Ownership profile
Who owns Bob Evans?
The Bob Evans brand is split between two separate companies: the restaurant chain (400+ locations) is privately owned by private equity firm 4x4 Capital, which acquired it in February 2026 from prior PE owner Golden Gate Capital; the packaged food grocery brand (refrigerated sides, sausage) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly traded Post Holdings (NYSE: POST), which bought it in 2018 for ~$1.5 billion.
Ownership profile
Bob Evans
Bob Evans Restaurants, LLC (restaurant chain) / Bob Evans Farms, Inc. (packaged foods, subsidiary of Post Holdings, Inc.)
Evidence (9)
The 2017 split separated Bob Evans Restaurants (sold to Golden Gate Capital) from the packaged foods division (Bob Evans Farms, later sold to Post Holdings).
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/central-ohio-news/ohio-based-bob-evans-restaurant-chain-sold-to-new-owner/Bob Evans Restaurants was sold by Golden Gate Capital to private equity firm 4x4 Capital, announced February 5, 2026; terms were not disclosed.
https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/bob-evans-acquired-private-equity-firm-4x44x4 Capital confirmed the acquisition of Bob Evans Restaurants on its own website portfolio page, listing Bob Evans as a current portfolio company.
https://4x4capital.com/Bob Evans Farms (the packaged food division) was acquired by Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POST) for approximately $1.5 billion in 2018, confirmed by SEC filings and counsel disclosure.
https://www.bassberry.com/experience/bob-evans-farms-sold-to-post-holdings/Post Holdings (NYSE: POST) is a publicly traded consumer packaged goods holding company; Bob Evans Farms is its wholly-owned subsidiary, not independently publicly traded.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/19/1124562/0/en/Post-Holdings-to-Acquire-Bob-Evans-Farms-for-77-00-per-Share.htmlPost Holdings entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Bob Evans Farms on September 18, 2017, confirmed in an SEC Form 8-K filing by Bob Evans Farms, Inc.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000033769/000119312517288343/d445995d8k.htmGolden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, originally acquired Bob Evans Restaurants in January 2017 for $565 million.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Evans_RestaurantsBob Evans Restaurants operates more than 400 restaurants in 18 states and employs more than 15,000 people, headquartered in New Albany, Ohio.
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/central-ohio-news/ohio-based-bob-evans-restaurant-chain-sold-to-new-owner/4x4 Capital is a private equity firm founded in 2018, headquartered in New York, focused on middle-market consumer goods and services companies.
https://pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/454211-56What's uncertain
- The 'Bob Evans' brand is split between two legally separate entities with different owners — this assessment covers both, but they must be treated independently for ownership purposes.
- For Bob Evans Restaurants: the February 2026 acquisition by 4x4 Capital is well-documented but financial terms were not disclosed; no SEC filing was found confirming the final close date.
- For Bob Evans Farms (grocery): Post Holdings (NYSE: POST) is publicly traded; Bob Evans Farms operates as a corporate subsidiary, not independently listed.
- 4x4 Capital is a smaller, newer PE firm (founded 2018) with limited public disclosure; depth of ownership structure (fund name, LP investors) could not be verified from public sources.
- The Bob Evans founding family has no remaining ownership role in either business, per multiple sources.