Top Food Distributors in the USA: 2026 Comparison

Updated September 10, 2026.

For restaurant and institutional foodservice, start with Sysco, US Foods and Performance Food Group. For grocery retail, compare UNFI, KeHE and C&S Wholesale Grocers. Convenience stores, beverage distribution, redistribution and regional foodservice require a different shortlist.

This guide compares US food distributors by channel, territory, operating model and supplier entry route. The table includes operating brands within larger groups; it is not a revenue ranking. New and refreshed claims in this September 10, 2026 update use the linked company sources. Delivery coverage and product acceptance must be confirmed for your target accounts.

10 major food distributors in the USA

Ten major names to compare are listed below by channel. This is an unranked starting point, not a claim that these are the ten largest companies:

• Broadline foodservice: Sysco, US Foods, Performance Food Group and Gordon Food Service
• Grocery and specialty retail: UNFI, KeHE and C&S Wholesale Grocers
• Convenience and systems distribution: McLane and Core-Mark, which is part of Performance Food Group
• Redistribution: Dot Foods

The full comparison covers these names plus regional businesses and operating companies that may fit a specific product or territory better.

Are you buying food or selling a brand?

If you are buying food for a restaurant, institution or store, use the distributor's customer account, local sales or ordering route. The supplier links in this article are not customer-ordering pages.

If you are selling a food or beverage brand, use the supplier starting points in the table, identify the accounts and territory you want to serve, and prepare the information in the companion guide's distributor shortlist scorecard and supplier pitch checklist. A supplier application begins a review; it does not promise distribution or shelf space.

Broadline, specialty, systems and redistribution explained

These terms describe different parts of a distributor's offer, and a company can use more than one model:

• Broadline: A wide assortment across food and non-food categories for many restaurant, hospitality, healthcare or institutional customers.
• Specialty: Deeper focus on a category or channel, such as natural and organic grocery, fresh products, imported foods or a regional cuisine.
• Systems distribution: A customized supply program for a defined multi-unit restaurant or institutional customer. A supplier typically needs alignment with that customer's approved purchasing route.
• Redistribution: Consolidation of supplier products into mixed shipments for other distributors or operators. It can expand logistics access, but it is different from winning a retailer or restaurant listing.

US food distributors at a glance

Using this table: A supplier form is an application, not guaranteed distribution or shelf space. Links labeled contact or inquiry are routes to ask for the appropriate buyer, not verified open vendor applications. Maines, included in the previous version of this article, is addressed in the legacy-company note below.

Two illustrative shortlist scenarios

Illustrative retail-snack example: A shelf-stable natural snack targeting grocery retailers in the Midwest could compare UNFI and KeHE. UNFI publishes a nationwide retailer network, while KeHE describes a national network focused on natural, organic and specialty brands. The brand would still need to name target retailers, confirm the receiving distribution centers and check whether its category is being considered.

Illustrative frozen-foodservice example: A frozen ingredient targeting restaurant accounts in Texas could compare Ben E. Keith and Gordon Food Service. Ben E. Keith publishes several Texas food-division locations, and Gordon Food Service lists the Southwest among its US delivery regions. The supplier would still need to confirm the local facility, delivery routes, storage requirements and named customer demand.

How do I find a food distributor for my product?

Choose the customer channel before choosing the distributor. A retail-ready snack, a frozen restaurant ingredient and a beverage sold through licensed channels can need different partners even in the same city. For a step-by-step approach, use our US distributor selection guide.

• Foodservice: Match pack size, kitchen use, storage conditions and cost per serving to restaurant or institutional buyers. Ask which local operating company serves those customers.
• Grocery retail: Establish which retailers could authorize your product, then confirm their distributor and warehouse. National distributor coverage does not mean every store stocks every item.
• Convenience: Check single-serve formats, shelf life, replenishment needs and whether the distributor supports the retailer's fresh-food program.
• Regional or specialty: For a small launch or a cuisine-specific product, investigate local specialists alongside national groups. The IFDA member directory offers additional foodservice companies to research.

“But remember, distribution in the US can differ significantly by region. Once you know who’s who, spend time getting to know distributors of interest in the regions where you want your product distributed.”

Matthew Smith, GourmetPro Market-Entry Expert. Excerpt retained from the original article.

National and regional foodservice distributors

Sysco Corporation

Sysco is a major starting point for suppliers targeting foodservice through a large US distribution network. Its fiscal 2026 sales were $84.6 billion globally, of which $58.8 billion came from its US Foodservice Operations segment, for the year ended June 27, 2026. These are different measures and should not be used interchangeably. Source: Sysco's August 4, 2026 results.

Supplier fit: Prepare a product proposition for the relevant foodservice category and local demand. Sysco's supplier resources include new-supplier registration for category and sourcing consideration, product-data guidance and compliance materials. Registration does not establish that an operating company will buy the item.

US Foods

US Foods supplies restaurant and other foodservice operators. Its vendor guidance makes the first step specific: contact the local market and speak with procurement. That makes the target city and intended accounts useful starting information for a supplier pitch.

