Grupo Nutresa has signed an agreement to acquire Colombian hamburger chain Presto, including its restaurants, brand and production infrastructure. The deal marks the fifth food-brand acquisition announced under Chairman Jaime Gilinski, strengthening the company’s position in Colombia’s fast-food market. Under his leadership, the conglomerate’s share price has surged 236%.
The agreement, signed on Oct. 22 through Nutresa subsidiary Industria de Restaurantes Casuales (IRCC), covers Presto’s productive business unit, including its points of sale, processing plant and production centers. The companies have not disclosed the purchase price, and the transaction remains subject to closing conditions.
The announcement came nine days after Colombia’s Superintendency of Companies ordered the judicial liquidation of Presto’s operating company. The agreement offers the 45-year-old chain a path forward under new ownership. Nutresa plans to preserve its identity and develop a strategy to strengthen the business.
Presto will join Nutresa’s Alimentos al Consumidor division, which already includes hamburger chain El Corral and other restaurant brands. The acquisition adds another established name to the group’s restaurant portfolio and brings production capacity into its existing operations.
Presto strengthens Nutresa’s hamburger business
The acquisition would bring Presto and El Corral under the same corporate group, expanding Nutresa’s reach in a competitive market that includes McDonald’s and Burger King.
El Corral operated 292 locations and generated revenue of 791.204 billion Colombian pesos (about US$251 million) in 2025. Presto reported revenue of 108.629 billion Colombian pesos (about US$34 million).
The two chains had a combined 448 locations, according to figures reported by la Repubblica. Their combined revenue would give Nutresa a substantial position in Colombia’s hamburger market, although the figures reflect separate 2025 results rather than an integrated operation.
The agreement also includes Presto’s production infrastructure. This could allow Nutresa to coordinate manufacturing and restaurant operations within its broader food business, although the company has yet to detail the operational changes it intends to make.
Nutresa has said Presto will retain its own brand identity and that it expects to define a plan to strengthen the business in the coming weeks. The company has highlighted continuity for employees and relationships with suppliers as priorities.
The purchase is structured as an acquisition of a productive business unit rather than the shares of the former operator. That distinction separates the assets Nutresa intends to acquire from the liabilities and legal affairs of the company undergoing liquidation.
Five acquisitions broaden the group’s food portfolio
Presto marks the fifth food brand targeted under Jaime Gilinski’s leadership since he assumed the presidency of Grupo Nutresa in January 2025. The acquisition builds on a series of transactions intended to broaden Nutresa’s regional footprint and product categories: Colombian snack producer Yupi, Ecuadorian confectioner La Universal, Venezuelan ice cream brand Tío Rico and local ice cream chain Mimo’s.
Not all five transactions are closed. Nutresa has finalized its acquisition of Mimo’s and integrated Yupi, but purchase agreements for La Universal, Tío Rico and Presto are still pending completion.
The strategy gives Nutresa access to established brands with their own customer bases, production facilities and distribution networks. It also creates a larger portfolio to manage across different markets, with results depending on each business’s performance and the group’s ability to integrate new operations effectively.
Nutresa shares more than triple under Gilinski
The expansion has coincided with a sharp rise in Nutresa’s stock price. According to Bloomberg data, shares jumped 236.51% from 92,020 Colombian pesos (about US$28) when Gilinski assumed the presidency on Jan. 27, 2025, to 309,660 pesos (about US$76) on Oct. 23, 2026.
The surge reflects the stock’s performance during Gilinski’s tenure, although it remains unclear how much of the growth stems from recent acquisitions versus broader market factors.
For Nutresa, the challenge now is to translate its expanding portfolio into sustained commercial performance. Adding established brands can increase market reach and production capacity, but longer-term results will depend on sales, costs and how the group develops each operation.
Presto will provide an immediate test of that approach. Its restaurant network and production infrastructure give Nutresa a platform to build on, while the strengthening strategy it plans to define will shape the chain’s next phase.