Is Bob Evans a subsidiary of Post Holdings?

Bob Evans is a wholly-owned brand within Post Holdings' portfolio. It operates as a division under Post Holdings' corporate structure rather than as an independent company. Post Holdings acquired Bob Evans Farms, Inc. in January 2018 for approximately $1.53 billion.

Is Bob Evans publicly traded?

Bob Evans itself is not publicly traded. Parent company Post Holdings (NYSE: POST) is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, allowing investors to own shares in Post Holdings and its brand portfolio, which includes Bob Evans, Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Michael Foods.

When was Bob Evans founded?

Bob Evans was founded in 1948 by Bob Evans as a sausage manufacturer in Rio Grande, Ohio. The brand was acquired by Post Holdings in January 2018 for $1.53 billion. The Bob Evans restaurant chain was sold separately to Golden Gate Capital in 2017 and is not owned by Post Holdings.

Does Post Holdings own the Bob Evans restaurants?

No, Post Holdings owns only the Bob Evans grocery and food products brand. The Bob Evans restaurant chain was sold to Golden Gate Capital in April 2017 for $565 million, before Post Holdings acquired Bob Evans Farms in January 2018. The restaurants operate independently under different ownership.

What is Bob Evans' market position?

Bob Evans is a leading brand in the refrigerated prepared foods category in the United States, known for refrigerated mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, sausage, and frozen convenience meals. The brand distributes through major grocery retailers nationwide as part of Post Holdings' refrigerated retail segment.

Food & Beverage

Who Owns Bob Evans?

Bob Evans is owned by Post Holdings, a publicly traded American consumer packaged goods company. Post Holdings acquired Bob Evans Farms in January 2018 for $1.53 billion. The Bob Evans restaurant chain was sold separately to Golden Gate Capital in 2017. Post Holdings is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and listed on the NYSE under ticker POST.

Parent Company

Post Holdings, Inc.

Acquired

2018

Status

Private

Headquarters

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Bob Evans Timeline

1948

Bob Evans

Founded by Bob Evans

Founded

2018

Acquired by Post Holdings, Inc.

Post Holdings, Inc. acquired Bob Evans

Acquired

mid rangemass marketUnited Statesunisexenvironmental sustainabilityenergy efficiencysustainable manufacturingwaste reductionresponsible sourcingfood safetyOfficial Website

Who Owns Bob Evans?

Parent Company: Post Holdings, Inc.
Ownership Type: Wholly owned
Acquisition Year: 2018
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NYSE: POST

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Bob Evans	Post Holdings, Inc.	Wholly owned

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Bob Evans on Amazon

History of Bob Evans

Founded: 1948
Founders: Bob Evans
Acquired by Post Holdings, Inc.: 2018

Bob Evans was founded in 1948 by Bob Evans as a small sausage operation in Rio Grande, Ohio. The brand began by producing pork sausage products, establishing itself as a sausage manufacturer.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Bob Evans expanded its product offerings and distribution network, becoming a recognized sausage and prepared foods brand. The company opened its first restaurant in 1962, expanding beyond manufacturing into food service.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Bob Evans expanded its restaurant footprint significantly, becoming a major casual dining chain with hundreds of locations across the United States. The brand became known for breakfast, comfort food, and family dining experiences.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bob Evans continued to expand its restaurant operations and prepared foods business, maintaining its position as a leading casual dining brand. The company developed a diverse menu offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner items.

In January 2017, Bob Evans Farms announced the sale of its restaurant chain to Golden Gate Capital for $565 million, completed on April 28, 2017. The company also acquired Pineland Farms Potato Company, shifting focus exclusively to its BEF Foods grocery business. In September 2017, Post Holdings agreed to acquire Bob Evans Farms for $77.00 per share, totaling approximately $1.53 billion. The acquisition closed on January 12, 2018, making Bob Evans a wholly-owned brand within Post Holdings' refrigerated food segment. Post Holdings combined Bob Evans with its existing refrigerated retail egg, potato, and cheese business.

Under Post Holdings, Bob Evans has focused on expanding its refrigerated side dish and sausage product lines through retail grocery channels.

About Post Holdings, Inc.

What does Post Holdings own?
Post Holdings owns a diversified portfolio of food brands across three segments. In cereal, it owns Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, Grape-Nuts, Malt-O-Meal, Great Grains, Honeycomb, Alpha-Bits, and Golden Crisp. In foodservice, it owns Bob Evans prepared foods, Simply Potatoes, and Michael Foods egg products (including Papetti's and AllWhites). In refrigerated retail, it owns Peter Pan peanut butter. The company operates through three business segments: Post Consumer Brands, Post Foodservice, and Post Refrigerated Retail.

Is Post Holdings publicly traded?
Yes, Post Holdings, Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol POST. The company was listed in 2012 when it was formed as a standalone public company to acquire the Post cereal business from Ralcorp Holdings. Institutional investors, including funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, hold significant stakes, but no single shareholder holds majority voting control.

Who founded Post Holdings?
Post Holdings was formed in 2012 under the leadership of William P. Stiritz, the former CEO of Ralcorp Holdings. Stiritz had a long career in consumer packaged goods, having previously led Ralston Purina and Energizer Holdings. The company was created to acquire the Post cereal business from Ralcorp Holdings, which had purchased it from Kraft Foods earlier in 2012. The Post cereal brands themselves trace to 1895 when Charles William Post introduced Postum in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Where is Post Holdings headquartered?
Post Holdings is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The company's corporate offices and executive leadership are based in St. Louis, where it manages its diversified portfolio of food brands. Post Consumer Brands, the cereal subsidiary, is headquartered in Lakeville, Minnesota. Michael Foods is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Bob Evans operations are managed from St. Louis following integration into Post Holdings.

