Facing several lawsuits from former customers accusing him and his business partner of fraud, Prabhath Kasaraneni, the owner of Texas-based copacker Optimus Fulfill, has filed for bankruptcy, placing his company and assets up for liquidation.
The Coca-Cola Company has acquired the remaining stake in dairy producer Fairlife LLC, the company announced on January 3. The soda giant had been a minority investor in Chicago-based Fairlife since 2012, holding a 42.5% stake in the brand through a joint venture partnership with Select Dairy Producers.
Josh Zad, founder of trendsetting cafe chain Alfred Coffee, spoke about how the brand’s appeal is derived from its foundation as “a creative platform” focused on customer experience, why he believes that Alfred isn’t “doing anything groundbreaking” and how he’s attempting to replicate Alfred’s success with Calidad Beer, an upstart brand of Mexican-style lagers.
Plant-based protein shake brand Koia is expanding its lineup again with the launch of Koia Coffee, a three-SKU line that features coffee (and 200 mg of caffeine) as well as 5 grams of MCT oil.
On Sunday, Dallas-based Borden Dairy Co., at one point the world’s largest dairy producer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
Plant-based beverage maker OWYN has raised $7.5 million in a financing round led by Powerplant Ventures, the company announced today. Powerplant co-founder and partner Mark Rampolla will join the brand’s board of directors.
In this roundup of recent legal news, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District affirmed a lower court ruling dismissing a class action suit against Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. alleging Diet Dr Pepper’s use of the term “diet” implies it can help with weight loss or management. Meanwhile, a lawsuit between The Coca-Cola Company and the heirs of lemonade maker Hubert Hansen will move to a jury trial.
This special edition of Taste Radio Insider highlights actionable insights and advice from interviews with six founders, creators and investors who joined us on the show during the second half of 2019. Our guests include Zico founder and Powerplant Ventures co-founder Mark Rampolla; Zoe Feldman, the director of the Chobani Incubator; Rick’s Picks founder and CEO Rick Field; Mike Cessario, the founder and CEO of Liquid Death; Harbinger Ventures founder Megan Bent and Chris Kirby, the founder of Ithaca Craft Hummus.
Xoca is a line of cacao fruit juice sodas made with a base of 50% Ecuadorian cacao fruit juice. The product line is available in three flavors, including Original, Mint, and Ginger.
Thanks to the addition of nootropic ingredients, the new product gives C4 a foothold outside of athletic performance or fitness-based use occasions, something that the brand’s consumers were already helping to drive.
In this video recorded at BevNET Live Winter 2019, KeHE’s Katie Paul and Alex Marx discuss how the distributor is embracing blurring category definitions and utilizing new technology to stay ahead of the industry, as well as how brands can act quickly and adapt to a constantly changing marketplace.
By the airing of its appearance on reality TV show Shark Tank in December 2018, Mother Beverage was already considering a possible rebrand. Now, with co-founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth having just wrapped filming on a check-in for the show, the apple cider vinegar drink brand has plenty of updates to share, including a new name, different packaging and distribution momentum.
Howard Weiss is the co-founder of Angry Seltzer, a highly carbonated craft seltzer brand that’s personifying its flavors and bringing a bit of character and fun to its line of beverages. The startup launched in Miami several months ago and aims to serve families and kids that are seeking a quality seltzer product with personality.
It's been another busy news year in the beverage world, and, as is tradition, we close out the year by looking back on our top 10 most-read stories of 2019.
