The Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area is one of the largest in the country. Furthermore, due to the importance of America’s capital and the multiple historical landmarks across the area, it also attracts millions of visitors each year. This is the reason why there are multiple restaurant businesses and a well-developed hotel industry. Naturally, these companies need reliable deliveries of various food products. They partner with Washington or Baltimore food distributors that offer a wide variety of products. In this post, we’ll shed some light on the wholesale food distribution sector in Baltimore and what are the main product categories offered by these suppliers. If you’re looking for Baltimore food distributors, we’ll also share details about some of the reliable distributors in the area.
Key takeaway: Most Baltimore food distributors also service customers in Washington and other large cities in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. These suppliers offer food products in major categories such as meat, dairy, produce, and many more.
The Food Distribution Sector in Baltimore
Broadline food distributors are usually large companies that don’t specialize in a single category. Instead, their goal is to be a full-scale supplier for businesses in the restaurant industry and other sectors. Broadline wholesalers often partner with multiple local farms, meat processors, importers, and manufacturers of different food products. That allows them to offer a wide range of goods. Furthermore, most large Baltimore food distributors also aim to expand their catalogs by offering additional categories such as beverages, imported products, or restaurant supplies. This allows them to cover all their customers’ needs and increases their negotiation power.
An alternative to working with Baltimore food distributors that offer products in various categories is to partner with specialized suppliers. This is preferred by small businesses that can’t partner with broadline distributors due to their large minimum order quantities. Other companies might choose to work with wholesalers that specialize in a single category as their products might be sourced better or they might offer gourmet and high-end goods that are not sold by broadline wholesalers.
Types of Products Sold by Baltimore Food Distributors
What is broadline distribution you may ask. In order to be the primary supplier for many businesses, broadline wholesalers aim to offer products in all categories. In some subcategories, they might have a wide variety of brands and product sizes while in others they might sell only a few of the most popular options. Here are the main types of products offered by Baltimore food distributors.
- Fruits, vegetables, microgreens, and other products sold by produce suppliers;
- Milk and other popular dairy products and dairy-free alternatives like plant-based milk;
- Bulk restaurant supplies and disposable products such as wholesale paper goods;
- Specialty and gourmet food;
- Dry products and grains;
- Frozen or canned food;
- Sweets, pastry, snacks, and baked products;
- Meat cuts, lunch meat, vegan meat alternatives, and other products sold by distributors of wholesale meat in Baltimore;
- Soft drinks, spirits, wine, beer, and other beverages like coffee or tea.
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Well-known Baltimore Food Distributors
As the Washington–Baltimore area is among the most populous in the country, the majority of the biggest food distributors have a presence here. Brands like Sysco and US Foods are preferred by many businesses. Below we’ll share information about other less-known Baltimore food distributors that might be a good fit for your business needs.
Prima Foods
In addition to being one of the leading Baltimore food distributors, Prima Foods also offers its products to retail customers looking for wholesale prices. The company delivers products to businesses across Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Their warehouse is also open for cash and carry customers.
Known for: The variety of product categories and recognizable brands they work with. Prima Foods also imports quality foods from Greece, Italy, and other European countries.
Saval Foodservice
The company partners with multiple suppliers in order to be able to offer a wide range of products to its customers. Established in 1932, Saval Foodservice has a long history of reliability and quality as a Baltimore food distributor. One of the company’s main goals is to increase its product catalog in order to be the one-stop shop for businesses and increase its wholesale sales. In addition to specializing in B2B sales of food products, the company also offers wholesale cleaning supplies and disposables like wholesale plastic containers.
Known for: Being the largest family-owned and independent Baltimore food distributor.
Nino's Food Distribution
The combination of a wide array of high-demand products offered and quality services is what makes Nino's Food Distribution a great option for many business owners. Since its establishment in 1991, the company has become one of the well-known Baltimore food distributors throughout the years.
Known for: Bulk deliveries of fresh and frozen pizza dough.
EMD Sales
The company sources products from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and other regions of the world. Serving the DC Metro area for more than 25 years has made them a preferred option for restaurant managers and other business owners in the Washington–Baltimore area. EMD Sales has also committed to helping local businesses by organizing events and food trade shows since 2009.
Known for: The company specializes in ethnic products and serves a diverse customer base of grocery stores, restaurants, wholesalers, and other businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions about Baltimore Food Distributors
Interested in the trends of the food and beverage industry? Or maybe you wish to know how to become a sustainable supplier? Either way, you will find tons of useful advice on our website. Below are the answers to some common questions regarding Baltimore food distributors.
Is It Better to Work with Broadline or Specialized Food Distributors in Baltimore?
There are pros and cons to both approaches. The benefit of working with Baltimore food distributors that offer products in various categories is that they can be the one-stop shop for your business. This reduces operational costs and it’s easier to manage orders from only one supplier. On the other hand, businesses that search for gourmet products or locally sourced and organically-grown goods often prefer to partner with local produce distributors or specialty food suppliers. Another benefit of working with large food distributors is that they can offer various automation solutions. Some even offer vendor-managed inventory (VMI).
Who Are the Largest Broadline Food Distributors?
Sysco is the largest food distributor in the US. The company has over 170 distribution centers and works with thousands of businesses all across the country. In addition, they are an international company with a presence in other global markets. Sysco is among the major Baltimore food distributors as well. US Foods is considered to be the second largest food distributor in the US and Performance Food Group is currently the third biggest company in this niche market. Other large food distributors include United Natural Foods, Chefs’ Warehouse, and SpartanNash.
How to Find a Food Distributor?
When searching for Baltimore food distributors, there are a few factors that need to be considered.
- Delivery times and flexibility. Sometimes businesses that can’t accurately forecast sales need express same-day delivery.
- Quality. Understandably, the quality of the products is important for businesses when they wish to find suppliers. That’s especially true for perishable goods such as food.
- Minimum order quantities. A lot of small businesses might prefer to work with smaller specialized wholesalers instead of large Baltimore food distributors because of their MOQ.
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