The Top Restaurant Mergers and Acquisitions Deals of 2018
Photo Caption: Whitbread sold its Costa Coffee division to Coca Cola for $5.1 billion, the largest merger and acquisition deal in the restaurant industry in 2018.
Skift Take
Short story: It was good to be a coffee chain this year.
Mergers and acquisitions activity in 2018 had a little bit of everything.
From quick-service restaurant (QSR) deals featuring Inspire Brands’ purchase of Sonic Drive-In, to activity in the delivery and reservation spaces with Resy buying Reserve, there was plenty for stakeholders to talk about. Some companies waited until year’s end to conclude business, as Dutch delivery company Takeaway.com snapped up Delivery Hero today.
The rolling up of coffee chains by bigger beverage brands includi
