Venezuela's Empresas Polar buys San Antonio's nacho pioneer Ricos
What's the deal? Ricos, the San Antonio company credited with inventing concession-stand nachos, has been acquired by Venezuelan food and beverage group Empresas Polar. Terms were not disclosed. The sale was announced in October 2026.
What does Ricos do? The family business traces its roots to 1909 and became one of the first concession supply firms in the US. It sold roughly 110 million pounds of nacho cheese across 84 countries last year, operating from San Antonio with a plant in Arlington, Texas.
Why it's notable? A 2025 profile quoted the fourth-generation owner saying the family had no plans to sell. The deal marks a major ownership change for a long-running family business and a globally established brand.
What's unclear? The buyer's rationale and any plans for Ricos' US operations have not been detailed.
The signal: The acquisition hands a globally distributed American food brand to an international buyer, folding a decades-old family operation into a larger beverage and food group.
Read more: sanantonioreport.org
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