How many brands does Post Holdings own?
Post Holdings owns over 20 food and beverage brands across its three business segments. The cereal segment includes Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, Grape-Nuts, Malt-O-Meal, Great Grains, Honeycomb, Alpha-Bits, Golden Crisp, and others. The foodservice segment includes Bob Evans, Simply Potatoes, and Michael Foods (Papetti's, AllWhites). The refrigerated retail segment includes Peter Pan peanut butter.

Who owns Post Holdings?
Post Holdings is owned by its public shareholders. Institutional investors hold significant stakes, including funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL), Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and various index funds. No single shareholder holds majority voting control. The company is governed by a board of directors elected by shareholders, with CEO Rob Vitale leading the executive team.

What is Post Holdings' revenue?
Post Holdings reported net revenues of approximately $6.6 billion for FY2024 (fiscal year ending September 2024). The Consumer Brands segment contributed approximately $2.25 billion, with the remainder split between the Foodservice and Refrigerated Retail segments. The company has grown from approximately $1 billion in revenue in 2012 to over $6.6 billion in 2024, primarily through acquisitions including Michael Foods, MOM Brands, and Bob Evans Farms.

What is the relationship between Post Holdings and Post Consumer Brands?
Post Consumer Brands is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Post Holdings, Inc. Post Consumer Brands manages Post Holdings' entire ready-to-eat and hot cereal business, including branded cereals, private label cereal manufacturing, and Malt-O-Meal bagged cereals. Post Consumer Brands was formally established as a subsidiary in 2015 following the MOM Brands acquisition. It is headquartered in Lakeville, Minnesota, while Post Holdings is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Founded: 2012
Headquarters: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock: NYSE: POST
Revenue: approximately $6.6 billion (FY2024)
Employees: Approximately 20,000

Visit Post Holdings, Inc. website

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Where Is Bob Evans Made / Based?

Headquarters: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Manufacturing / Operations: United States, Canada

Bob Evans Categories & Tags

Prepared Foods Breakfast Sausage Refrigerated Foods American Brand Comfort Food

Bob Evans Sustainability & Ethics

Bob Evans operates within Post Holdings' sustainability framework, which addresses environmental responsibility, ethical business practices, and social impact. Post Holdings published its 2024 Sustainability Report covering environmental initiatives across its manufacturing facilities, transportation operations, and corporate campuses.

Post Holdings' sustainability programs include energy efficiency initiatives at manufacturing facilities, waste reduction programs focused on minimizing food waste and packaging waste, and responsible sourcing of agricultural products and ingredients. The company partners with suppliers to purchase energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products.

Bob Evans manufacturing facilities incorporate energy-efficient equipment and processes designed to reduce environmental impact while maintaining food safety standards. Post Holdings implements waste reduction programs across its operations, focusing on minimizing food waste, packaging waste, and manufacturing byproducts.

Post Holdings maintains responsible sourcing practices for agricultural products and ingredients, working with suppliers who follow sustainable farming practices. The company's food safety protocols extend across all manufacturing operations, with quality control standards enforced at each facility.

Awards & Recognition

Bob Evans has received recognition for its product quality and market position in the prepared foods industry. The brand's refrigerated side dishes and sausage products have been acknowledged by industry publications and consumer organizations for quality and value.

Bob Evans has been recognized for product innovation, particularly in the development of convenient meal solutions and prepared foods. The brand's Farmhouse Feasts and other carryout options have been noted for addressing consumer demand for convenient, high-quality meal solutions.

The brand's long history and American heritage have been acknowledged through industry recognition of its role in American food culture. Bob Evans has received recognition for workplace practices and employee development programs at its manufacturing facilities.

Bob Evans Recalls & Controversies

Liquid Egg Recall (April 2025): Cargill Kitchen Solutions recalled approximately 212,268 pounds of liquid egg products under both Egg Beaters and Bob Evans labels due to potential contamination with a cleaning solution containing sodium hypochlorite (bleach). The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall, noting that while health risks were low, consumers should avoid the affected products.

Foreign Material Contamination: Bob Evans Farms has faced recalls related to foreign material contamination in pork sausage products. The company recalled approximately 4,200 pounds of pork sausage products that may have been contaminated with thin blue rubber. A separate recall covered approximately 7,560 pounds of Italian pork sausage products for similar contamination issues. These recalls led to increased scrutiny of quality control protocols.

Supply Chain Quality Control: The foreign material contamination incidents prompted Bob Evans to implement more stringent quality assurance measures across its manufacturing processes and supplier relationships.

Bob Evans Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+Established brand with strong consumer recognition in refrigerated prepared foods
+Access to Post Holdings' extensive distribution and supply chain network
+Post Holdings' research and development capabilities for product innovation
+Strong quality control and food safety standards
+Publicly traded parent company providing access to capital markets
+Broad retail distribution through major U.S. grocery chains

Considerations

-Exposure to commodity price fluctuations for agricultural products
-Competition from private label brands and other prepared foods manufacturers
-Changing consumer preferences toward healthier and fresh food options
-Supply chain complexity across multiple manufacturing facilities
-Dependency on Post Holdings' corporate strategy and resource allocation
-Environmental regulations affecting food production operations

Frequently Asked Questions About Bob Evans

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Bob Evans

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
Hillshire Farm	Tyson Foods	USA	1934	Mass market	United states	All Genders
Jimmy Dean	Tyson Foods	USA	1969	Mass market	United states	All Genders
Pop-Tarts	Mars Inc	United States	1964	Mass market	United states	All Genders
PebblesSister Brand	Post Holdings	USA	1971	Mass market	United states	All-ages