Ex-Goya COO on the $1.4 Trillion Family Business Opportunity in Three Consumer Sectors | Andy Unanue

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  August 13, 2026 at 20:00  |  1:01:34  |  Monetary Matters
Speakers
Andy Unanue — Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods

Summary

Andy Unanue, founder of AUA Private Equity, explains his firm's focus on lower-middle-market, family-run food, beverage, pet wellness, and co-manufacturing businesses. He highlights demand trends such as pet humanization, ethnic food growth, and GLP-1-driven demand for high-protein and high-fiber snacking. He argues that operational improvements and co-manufacturing or private label exposure can capture growth while avoiding binary upstart brand risk.

  • AUA targets a $1.3-1.4 trillion family-run food, beverage, pet, and wellness market.
  • Family businesses can generate 15-30 percent operational efficiency gains and multiple exit paths.
  • Pet wellness is benefiting from the humanization of pets and greater pet wallet share.
  • Ethnic and Hispanic food demand is rising with demographics and cultural cross-pollination.
  • GLP-1 drugs support high-protein, high-fiber, better-for-you snack demand.
  • AUA prefers co-manufacturing and private label over risky branded upstarts, especially in beverages.
  • Authentic family-owned brands appeal to consumers and attract strategic CPG buyers.
  • Manufacturing improvements focus on safety, efficiency, waste reduction, and workplace culture.
Ideas
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 0:00
Family-run food, beverage, pet wellness opportunity
The US lower-middle-market family-run food, beverage, pet, and wellness sector is a $1.3-1.4 trillion opportunity; family businesses generate over 70% of GDP and AUA's operational playbook can unlock 15-30% efficiencies with moderate leverage and multiple exit buyers.
US lower-middle-market family-run food, beverage, pet, wellness sector HIGH
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 17:01
Pets are gaining consumer wallet share
Pet wellness benefits from the humanization of pets: consumers cut children's budgets before pets during the 2008 downturn, spending rises with emotional closeness such as pets sleeping in bed, younger generations delay having children, and baby boomers replace grown children with pets.
PAWZ HIGH
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 18:16
Ethnic foods benefit from demographic tailwinds
The ethnic and Hispanic food market is growing because demographics are shifting, ethnic families have more children, and cultural cross-pollination expands demand; moreover, Spanish-language TV advertising offers cheaper price per eyeball than English-language TV, improving customer acquisition economics.
Ethnic / Hispanic food market HIGH
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 20:27
Healthier snacking gains from GLP-1 demand
Better-for-you healthy snacking has durable tailwinds from GLP-1 drugs: people are eating less caloric volume but still need protein and fiber; high-protein, high-fiber, clean-label snacks and smaller pack sizes are positioned to grow as consumers seek healthier but satisfying options.
Better-for-you healthy snacking sector HIGH
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 24:46
Beverage co-manufacturing safer than upstart brands
Beverage upstart brands have binary outcomes, with many failures for every success, and beverage manufacturing has less internal know-how and is more replicable than food manufacturing; AUA therefore avoids branded beverage bets and seeks beverage co-manufacturing exposure instead.
Beverage co-manufacturing HIGH
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 24:46
Beverage co-manufacturing safer than upstart brands
Beverage upstart brands have binary outcomes, with many failures for every success, and beverage manufacturing has less internal know-how and is more replicable than food manufacturing; AUA therefore avoids branded beverage bets and seeks beverage co-manufacturing exposure instead.
Upstart beverage brands HIGH
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 29:14
Authentic family-owned brands win consumers
Consumers increasingly value authenticity and family ownership over mega-brand ownership; smaller authentic family-run food and beverage brands have a trust advantage, and large CPG companies are often quietly buying them to preserve that authentic image.
Authentic family-owned food and beverage brands MED
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 36:59
Co-manufacturing avoids brand binary risk
In high-growth categories like protein bars, meat snacks, and better-for-you snacks, AUA deliberately avoids betting on individual upstart brands and instead invests in co-manufacturers; these brands increasingly outsource manufacturing, giving co-manufacturers exposure to category growth without binary brand risk.
Food and beverage co-manufacturing HIGH
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 36:59
Co-manufacturing avoids brand binary risk
In high-growth categories like protein bars, meat snacks, and better-for-you snacks, AUA deliberately avoids betting on individual upstart brands and instead invests in co-manufacturers; these brands increasingly outsource manufacturing, giving co-manufacturers exposure to category growth without binary brand risk.
Upstart food and beverage brands HIGH
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 38:12
Private label store brands are upgrading
Private label store brands are being built more like real brands rather than cheap generics for lower-income consumers, creating another growth avenue alongside co-manufacturing.
Private label food and beverage store brands MED
Andy Unanue Founder and Managing Partner at AUA Private Equity Partners; former COO of Goya Foods 41:45
Hispanic cheese expands via acquisitions
Hispanic cheese is regionalized because Mexican cheese demand is stronger west of the Mississippi and Caribbean/Central American cheese demand is stronger east; Tropical Cheese is number one in Hispanic cheese east of the Mississippi, and the strategy is to expand West by product expansion or by acquiring a Mexican cheese company.
Hispanic cheese brands MED
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This Monetary Matters video, published August 13, 2026, features Andy Unanue discussing US lower-middle-market family-run food, beverage, pet, wellness sector, PAWZ, Ethnic / Hispanic food market, Better-for-you healthy snacking sector, Beverage co-manufacturing, Upstart beverage brands, Authentic family-owned food and beverage brands, Food and beverage co-manufacturing, Upstart food and beverage brands, Private label food and beverage store brands, Hispanic cheese brands. 11 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Andy Unanue  · Tickers: US lower-middle-market family-run food, beverage, pet, wellness sector, PAWZ, Ethnic / Hispanic food market, Better-for-you healthy snacking sector, Beverage co-manufacturing, Upstart beverage brands, Authentic family-owned food and beverage brands, Food and beverage co-manufacturing, Upstart food and beverage brands, Private label food and beverage store brands, Hispanic cheese brands