Cola, Robotics & Big M&A — Food & Beverage Magazine
KFC is switching its nationwide beverage partnership to Coca-Cola starting in 2027, impacting supplier dynamics. Sysco resolved a distribution strike with Teamsters. Ricoh and Hyphen are scaling robotic assembly, while Oxipital AI is deploying AI for food safety. Chubby Group raised $50M and acquired 47 locations. Heytea opened a U.S. Gelato Lab, and Cymbiotika entered 2,300 Walmart stores. These trends highlight supplier leverage, automation, and M&A in the food and beverage industry.
