COLOMBIA · COMPANY NEWS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Grupo Nutresa signed a contract on Thursday, 22 October, to buy the Presto burger brand and its productive unit: outlets, a plant and production centres.
- —Why it matters The deal came nine days after Colombia’s Superintendency of Companies ordered the liquidation of Presto’s operator, Frayco, and it would put Presto under the same roof as market leader El Corral.
- —The numbers No price was disclosed. Presto’s 2025 revenue was COP 108,629 million (about US$34.1 million), and the unit has 114 outlets, 86 of them open, per court-file figures.
- —Who is who Jaime Gilinski is president of Grupo Nutresa, and Felipe Baquero heads its restaurant arm, Alimentos al Consumidor. The buyer is its subsidiary IRCC S.A.S., and Mónica Macías is the liquidator.
- —What to watch Closing conditions, the price, whether the competition regulator reviews the deal, and the relaunch plan Nutresa says it will set in the coming weeks.
- —Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you Presto competes with US chains McDonald’s and Burger King in Colombia, and Nutresa’s restaurant unit also runs Papa John’s there.
Grupo Nutresa signed a contract to buy Presto’s brand, outlets and plants. The deal came nine days after Presto’s operator entered liquidation.
Grupo Nutresa, Colombia’s food group, signed a contract on Thursday, 22 October, to buy the Presto burger brand and its productive unit. The unit covers the outlets, a processing plant and production centres.
Portafolio says the company announced the deal on the night of 22 October. The price was not disclosed, and no closing date was announced.
Peso amounts here use COP 3,183.99 per US$1, from open.er-api.com on 23 October 2026. Court-file figures come from the newspaper La República.
Grupo Nutresa and the Presto Deal
Nutresa is buying through IRCC S.A.S., a subsidiary of its restaurant business, Alimentos al Consumidor, El Espectador reports. Presto will join El Corral, El Corral Gourmet, Papa John’s, Beer Station, Leños & Carbón and Mimo’s.
The company says Presto will run as an independent brand with its own identity. Its restaurants stay open while Nutresa prepares a relaunch.
Jaime Gilinski, president of Grupo Nutresa, called Presto part of Colombia’s “collective memory.” Felipe Baquero, who heads the restaurant unit, said the aim is to keep the original burgers and the Presto sauce.
Nutresa plans to set its strengthening plan in the coming weeks. It puts job continuity and supplier relations first, and the deal includes the transfer of employees to the new employer.
How Presto Reached Liquidation
Presto’s operator, Franquicias y Concesiones S.A.S., known as Frayco, entered insolvency under Law 1116 in July 2023. In April 2026 the Superintendency of Companies confirmed a creditor deal backed by 81.39% of creditors.
That deal covered debts of about COP 31,000 million (US$9.7 million) over six years. It failed, and on 30 September Frayco itself asked for liquidation, citing lost going-concern status and weak cash flow.
On 13 October the Superintendency ordered judicial liquidation and named Mónica Macías as liquidator. It reported assets of about COP 46,943 million (US$14.7 million), according to Infobae and El Espectador.
Six days later it allowed the restaurants and plant to stay open so the business could be sold as a working unit. Nutresa’s purchase came three days after that.
What Nutresa Gets in the Presto Unit
Nutresa is buying a productive economic unit, a route that lets a buyer keep outlets without the debts and lawsuits, Infobae reports. Infobae says Presto had 180 outlets before the insolvency process began.
The unit has 114 outlets, 86 open and 28 closed, plus a plant, centres in 29 cities and a Bogotá logistics hub. The court file listed 599 employees when the liquidator asked to keep operations running.
From January to September 2026 the unit earned EBITDA of COP 1,994 million (about US$0.6 million). Its 51 profitable outlets earned COP 5,464 million, while the other 63 lost COP 3,469 million.
Over the 12 months to September, EBITDA was COP 6,800 million (about US$2.1 million), La República reports from the court file. EBITDA is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation.
Presto’s 2025 revenue was COP 108,629 million (US$34.1 million), against about COP 139,077 million (US$43.7 million) before the pandemic. For context, see Nutresa’s first-half results, its Tío Rico ice cream purchase and the Grupo Nutresa company page.
Colombia’s Burger Market After Presto
In 2025 El Corral led Colombian burger chains with revenue of COP 791,204 million (US$248.5 million) and 292 outlets. McDonald’s was second with COP 759,836 million (US$238.6 million) and 284 outlets.
Burger King had COP 139,740 million (US$43.9 million) from 40 outlets, and Presto ranked fourth. La República counts 156 registered Presto outlets, more than the 114 in the unit.
El Corral and Presto together booked COP 899,833 million (US$282.6 million) in 2025. That is about COP 140,000 million (US$44 million) above McDonald’s, the next-largest rival.
Portafolio lists five other recent Nutresa deals: Tío Rico, Universal Sweet Industries, Empaques Industriales de Colombia, Inversionista Alcora and the Mimo’s business. The Tío Rico and Universal Sweet Industries deals are conditional on closing; more is in the Colombia section.
What It Means for US Readers
McDonald’s and Burger King, both US brands, rank second and third by revenue in Colombia’s burger market. A larger Nutresa chain would face them with more outlets and a shared supply base.
Papa John’s, a US pizza brand, is already in Nutresa’s restaurant unit. Nothing in the reports names any US investment or financing in the Presto deal.
What Is Not Known
The price and the closing date were not disclosed, and Nutresa’s own filing with the financial regulator could not be opened. The account here rests on Nutresa’s statement as published by Colombian outlets.
It is unclear whether the competition regulator, the SIC, will review the deal. Infobae says the SIC had not said, and it approved Nutresa’s 2014 El Corral purchase without conditions.
Job numbers differ. President Abelardo de la Espriella said on X that 700 jobs are saved, while the court file showed 599 employees.
What Comes Next
Nutresa says it will define the relaunch plan in the coming weeks and keep the restaurants open. Infobae says closing is subject to the usual conditions for such deals.
Watch for the price, the regulator’s stance and which of the 28 closed outlets, if any, reopen. None of these has been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Grupo Nutresa buy from Presto?
On 22 October 2026 it signed a contract for the Presto brand and its productive unit. That covers outlets, a plant and production centres, and no price was disclosed.
Why was Presto in liquidation?
Its operator Frayco failed to meet a creditor deal and asked for liquidation on 30 September. The Superintendency of Companies ordered it on 13 October.
Will Presto restaurants stay open?
Nutresa says the restaurants will keep operating normally while it prepares a relaunch. Presto will run as an independent brand.
How many Presto outlets does the deal cover?
Court-file figures cite 114 outlets, 86 open and 28 closed, while news reports count 156 registered locations. The sources do not reconcile the two numbers.
Does the deal need regulatory approval?
That is not known. Infobae says the competition regulator had not said whether it will review the purchase.
Sources: Blu Radio, 22 October 2026; La República, 22 October 2026; Infobae, 23 October 2026; El Espectador, 23 October 2026; Portafolio, 23 October 2026 (all citing the Nutresa statement and the Frayco liquidation file); open.er-api.com exchange rates, 23 October 2026 (accessed 23 October 2026).