost efficiencies.
"At a time where the industry has faced challenges to grow sales, Chobani has delivered double-digit, volume-led sales growth, and considerable margin expansion. We have never been stronger or better positioned to chart our next chapter of growth," said Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya.
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Ulukaya added that this acquisition supports the company’s continued investment in the coffee category with its creamers.
“We are excited about bringing La Colombe into the Chobani family, and offering the delicious, high-quality cold brew and ready-to-drink craftmanship of La Colombe to a next generation of consumers, powered by a strong distribution partner in KDP," said Ulukaya.
Earlier this year, Keurig Dr Pepper announced it would be distributing and manufacturing La Colombe products as part of a $300 million investment in the coffee company. The Chobani deal included the exchange of KDP’s minority equity stake in La Colombe into Chobani equity.
About La Colombe
The brand serves consumers across multiple channels, such as retail, cafes, foodservice, and DTC. Its supply chain covers everything from bean sourcing and roasting to product creation. A major player in the $5 billion U.S. RTD coffee industry, La Colombe should pair nicely with Chobani’s oat milk and creamer product offerings.
Chobani reports La Colombe is poised for accelerated growth, with its RTD line growing over three times in the past five years. The company plans to leverage its retail execution, marketing, and cold chain capabilities to support this growth, alongside a sales and distribution agreement with Keurig Dr Pepper to reach a single-serve product line and expand underdeveloped channels such as convenience retail.
Ulukaya was La Colombe’s sole investor in 2015, functioning as the majority owner of the company with no board responsibilities.
