Dressings and sauces company Marzetti has reached an agreement to acquire Bachan’s, a California maker of Japanese-style barbecue sauce, in a deal worth $400 million, company officials announced earlier this month.
Marzetti officials said that the deal would offer additional growth opportunities in its retail and foodservice networks. Bachan’s, established in 2019, saw net sales of about $87 million in 2025.
“Bachan’s created its original Japanese Barbecue Sauce from a multi-generational family recipe passed down to its founder, Justin Gill, who has done a tremendous job scaling the brand,” Marzetti CEO David Ciesinski said in a statement. “Over time, we intend to further broaden distribution, support continued product innovation, and thoughtfully extend the brand into new channels and adjacent categories.”
“My team and I have been working incredibly hard to deliver on this vision of building the first iconic Japanese-American flavor brand, and I am honored to partner with the Marzetti Company for the next stage of making my vision for Bachan’s a reality,” said Gill.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of this year pending regulator approval and other closing conditions.
The Marzetti Company also includes the New York Bakery and Sister Schubert’s brands, and the company has licensing agreements for branded sauces from Olive Garden, Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Arby’s, Subway and Texas Roadhouse.
