Sector
Food & Beverage.
Food and drink ownership is complicated by franchising and by licensing. The company on the sign above the restaurant often owns neither the building nor the business inside it, and a soft drink sold under one name can be owned by different companies in different countries.
These reports distinguish brand ownership from operating ownership, and say plainly which parts of a chain are corporate-owned and which are franchised to independent operators.
9 reports published in this sector.
- Food & BeverageMay 17, 20269 min read
Who Owns Yum Brands? Vanguard 12.1% and BlackRock 9.7% Are the Only Names Disclosed
No founder or family controls Yum Brands. The 2026 proxy discloses just two holders above 5%: Vanguard at 12.1% and BlackRock at 9.7%, a combined 21.8% of the KFC and Taco Bell parent.
- Food & BeverageMay 4, 20256 min read
Who Owns Jarritos? The El Paso Company Named on the Trademark Register
The live US JARRITOS registration names Jarritos, Incorporated of El Paso, the privately held firm trading as Novamex. Neither Coca-Cola nor PepsiCo appears on the register.
- Food & BeverageMay 12, 20255 min read
Who Owns CÎROC? Diageo Globally, Main Street Advisors in North America
Diageo still holds the CÎROC trademark worldwide, but a swap for Lobos 1707 tequila announced in April 2025 handed Main Street Advisors majority North American brand rights.
- Food & BeverageMay 19, 20268 min read
Who Owns Whole Foods? Amazon, Since the 2017 Merger at $42.00 a Share
Amazon paid $42.00 a share for Whole Foods in 2017, roughly $13.2 billion net of cash. The chain survived as a wholly owned subsidiary, so its stock no longer trades separately.
- Food & BeverageMay 20, 20268 min read
Who Owns Papa John's Pizza? Public Shareholders, Not John Schnatter
John Schnatter founded the chain in 1984, but his stake had fallen to 3.96% by 2020. BlackRock and Vanguard now top the register of Nasdaq-listed parent PZZA.
- Food & BeverageMay 21, 20268 min read
Who Owns Big Red? Keurig Dr Pepper Paid $282 Million for the Rest
Keurig Dr Pepper held 14.36% of Big Red before paying $282 million in August 2018 for the rest. The cream soda itself launched in Waco, Texas, back in 1937.
- Food & BeverageMay 21, 20267 min read
Who Owns Cascadian Farm? General Mills Kept the Brand, Rodale Got the Farm
Gene Kahn started with 51 acres by the Skagit River in 1972. General Mills took the brand on via Small Planet Foods, then donated the original Home Farm in 2022.
- Food & BeverageJune 9, 20267 min read
Who Owns Chick-fil-A? The Cathy Family Takes 15% of Sales Plus Half the Profit
Three generations of Cathys have kept Chick-fil-A private. The company owns the site or holds the prime lease, then takes 15% of gross receipts plus 50% of each operator's net profit.
- Food & BeverageJune 9, 20266 min read
Who Owns McDonald's? Index Funds Hold the Stock, the Company Holds the Land
No family controls McDonald's: Vanguard (10.03%), BlackRock (7.3%) and State Street (5.1%) are the only holders above 5%. About 95% of its 45,356 restaurants are franchised.