Supplier fit: Foodservice products with a clear operator use case and complete specifications. Review the official supplier page for new-item setup, ingredient and allergen data, images and product synchronization guidance before approaching the local team.

Performance Food Group (PFG)

PFG serves multiple channels through its family of companies. Its published overview includes restaurants, schools, healthcare, vending, office coffee, theaters, big-box retail and convenience stores. Treat the group as a way to locate the right operating business, rather than one interchangeable national buyer. Source: PFG company overview.

Supplier fit: Route restaurant products to the foodservice business and convenience products to the appropriate convenience team. Cheney Brothers and Core-Mark appear separately in this guide because their channels matter to a supplier, but both belong to PFG. Do not add their sales to PFG consolidated revenue.

Gordon Food Service (GFS)

Gordon Food Service combines delivered foodservice distribution with physical stores. Its US delivery regions include the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest; it also operates in Canada. Store availability and delivered account coverage are different questions. Source: GFS coverage FAQ.

Supplier fit: Restaurant and institutional products suited to the relevant delivery market. Start with the supplier page and vendor submission route, then confirm the facilities that would stock your item.

Cheney Brothers

Cheney Brothers is a Southeastern US broadline foodservice business within PFG. PFG completed its acquisition on October 8, 2024; describing it today as an independent family-owned distributor would be misleading. Source: completed acquisition announcement.

Supplier fit: Foodservice products targeting the Southeast. Contact Cheney Brothers to establish the relevant category buyer and territory. Confirm whether purchasing and onboarding for your category sit with Cheney or another PFG team.

Shamrock Foods

Shamrock serves restaurant, hospitality and institutional customers in the Western US. Its location page separates broadline branches from systems distribution warehouses and provides a ZIP-code coverage check. A warehouse count alone would obscure those different operations. Source and branch contacts: Shamrock locations.

Supplier fit: Products for Western foodservice accounts. Ask the branch serving your launch area about category purchasing, receiving requirements and whether the proposed customers are on its delivery routes.

Ben E. Keith Foods

Ben E. Keith's food division lists branches across Texas and other Southern markets, including New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida and North Carolina. Its assortment includes meat, frozen food and foodservice supplies. Source and location contacts: Ben E. Keith Foods.

Supplier fit: Foodservice brands building demand in a branch's territory. Approach the food division for foodservice products and distinguish it from the company's beverage operation. A branch location is evidence of a facility, not proof of delivery to every address in that state.

Grocery retail distributors

UNFI

UNFI's supplier intake covers conventional, natural, fresh and wellness categories. It distinguishes warehouse distribution from Endless Aisle, where the supplier ships directly to retailers. Its nationwide retailer network makes it relevant to brands seeking grocery distribution, but the fulfillment model must match your capabilities. Source: UNFI supplier overview.

Supplier fit: Established and emerging grocery brands with product and logistics information ready. The New Supplier Inquiry asks about US warehousing, current sales channels, product categories and GS1-certified UPCs. Its onboarding FAQ identifies insurance, pricing/specification sheets, applicable certifications and food-safety audit documentation among potential requirements.

KeHE Distributors

KeHE focuses on natural, organic, specialty and fresh products. Its website lists 19 distribution centers across North America as checked on September 9, 2026. That scope includes more than the US and replaces the conflicting 16 and 18 figures in the earlier article. Source: KeHE network overview.

Supplier fit: Brands whose proposition fits those categories and a defined retail launch. KeHE's supplier page offers product submission, discovery events and emerging-brand programs. Ask which distribution centers and retail accounts would support the initial launch rather than assuming network-wide stocking.

C&S Wholesale Grocers

C&S is a grocery wholesale group that expanded through its completed acquisition of SpartanNash on September 22, 2025. At closing, the combined company reported almost 60 distribution centers and close to 10,000 independent retail locations, alongside military commissaries and exchanges. These are combined, acquisition-date figures, not separate totals for C&S and SpartanNash. Source: C&S completion announcement.

Supplier fit: Grocery products matched to a retailer or category requirement. Use the C&S corporate site to request the right business contact and confirm the purchasing route for your intended accounts.

SpartanNash

SpartanNash is now part of C&S. The operating name remains useful when discussing existing grocery and military-channel relationships, but it should not be counted as an independent parent group. Suppliers should confirm the appropriate category team, vendor agreement and facility within the combined business. Start with SpartanNash's official site; the ownership change is documented in the C&S announcement above.

Food redistribution

Dot Foods

Dot Foods is a North American food-industry redistributor and consolidator. Its supplier model centers on taking over less-than-truckload deliveries and making products available to distributors and operators across regions and segments. That logistics role differs from a retailer or restaurant approving an item. Source: Dot Foods supplier overview.

Supplier fit: Brands that want to consolidate smaller shipments and reach customers through Dot's network. Follow the official supplier partnership steps, then confirm the products, customers and receiving points in scope. Onboarding or network access does not guarantee an end-customer listing.

