CORE Foodservice, the leading foodservice sales agency in North America, announced today that it has acquired The Culinary Edge (TCE), America's leading food and beverage innovation consultancy. With this new acquisition, CORE Foodservice, part of the Acosta Group agency collective, expands its foodservice industry leadership position and strengthens its connections and capabilities in the chain restaurant segment.

“TCE’s leading-edge capabilities will be a huge asset to our roster of premier food and beverage clients and will help to further strengthen our own capabilities in the chain segment,” said Travis King, president of CORE Foodservice, North America. “For more than 20 years, TCE has partnered with the best and the brightest food and beverage concepts. Our team is looking forward to further scaling TCE’s strengths and leveraging our shared expertise to enhance both organizations.”  

With the TCE acquisition, CORE Foodservice now provides the top chain restaurants with a new level of strategic support to meet their ever-changing needs. CORE customers and clients will have access to TCE’s full suite of services, including restaurant creation, product and menu development, brand identity, operational design, and more.

“This is a transformational time for our industry, and we need a new kind of innovation agency with the scale and skill to navigate it,” noted Graham Humphreys, CEO of The Culinary Edge. "TCE's mission is to help businesses bring together the insights, products, brands, data, technology, and operations they need to succeed. This acquisition brings TCE closer to our clients across the U.S. through CORE Foodservices’ culinary team and facilities. Furthermore, it up-levels TCE's services through the integration with Acosta Group’s advanced analytics and consumer insights.”

TCE was founded in 2002 by award-winning chef and food and beverage entrepreneur Aaron Noveshen, establishing an entirely new approach to food and beverage innovation. Building on this foundation, TCE has continued to grow, expanding its culinary, marketing, and operational expertise. Noveshen is departing TCE and will continue as founder and CEO of Starbird, one of the successful restaurant brands developed by Noveshen/TCE.

CORE Foodservice and TCE’s leadership and associate teams will remain intact and operate as they did before the acquisition. Humphreys will report directly to King.

“Acosta Group is committed to investing in innovative businesses that add complementary capabilities to our agency collective and help accelerate profitable growth for our clients,” said Brian Wynne, CEO of Acosta Group. “TCE is leading the way in driving innovation and success at the top chain restaurants. With this acquisition, CORE Foodservice’s clients will have access to a unique and deeper understanding of the leading chains in North America. This will help them strengthen and align their portfolios to better penetrate this high-priority segment of the foodservice marketplace.”

About CORE Foodservice

CORE Foodservice is a re-imagined, best-in-class North American agency focused on providing solutions for the foodservice industry’s new operating environment. As one of the most progressive foodservice sales agencies, CORE Foodservice brings together industry-leading capabilities from both Acosta Group and CORE Foodservice, creating a strategically resourced organization designed to meet the requirements of new customer behaviors and expectations. For more information, please visit https://corefoodservice.com.  

About Acosta Group

Acosta Group is a collective of the most trusted retail, marketing and foodservice agencies empowering brands and retailers to win in the modern marketplace. By delivering transformative, commerce-focused solutions and more than 95 years of expertise, Acosta Group connects the company's partners with people at every point in the consumer journey. 

Comprised of Acosta, ActionLink, CORE Foodservice, Mosaic and Premium Retail Services, Acosta Group understands and anticipates evolving consumer needs, fueling accelerated performance to connect tomorrow's commerce today. For more information, please visit Acosta Group on LinkedIn and at www.acosta.group.