Apex Capital has acquired El Latino Foods, a specialty food brand focused on Hispanic consumers in the United States.
El Latino’s Latin American and Caribbean food products, sold through retail, foodservice, and wholesale channels, include more than 200 SKUs of refrigerated, frozen, and prepared packaged foods and pantry staples.
Specific products include white cheeses and drinkable yogurts; prepared and frozen foods including arepas, empanadas, pandebono, cachapas, and soups; and a range of protein products such as chorizo, salami, mortadella, sausages, and Serrano ham. 
The Doral, Florida-headquartered company also sells frozen fruits and vegetables, including plantains, cassava, and tropical fruit pulps, along with ready-to-cook items like tequeños and pre-fried tostones.
“This alliance with Apex Capital will enhance El Latino’s ability to deliver even greater value to our customers while strengthening our long-term relationships,” said María Elena Ibañez, founder and president of El Latino. “It also creates a compelling opportunity to expand into new regions across the United States, bringing our proven model and high-quality offerings to a broader and increasingly dynamic market.”
“This partnership represents an opportunity to build on a strong and proven platform while accelerating its next phase of expansion,” said Pedro Palma, the managing partner at Apex Capital. “We look forward to supporting El Latino in its continued growth and long-term success, as the company remains firmly committed to its core principles of quality, service, and innovation.”
Apex has been active in the Hispanic food category. In May 2025, the firm acquired a majority stake in Juanita’s Foods, a producer of Mexican food products, in partnership with the founding De La Torre family. Juanita’s specializes in canned and packaged foods, offering products such as menudo (a traditional tripe soup), pozole (a hominy and pork stew), hominy (processed corn kernels used in soups and stews), albondigas (Mexican meatball soup), and nacho cheese (a prepared cheese sauce for dipping or topping).
The company’s shelf-stable products are distributed to grocery retailers, wholesale clubs, and foodservice providers. Juanita’s operates a 300,000 sq. ft. headquarters and production facility located south of Los Angeles in Wilmington, California.
Apex Capital is an investor in consumer goods companies located across North, Latin, and South America. Headquartered near Miami in Coconut Grove, Florida, Apex is the private equity arm of Grupo Mariposa, a privately held and Guatemala-headquartered food and beverage conglomerate that was founded in 1885.
