The demand for specialty food products has increased significantly in recent years. That’s especially true for metropolitan areas with large populations like New York. Restaurant businesses, retailers, and other companies strive to benefit from this trend. Broadline food distributors in NYC also aim to increase their product catalogs to include various new brands and specialty products as the growing demand is likely to continue. If you wish to know more about the specialty food sector and what are some of the well-known specialty food distributors in NYC, the following paragraphs will answer your questions. This article is part of our series on wholesalers in New York. If you’re looking for vendors for your company, check out our posts about coffee suppliers in New York, wholesalers of restaurant supplies in NYC, and distributors of wholesale produce in NYC.
Key takeaway: There’s no definition of specialty food products. As such, the specialty food niche market includes multiple different products and categories. In recent years, retail and B2B sales of specialty food in New York have increased due to the diverse population of the metropolitan area and the large ethnic and high-end restaurant sector.
What Is Specialty Food
There’s no definitive answer to the question ‘What is specialty food’. Generally speaking, this category includes gourmet products, certain ethnic foods, artisanal food, sweets, imported cold cuts and cheeses, and various other food products.
Popular Specialty Food Groups
Since there’s no standard definition of specialty food, a variety of different product categories can be described as specialty. Here are a few examples.
- Caviar, roe, seaweed, and other seafood products;
- High-quality chocolate and other confectionery;
- Imported and specialty cheeses;
- Cold cuts and delicacy products;
- Truffles and rare mushrooms;
- Ethnic specialties like olives, kimchi, and various other products;
- Plant-based milk and other specialty beverages.
The Specialty Food Sector in New York
The mixture of multiple cultures and the diverse population of New York make it a place where specialty food is highly popular. This has led to increased demand and more business for specialty food distributors in NYC and other highly populated cities in the US.
New York is known for its high cost of living. The average monthly income in New York is higher compared to other parts of the country. This is yet another aspect that helps the specialty food sector as a lot of these products are more expensive.
The restaurant industry in New York is very competitive and has multiple aspects. There are hundreds of Michelin-starred restaurants in the metropolitan area. These businesses often use specialty food as ingredients in their dishes. Furthermore, one of the restaurant industry trends for high-end establishments is to often change their menus and experiment with modern ingredients. This further increases the demand for products offered by specialty food distributors in NYC.
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Known Specialty Food Distributors in NYC
There are dozens of wholesalers in New York that specialize in specialty food products. In addition, other vendors also offer such goods as they are often considered to be part of their field. For example, dairy distributors in NYC might also sell plant-based milk alternatives or artisanal cheese. Therefore, business owners have multiple options when it comes to choosing suppliers of specialty food products in New York. Here are some of the top specialty food distributors in NYC.
Baldor Specialty Foods
Although the company name suggests that its focus is on specialty food products, the business offers a wide variety of high-demand products for its customers. Established in 1991 and based in the Hunts Point area of the Bronx, Baldor Specialty Foods is among the major broadline distributors. They also operate food distribution centers in Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and Maryland.
Known for: Their reliability, wide range of products, and commitment to being a sustainable supplier.
Gourmet Cargo
The company is a subsidiary of Lobster Place Wholesale, a leading supplier of wholesale seafood in NYC. Their primary focus is on domestic and imported products like teas, butter, oils, pastry, and caviar. Gourmet Cargo partners with multiple hard-to-find brands from all over the world.
Known for: Their commitment to offering best-in-category products. The company is part of Lobster Place Wholesale.
Regalis Foods
From fresh truffles to premium caviar, Regalis Foods offers businesses in the retail, restaurant, and hotel industries thousands of different products from the US and other regions of the world. The company works with hundreds of Michelin-star restaurants and other high-end businesses and is considered a leader in the country's luxury food sector.
Known for: Their truffles, caviar, Japanese Wagyu beef, and live exotic seafood. Ian Purkayastha, the owner of Regalis Foods is a renowned expert in the field of truffles.
Paris Gourmet
The company has been a leading specialty food distributor in NYC and the nearby communities since 1983. The team specializes in sourcing products from around the world and importing them to the US. As such, they offer bulk deliveries primarily to other food suppliers.
Known for: Paris Gourmet has a diverse portfolio of different brands for fruits, butter, baked goods, sweets, and various other product categories.
Frequently Asked Questions about Specialty Food Distributors in NYC
From finding vendors to reading tips on increasing wholesale sales, there are multiple reasons to use BlueCart. Below we have answered some commonly asked questions about specialty food distributors in NYC.
How to Choose between Specialty Food Distributors in NYC?
The variety of products offered is one of the major factors to consider when picking specialty food distributors in NYC. As there are multiple small and large subcategories of specialty food products, businesses need to be confident they can purchase various different wholesale products. Here are some additional factors.
- Flexibility in terms of minimum order quantities;
- Reliable and on-time deliveries;
- Quality of products;
- Competitive wholesale prices;
- Software integration and automation opportunities for their customers.
How Many Specialty Food Stores Are There in New York?
According to the research and data company IBIS World, there are more than 4,700 specialty food stores in New York state. That puts the state at second place by number of specialty food retail stores after California. The tri-state metropolitan area has a diverse population and high demand for gourmet and specialty food. Therefore, there are even more specialty food stores or retailers that pay extra attention to specialty food products in Greater New York.
Are Specialty Food Businesses Profitable?
Yes. In fact, they are more profitable than other food-related businesses. That’s because the demand for some specialty products is often higher than the supply. This increases their price and can lead to higher profit markups for retailers and specialty food distributors in NYC. Here are the main factors for the growth of the specialty food category:
- A more diverse society with a mixture of different ethnic cuisines;
- The “foodie” culture and the desire of young people to try new foods;
- The increased role of marketing in the specialty food sector and the multiple marketing opportunities;
- The multiple aspects of specialty food – it can be gourmet, healthy food, artisanal food, ethnic products, and various other goods.
Specialty Software Solutions for Specialty Food Distributors in NYC
BlueCart has helped multiple wholesalers of specialty food by providing reliable and modern solutions for ordering, eCommerce catalogs, delivery optimization, and various other business processes. Restaurant managers who search for broadline suppliers or meat distributors in NYC can also use our platform to find the right vendor for their needs. Schedule your demo with BlueCart today in order to find out more about our leading software in wholesale and B2B technology.