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Entrepreneur from Ribeirão Preto transformed homemade cake production into a network with 600 stores and revenue of R$ 720 million, reaching 80 years old with the sale of the company to AB Mauri Brasil, British subsidiary owner of the brands Fleischmann and Ovomaltine in the country.
At 64 years old, Sônia Ramos decided to turn the cakes she made at home into extra income to help the family after one of her sons was laid off, without imagining that the business would become the largest cake franchise network in Brazil.
More than 15 years and 600 stores later, at 80 years old, the entrepreneur known as Grandma Sônia sold Casa de Bolos to AB Mauri Brasil, a subsidiary of the British Associated British Foods and owner of brands like Fleischmann and Ovomaltine in the country.
The transaction value was not disclosed and the deal still depends on regulatory approval, but Casa de Bolos will continue to operate independently as a business unit within AB Mauri Brasil, preserving brand, positioning, portfolio, and the franchise model.
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Founded in 2010, in Ribeirão Preto (SP), Casa de Bolos closed 2025 with a revenue of R$ 720 million and 63 new units opened, representing an 11.6% growth in operations compared to the previous year and consolidating its leadership in the segment.
From Ribeirão Preto to the world: the journey of Casa de Bolos
The expansion through franchises began in 2011, and by the end of 2024 the network opened its first international unit in Lisbon, signaling the global ambition of a company that was born from a homemade recipe in Ribeirão Preto.
“The biggest challenge was transforming such a family business into something bigger, while maintaining the taste and grandma’s care,” says Sônia Ramos, who also highlights bureaucracy as an obstacle for someone who had never managed a large company before.
For 2026, the expectation is to reach 700 stores and revenue of R$ 800 million, focusing on expansion through the Northeast, in areas with a strong family profile and high consumption potential, according to the growth strategy defined by the network’s leadership.
According to the founder, the network’s growth was always with “feet on the ground“, an expression that sums up the philosophy of gradual and sustainable expansion that allowed Casa de Bolos to maintain product quality while multiplying the number of stores throughout Brazil.
Artisanal production and the flavors that conquered Brazil
Today, the network produces about 60,000 cakes per day, and Sônia continues to lead the recipe tests she shares with franchisees, ensuring that the same quality standard reaches each of the hundreds of units spread across the country.
The menu includes traditional flavors such as apple with nuts — the network’s best-seller — and cornmeal, the first flavor launched and the founder’s favorite, as well as homemade cakes in a jar, desserts, and artisanal pies.
For Sônia Ramos, the brand’s main differentiator is artisanal production, with cakes made with real fruit, no pre-made dough, no colorings or preservatives, a philosophy that preserves the homemade character even in the face of the industrial scale achieved by the network.
In the Brazilian franchise sector, Casa de Bolos has established itself as a reference not only for the scale achieved but for the consistency of the business model, which combines an artisanal proposal with a robust operational structure sufficient to support the national and international expansion of the network.
Sale to AB Mauri and business prospects
It was precisely this authenticity that sparked the interest of AB Mauri Brasil, according to Danilo Nogueira, the company’s general director: “What attracted us was precisely the brand’s authenticity and the solidity of the model that Casa de Bolos built over the years.”
Associated British Foods, the parent company of AB Mauri, is one of the largest corporations in the global food sector, with operations in over 50 countries and a portfolio that includes brands of baking and confectionery ingredients recognized globally by industry professionals.
The family character of the company is pointed out by Grandma Sônia as a central part of the success: “Casa de Bolos was born from a family and is made to serve families, both the customers and also our franchisees,” says the founder when describing the network’s culture.
“I was never one to stay still,” says Sônia Ramos in an interview with Forbes Brazil. “I believe the entrepreneurial spirit has always been present in me, as I was able to identify opportunities easily,” completes the founder as she reflects on her journey leading Casa de Bolos.
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