GulfStar Group Announces the Acquisition of Alpha Foods Co. by MBC Companies
HOUSTON, Oct. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GulfStar Group (“GulfStar”) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Alpha Foods Co. (“Alpha” or the “Company”) by MBC Companies (“MBC”), a portfolio company of Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (“e2p”). GulfStar served as the exclusive financial advisor to Alpha throughout the transaction, which closed on September 10, 2025.
Alpha, a privately held, family-owned frozen foods manufacturer based in Waller, Texas, was founded in 1984 by Greek immigrants George and Athena Sarandos. Alpha has grown from a regional foodservice distributor into a highly respected producer of frozen pizzas and pizza components for national accounts. Today, Alpha operates from a modern, highly efficient, 115,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility serving a broad range of customers, including K-12 schools, leading grocery retailers and well recognized packaged foods brands.
“My husband George was deeply committed to securing Alpha Foods’ legacy and the futures of those who helped us build the Company over the past 41 years,” said Athena Sarandos, Co-Founder of Alpha Foods. “While many firms wanted to buy our Company, the best path forward was to combine with a company that shares our values, understands our business, and protects what our people have built. I believe that with MBC, we have found a perfect match.”
“On behalf of Sarandos family, I would like to express our gratitude to the GulfStar team for their practiced guidance and tireless commitment from beginning to end. It is very clear to all that GulfStar approached our transaction in a truly personal matter and, given the vast complexities embedded in these deals, we can safely say that there is no way we could have done this without them,” said Maria Bowen, Vice President of Alpha Foods.
Headquartered in McDonald, Tennessee, MBC manufactures and distributes frozen breakfast and lunch products, specializing in the production of French toast, waffles, pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, pizza, and a variety of other baked goods. MBC serves diverse end markets, including K-12 schools, private label retail, convenience stores, and quick-serve restaurants. MBC currently operates three production facilities in Pennsylvania, and with the addition of Alpha’s Texas facility, its manufacturing footprint now spans four locations across three states, encompassing over 550,000 square feet of total production space and nearly 1,000 employees. The Alpha acquisition marks MBC’s second significant investment in the pizza category in 2025, following its acquisition of Nardone Brothers Baking in January. Together, these investments position MBC as a one-stop solution for frozen meals across all dayparts – from breakfast to lunch to late-night dining – serving the evolving needs of its customers.
“We are truly honored that the Sarandos family selected GulfStar to guide them through this generationally important transaction. We would like to overtly acknowledge the tremendous spirit of teamwork and impassioned effort put forth by the entire family throughout the process. It was a distinct privilege to serve this wonderful family, and we are thrilled in achieving an optimal outcome that cements an extraordinary legacy started by George and Athena and carried forward under the impressive stewardship of the next generation,” said Scott Winship, Managing Director of GulfStar.
The GulfStar team was led by Managing Directors Scott Winship, Colt Luedde and Ben Stanton with support from Vice President Ashley Pappas, Associate Billy Conner and Analysts Alex Britz and Stephen Harrigan.
About e2p
e2p is a middle market, Chicago-based private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments in the food, beverage, and pet industries. e2p’s team includes experienced food and consumer packaged goods executives and investors who bring an entrepreneurial mindset and extensive industry network to support and collaborate with portfolio company teams.
About GulfStar Group
GulfStar is one of the leading middle market investment banking firms in the United States, with a proven track record of delivering exceptional results in mergers and acquisitions, private placements and strategic advisory services. We advise private business owners and corporate clients with revenues ranging from $25 million to $350+ million across a variety of key industry sectors. Founded in 1990, GulfStar has completed more than 760 transactions in 38 states and 18 foreign countries.
Securities offered through GulfStar Group I, Ltd. an affiliated entity, member FINRA – SIPC. BrokerCheck
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9a20968-ee95-48e8-828e-da7c1a54e984
CONTACT: For additional information, please email swinship@gulfstargroup.com, cluedde@gulfstargroup.com, or bstanton@gulfstargroup.com.