Convenience, beverage and dedicated-chain distribution

McLane Company

McLane, a Berkshire Hathaway company, serves convenience stores, mass merchants and chain restaurants nationwide. The distinction between retail and foodservice accounts matters when choosing a category contact. Source: McLane company overview.

Supplier fit: Products with demand from a customer in McLane's network. McLane explicitly says new supplier setup is based on customer requests: secure the customer first, then begin the supplier agreement process. Its supplier page also says suppliers are responsible for freight to applicable grocery facilities. Include that cost in the commercial proposal.

Core-Mark

Core-Mark specializes in convenience retail, including packaged goods and foodservice programs. It operates in the US and Canada and belongs to PFG, which completed the acquisition on September 1, 2021. Source: PFG completion announcement.

Supplier fit: Convenience-channel products and formats. Use Core-Mark's division directory to identify the territory and request the appropriate purchasing contact. Do not treat a retailer account login as a new-supplier application.

The H.T. Hackney Co.

H.T. Hackney focuses on convenience retail distribution and related store support. Its published location network covers 22 states, so it should not be presented as a universal coast-to-coast route. Source and contacts: H.T. Hackney locations.

Supplier fit: Convenience assortment that matches the accounts served in a specific region. Ask the regional contact who handles the category and what customer demand is needed to introduce an item.

Reyes Holdings

Reyes Holdings contains distinct businesses: Reyes Beverage Group, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling and Martin Brower. Their beverage territories and dedicated restaurant-chain supply operations are different routes to market. The holding company's reach is not evidence that an unrelated brand can enter any of those channels. Source: Reyes family of businesses.

Supplier fit: Identify the operating business, product category and territory first. A beverage brand should investigate the relevant beverage business; a product intended for a dedicated restaurant supply chain needs the chain's purchasing route confirmed.

Maines Paper & Food Service: legacy entry

Maines appeared in earlier editions of this guide. On May 20, 2020, Lineage announced its acquisition of Maines assets supporting quick-service and casual-dining distribution. We have removed the old standalone revenue, customer and facility claims from the active shortlist. The acquisition is not evidence that a new brand can apply through the former Maines business. Source: Lineage acquisition announcement.

How can you work with US food distributors?

Prepare a short, account-specific proposition: the customer you want to reach, why the product fits that customer's assortment or menu, evidence of demand, delivered price and a realistic launch territory. Then clarify these points before agreeing to distribution:

• Commercial terms: Buying margin, freight responsibility, promotion funding, deductions, returns, payment terms and any exclusivity.
• Launch scope: Named accounts, first warehouse, initial order volume and who is responsible for selling the product through.
• Operating requirements: Case and pallet configuration, lead times, remaining shelf life on receipt, temperature handling and product data.
• Responsibilities: Who imports, stores, sells and delivers the product; who manages buyer relationships; and which party resolves rejected or damaged deliveries.

These are questions to negotiate, not standard terms shared by every distributor. Our distributor vetting checklist helps structure due diligence, while our new-market distributor guide covers the broader search process. GourmetPro's Distributor & Partner Search service supports partner identification and evaluation around your product, channel and market goals.

Looking to get your products into a specific supermarket?

Work backward from the retailer's category buyer and distribution requirements. Use our US grocery-chain guide to research target accounts. A distributor listing and a retail listing are separate commercial steps.

Looking to import to the USA?

Confirm import responsibilities before choosing a distribution model. Our US food import guide explains the route to investigate alongside your product-specific requirements.

Check your food labels before pitching

Give buyers a consistent product specification and suitable US packaging. Review our US food-labeling guide as part of that preparation.

How we selected and checked this guide

This is a channel-based shortlist, not a scored ranking of independent companies. It retains the useful company coverage and regional selection advice from our earlier US lists, checks current company information against the linked public sources, and distinguishes acquired operating brands from parent groups. Revenue appears only where the reporting period and geographic scope are specified.

Supplier-fit notes are our interpretation of published channels and application requirements. They do not establish that a company is accepting your category, that every territory is served, or that a retailer has approved a product. This September 2026 update uses desk research; the retained expert excerpt is from the original article, not a new interview or expert review.

FAQs about US food distributors

Q: Who is the largest distributor in the USA?

Sysco is a leading global foodservice distributor with $84.6 billion in fiscal 2026 total sales and $58.8 billion in US Foodservice Operations sales. Those figures have different geographic scope. A comparison of “largest” also needs to specify foodservice, grocery, convenience or beverage distribution. This guide therefore organizes supplier choices by channel rather than mixing parent-company revenue and subsidiary figures into one ranking.

Q: How many distributors are there in the USA?

There is no single useful total without defining the scope: foodservice distributors, grocery wholesalers, specialty importers, beverage distributors and redistribution businesses serve different functions. This shortlist is not a census. Use a channel-specific directory and local research to find regional options beyond the larger groups here.

Q: What are the top USA food companies?

Food manufacturers, retailers and distributors play different roles. A manufacturer makes or owns products; a distributor brings products into a customer supply chain; a retailer sells to consumers. For distribution research, begin with the channel-based table above. For retail targets, use the linked grocery-chain guide.