Cohn began by selling coffee by horse and wagon to small restaurants in Chicago.

Staley acquisition, Tate & Lyle pre-sold CFS Continental to the foodservice giant Sysco for $360 million.

CFS Continental operations purchased by Sysco included all brands, distribution facilities and equipment; wholesale grocery sales force; NCD Detergents; the Gregg's Food Products/ Re-Mi Group, which manufactured more than 350 food items such as salad dressings and puddings; Continental Coffee; the Interstate Foods Group (shortening); and Fresh Start Bakeries, which produced hamburger buns and English muffins for McDonald's Corp. CFS Continental distribution and sales force were particular strong on the west coast, Minnesota, Chicago and in the Washington, D.C. where Sysco did not have a strong presences.

[4] Fresh Start Foods, a management buy out team financed by Berkshire Partners bought the two manufacturing divisions that supplied McDonald's Corp.: Interstate Foods Group (shortening) and Fresh Start Bakeries to (price not disclosed).

The Fresh Start bakeries were located California, Kansas, Hawaii, West Germany and Brazil.

Sysco raised an estimated $250 million in the divestiture of the CFS Continental manufacturing divisions.