thick slice of garlic toast, part of a seafood entree, in a restaurant or kitchen setting

Furlani Foods Agrees to Acquire Garlic Bread Peer, Cole’s Quality Foods

Dec. 12, 2024

The acquisition, expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, would combine two frozen garlic bread products companies.

Andy Hanacek

Two garlic bread processors are coming together, as Furlani Foods has agreed to acquire Cole’s Quality Foods, according to a release from Furlani.

Furlani produces garlic bread products such as garlic Texas toast, loaves, rolls, breadsticks, bread knots and related products. Cole’s introduced frozen garlic bread to the North American market, the release noted, and it has launched innovative products such as twisted and cheese-filled garlic breadsticks over the years.

The combined company would operate five facilities — three from Furlani in Mississauga, Ont., and Oak Creek, Wis.; and two from Cole’s in Muskegon, Mich., and North Liberty, Iowa. It would continue to operate as Furlani Foods, with current Furlani CEO Jonathan Kawaja remaining in that post. Both the Furlani and Cole’s brands are sold at U.S. retail locations, while Furlani also produces private-label and foodservice products.

The acquisition is subject to standard regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.