BEVERAGES: Coca-Cola to buy Costa British coffee chain

Coca-Cola is acquiring British coffee chain Costa. Costa is Britain’s biggest coffee company, with more than 2,400 coffee shops in the U.K. and another 1,400 in more than 30 countries. Coca-Cola said Friday it will buy the Costa brand from Whitbread for $5.1 billion in cash. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2019.