Nutresa takes control of Presto after completing acquisition

Grupo Nutresa confirmed on 5 November 2026 that it had completed the acquisition of the Presto business and taken control of its restaurants through its subsidiary IRCC S.A.S. The announcement marks the transition from purchase agreement to completion, with operations continuing, brands retained and employees transferring to the new employer.

From signed agreement to effective control

The latest development is the completion of the transaction after the conditions precedent to the purchase were met. According to reporting by La República, Nutresa, through IRCC, completed the agreement to purchase the business assets as an operating unit from Franquicias y Concesiones S.A.S., known as Frayco, which is in court-supervised liquidation.

The agreement was signed on 22 October. In its confirmation on 5 November, the buyer stated that it was taking control of the restaurants from that date. This is therefore an actual change in the management of the business, rather than merely an intention to acquire it or an approval awaiting implementation.

The transaction took place while Frayco was undergoing court-supervised liquidation, after failing to restructure its debts under Colombia’s Law 1116. The purchase was structured around the business assets as an operating unit, an important distinction in understanding how the restaurants can continue trading during the change of ownership.

Continuity for restaurants, brands and employees

Nutresa said it was taking control while maintaining the business’s operations and brands. It also confirmed that employees would transfer to the new employer as part of completion. These are the specific commitments announced regarding the operational and employment transition.

The restaurants continue to trade as normal while preparations for a relaunch are under way. The brand will join Nutresa’s Alimentos al Consumidor division and retain its own identity and market offering. According to the announcement, joining Nutresa’s portfolio therefore does not mean that Presto will disappear or be converted into El Corral.

For those involved in Colombia’s franchise sector, the case illustrates the distinction between the legal position of the selling company and the continuity of the acquired business. In this transaction, Frayco’s liquidation ran alongside a sale intended to preserve the chain’s operations. The completion announcement confirms that the transfer has now taken effect.

A network of 86 operating restaurants

When reporting on the acquisition, the group said that Presto operates 86 restaurants. A further 12 sites are scheduled to reopen over the coming months, which would bring the chain’s total to 98 outlets.

Ten of the reopenings will be in Éxito stores and Viva shopping centres across different regions of Colombia. The other two restaurants will be in Bogotá and Armenia. The figure of 98 therefore refers to the expected network after those reopenings, not the number of outlets trading when completion was announced.

That timetable accompanies the transition to the new owner, but it is separate from the confirmed development: Nutresa has taken control of the business. The reopenings and relaunch form part of the next stage, while the existing network continues to trade.

Presto will retain a distinct offering

Nutresa already has El Corral in its portfolio. Adding Presto expands its presence in the burger market, although the two brands will retain distinct offerings, according to the information released about the acquired chain’s future.

Before completion, Colombia’s Superintendence of Industry and Commerce had approved the merger without conditions, concluding that it posed no risk to competition. That approval was an earlier step in the process; the announcement on 5 November now confirms completion of the purchase and the start of IRCC’s control.

Practical takeaway: when following Presto’s development, distinguish completed actions from future plans: the acquisition is complete and trading continues; the 12 reopenings and relaunch are the next announced steps.