The Marzetti Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bachan’s, Inc., a fast-growing Japanese barbecue sauce brand, for $400 million.

Marzetti says the transaction reinforces its expanding position in the sauce category and is expected to provide additional growth opportunities through its retail and foodservice distribution network.

Bachan’s net sales for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2025, were approximately $87 million.

“We are very excited to share our plans to acquire Bachan’s as a strategic extension of our portfolio that will further strengthen our position in the dynamic condiment and sauce category,” says The Marzetti Company CEO David A. Ciesinski. “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. Over time, we intend to further broaden distribution, support continued product innovation and thoughtfully extend the brand into new channels and adjacent categories.”

“Over the last several years, building Bachan’s has allowed me to fulfill my childhood dream of bringing my family’s sauce to market,” Gill adds. “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.”

The transaction, set to close by June 30, will be funded with cash on hand and additional financing.