On November 7th, 2011, Provvista, one of the premier restaurant suppliers in the Northwest, was sold to the national Chefs’ Warehouse chain.
As far as I know, that pretty much leaves Classic Foods as the only large local purveyor.
From the press release:
The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. Acquires Provvista Specialty Foods, Inc.
Company Enters Seventh Regional Market in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA Region
RIDGEFIELD, Conn., Nov. 7, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (Nasdaq:CHEF), a premier distributor of specialty food products in the United States, today announced that it has acquired substantially all the assets of Provvista Specialty Foods, Inc., a leading specialty foods importer and wholesale distributor located in Portland, OR, which services the Portland, OR and Seattle, WA metropolitan areas.
“We are thrilled to be entering the Portland and Seattle markets and are pleased to welcome the employees at Provvista into The Chefs’ Warehouse family. Chefs, caterers, hotels, gourmet shops, and fine grocery stores alike appreciate Provvista’s unique product mix and knowledgeable service so this acquisition is a great fit,” said Chris Pappas, chairman and chief executive officer of The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc.
“We are very excited to bring Provvista’s business to The Chefs’ Warehouse platform,” said Joe Guth, founder of Provvista. “We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated staff, our loyal customers, and our passionate vendors, who worked together to make Provvista what it is today. The Chefs’ Warehouse is a great cultural fit and has the vision and tools to take this business to the next level.”
Provvista, which was founded in 1993, services over 500 customer locations in the Portland, OR and Seattle, WA metropolitan areas. Provvista had annual revenue in 2010 of approximately $17 million.
About The Chefs’ Warehouse
The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (http://www.chefswarehouse.com) is a premier distributor of specialty food products in the United States focused on serving the specific needs of chefs who own and/or operate some of the nation’s leading menu-driven independent restaurants, fine dining establishments, country clubs, hotels, caterers, culinary schools and specialty food stores. The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. carries and distributes more than 11,500 products to more than 7,500 customer locations throughout the United States.
Kolibri says
DPI Specialty Foods has many of the same types of items that Provvista did. Not quite as “boutique”-y, but also not nearly as pricey.