Presto to remain open during court-ordered liquidation

Presto restaurants in Colombia will remain open until further notice from the liquidator, after Colombia’s Superintendence of Companies ordered the court-supervised liquidation of Franquicias y Concesiones S.A.S., the company that owns the brand. Customers, employees, suppliers and franchisees were informed that trading would continue while options are explored to preserve the business.

Restaurants remain open, but long-term trading is not guaranteed

According to a report by Noticias RCN on 17 October 2026, the company clarified that its restaurants would continue serving customers as normal unless the appointed liquidator, Mónica Alexandra Macías Sánchez, decides otherwise. No definitive closure date has been set.

This distinction matters to Colombia’s franchising community: the start of liquidation proceedings does not amount to an order to close all restaurants immediately. Equally, it does not guarantee that they will remain open indefinitely. Continued trading will depend on decisions made during the proceedings and on which options prove viable.

The liquidator explained that maintaining commercial activity could help protect creditors’ interests. Finding a buyer is one option for preserving operations, but this outcome is not guaranteed: it requires a viable proposal that would allow the restaurants to keep trading.

From restructuring to liquidation

The decision was set out in court order 2026-01-747813, issued on 13 October 2026, according to information published by La FM. Through that order, the Superintendence terminated the restructuring agreement for Franquicias y Concesiones S.A.S., moving the company into a new phase of proceedings.

The company had entered restructuring proceedings on 13 July 2023. Under Law 1116 of 2006, this process was intended to enable it to meet its financial obligations and continue trading through an agreement with its creditors.

On 30 April 2026, the Superintendence approved an agreement providing for the repayment of approximately COP 31 billion over six years. Within months, however, difficulties resurfaced that threatened the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The factors cited included declining cash flow, delays in paying administrative expenses and failure to meet obligations arising after the agreement was approved. On 30 September 2026, the company’s legal representative submitted an application for liquidation following a decision by its highest governing body.

What changes in the company’s management

Liquidation brings changes to the management of Franquicias y Concesiones S.A.S. and its assets. According to Portafolio, the Superintendence ordered the company’s management to cease exercising their functions and appointed Macías Sánchez to manage its assets and carry out the liquidation proceedings.

The authority also ordered the attachment and seizure of the company’s property, assets and rights eligible for such measures. According to La FM, assets may not be disposed of without authorisation from the judge overseeing the proceedings.

The liquidator’s responsibilities include managing the assets, establishing outstanding liabilities and conducting the liquidation process. Alongside this, she is seeking to sell the company to preserve restaurant operations.

These are two aspects of the same process: the restaurants continue serving customers under the announced instruction, while the company proceeds through a judicial process aimed at managing its assets and meeting its obligations to creditors.

A key deadline for creditors

According to the details of the order published by La FM, creditors will have 20 days from the date the notice opening the court-supervised liquidation is taken down to submit their claims. The deadline therefore does not simply run from the date the news was published.

For suppliers, franchisees and other parties owed money by the company, it is important to distinguish between the restaurants’ continued trading and the steps required within the legal proceedings. The fact that outlets remain open does not remove the need to submit claims for outstanding debts.

Practical takeaway: anyone with a commercial relationship with Franquicias y Concesiones S.A.S. should monitor communications from the liquidator and check the court notice and its deadlines. For customers, the current position is that Presto will continue serving them until further notice.