AB Mauri Brasil’s acquisition of Casa de Bolos for about R$200 million marks more than a routine consolidation in Brazil’s food industry. The deal signals a strategic shift by a traditional ingredients supplier into the consumer-facing retail market, using a brand built on the opposite logic of industrial scale: emotional appeal, simplicity, and a homemade identity.
Casa de Bolos was founded in Ribeirão Preto in 2010 by Sônia Ramos, known as “Vó Sônia,” together with her four children. In just 14 years, the company grew from a family recipe business into one of Brazil’s most recognizable bakery franchises. The chain now has more than 600 franchise units across 20 states and more than 250 Brazilian cities, plus a location in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2025, it generated revenue of R$720 million and expects to reach R$800 million in 2026, supported by 700 operating stores and daily production of roughly 60,000 cakes.
AB Mauri Brasil, on the other hand, is part of the UK-based Associated British Foods (ABF), a publicly listed conglomerate valued at around R$100 billion. The company is known in Brazil for brands such as Fleischmann and for distributing products including Ovomaltine and Twinings. Its business has traditionally focused on supplying ingredients to bakeries, confectioneries, and food service operators.
By buying Casa de Bolos, AB Mauri moves beyond being only a supplier and gains direct control of a retail network that consumes the very ingredients it produces. This is a rare case of vertical integration in Brazil’s food sector, especially for a company historically centered on B2B operations. The move brings AB Mauri closer to the end consumer in a segment that is resilient, fragmented, and highly distributed across the country.
The acquisition also aligns with the strength of Brazil’s franchising market. According to the Brazilian Franchising Association (ABF), franchising in São Paulo alone reached R$102.6 billion in 2025, up 10.7%. Low-ticket food chains with frequent purchases and simplified operations have become especially important in medium-sized cities, where demand is often more resistant to economic volatility.
Casa de Bolos has benefited from exactly this environment. Its model requires relatively low investment compared with coffee shops or full-service restaurants, uses a limited menu, and offers a product with strong emotional appeal and lasting familiarity. In a country where inflation and high interest rates continue to pressure discretionary spending, homemade cake has emerged as an affordable small indulgence.
According to both companies, Casa de Bolos will continue operating independently within AB Mauri Brasil, keeping its brand identity, positioning, and franchise model intact. That choice reflects caution, since in deals like this the main asset is often the authenticity that made the brand successful in the first place.
Danilo Nogueira, general director of AB Mauri Brasil, said the company was attracted specifically by the brand’s authenticity and the strength of the model built over the years.
The transaction also reflects a broader global trend among major food companies: reducing reliance on traditional manufacturing alone and investing in brands with stronger emotional ties to consumers. In a crowded market shaped by changing habits and pressure on industrial products, businesses that combine scale with an artisanal image are becoming more valuable than production capacity alone.
