I had heard that Corona’s Monster Beverage had purchased Thrifty Ice Cream as part of the Rite Aid bankruptcy proceedings, but wanted to confirm this. And the news was partially correct.
Yes, Thrifty Ice Cream’s sale was approved on July 1 at a purchase price of $19.2 million.
The buyer?
Not Monster Beverage, but a separate corporate entity known as Hilrod Holdings.
“Hilrod Holdings is linked to Hilton Schlosberg and Rodney Sacks, who until recently were co-CEOs at the energy drink company Monster Beverage Corporation. Sacks stepped down from his position as co-CEO in mid-June.”
Monster Beverage is primarily known for Monster Energy drinks, and used to be the original owner of Hansen’s non-energy drink (sold to Coca-Cola who then axed it).
Sacks, 75, is now Chairman at Monster, so both Schlosberg and Sacks are still connected with Monster while simultaneously running Hilrod. Not that ice cream directly competes with energy drinks, but the Hilrod hobby could raise some eyebrows.
Bredemarket 