The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

International Dairy Queen has signed a franchise agreement with Caribbean Creamery LLC to open 20 DQ Grill & Chill locations in Puerto Rico by 2036.

Local Favorite Restaurants has acquired the 46-unit chain Cotton Patch Cafe from Altamont Capital Partners, expanding its Texas-based hospitality platform.

The Magnum Ice Cream Company has invested €10 million to modernise its Veszprém factory in Hungary, introducing a new production line to support European demand for bite-sized ice cream formats.

Confectionery brand HI-CHEW has entered the beverage category through a partnership with FiiZ Drinks, launching two limited-edition dirty sodas inspired by its dessert-flavoured candy line.

AMASS Brands Group has announced plans to acquire a majority stake in HpO, a sparkling protein water brand, as part of a strategy to expand its functional beverage and protein-led hydration portfolio.

Döhler has completed a significant expansion at its Cartersville, Georgia, facility, scaling up botanical extraction and reaction chemistry capabilities to support clean-label flavour development for the food and beverage industry.

QSR operator Southpaw has acquired 43 Taco Bell locations in Columbus, Ohio, expanding its portfolio to over 230 restaurants across nine states.

Midera Food Processing, the food processing subsidiary of The Middleby Corporation, has entered into a 1 billion dollar credit agreement as it nears its transition into an independent, publicly traded company.