Global Market Foods

What Global Market Foods does

Global Market Foods (GMF) is a privately held B2B importer and distributor of authentic international and specialty foods, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company operates eight specialized divisions — Ziyad, Indo-European, Vintage, Sunburst, Sahadi, UBC Food, Asli Fine Foods, and Global Choice — each with multi-decade heritages dating as far back as 1895 (Sahadi). Collectively, these divisions offer 10,000+ products sourced from over 60 countries, spanning Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Turkish, Eastern European, South Asian, Indian, Caribbean, Latin American, African, and halal categories. GMF serves 8,000+ retail doors across all 50 US states and Canada through six company-operated distribution centers in Illinois, California, New Jersey, Texas, and Ontario.

The company's core commercial asset is a B2B ordering platform — the GM Foods mobile/desktop application and an online ordering portal (order.yoursalesconnect.com) — supplemented by dedicated sales teams and business managers for each retail account. Technology infrastructure is intentionally lean: the ordering app is built on third-party services including Google Firebase (analytics, crash reporting), Stripe and Razorpay (payments), with a Storemapper-powered store locator on the corporate website and an Amazon Marketplace presence for direct-to-consumer sales. The proprietary technology footprint is shallow; differentiation rests on physical distribution, brand portfolio, and supplier relationships rather than software.

GMF generates revenue by purchasing specialty food products from international manufacturers and reselling them at wholesale to retailers (independent grocers, ethnic markets, and mainstream retail chains). Pricing is quote-based via the sales team and ordering platform rather than publicly listed. The go-to-market is sales-led with channel-partner support: dedicated business managers provide category management, merchandising, marketing materials, and seasonal recommendations to retail accounts. Growth has been driven primarily through M&A — most notably the February 2023 acquisition of Vintage Food Corporation and the June 2025 acquisition of Asli Fine Foods — consolidating additional cuisine verticals, brand assets, and supplier relationships under the GMF umbrella.

Name

Global Market Foods

Legal name

Global Market Foods

Website

https://globalmarketfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Global Market Foods is a privately held B2B importer and distributor of authentic international specialty foods, operating eight divisions with 10,000+ products from 60+ countries. It serves 8,000+ retail locations across all 50 US states and Canada through six distribution centers, supported by a B2B ordering app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Food Distribution

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480), Food Manufacturing (311), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & International Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Imported Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAH), Ethnic & International Foods Distribution (CRAOABAG), Ethnic Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAB)

Keywords

• International food distribution
• Ethnic food importing
• Specialty grocery wholesale
• B2B food distribution
• Halal and Mediterranean foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution & Sales: GMF generates revenue through importing and distributing international food products to retailers across North America. The company acts as a distributor, selling products from their portfolio of 10,000+ items from over 60 countries to retail partners including independent grocers, retail chains, and ethnic markets.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Global Market Foods is a B2B omni-channel importer and distributor of authentic international and specialty foods, consolidating eight divisions (Ziyad, Indo-European, Vintage, Sahadi, Sunburst, UBC Food, Asli Fine Foods, and Global Choice) under one platform to supply retailers and foodservice partners with over 10,000 products from 60+ countries. The company serves independent grocers, retail chains, and ethnic markets across all 50 US states and Canada via six strategically located distribution centers and a proprietary ordering platform/mobile app.

Product overview

Global Market Foods (GMF) is a unified platform of leading international food importers and distributors, combining eight specialized divisions under one company. The core offerings include the GM Foods Mobile App (for consumer ordering) and the GMF Ordering Platform (for retailer B2B ordering), supported by eight regional divisions: Ziyad (Middle Eastern & Mediterranean, founded 1966), Indo European (Eastern European products since 1966), Vintage (Turkish & European specialties since 1992), Sahadi (Middle Eastern gourmet since 1895), Sunburst (African & Caribbean foods since 1994), UBC Food (halal foods since 1996), Asli Fine Foods (South Asian & Indian products since 1998), and Global Choice (South Asian products in Canada since 2017). Together, the divisions offer over 10,000 products from over 60 countries, serving mainstream retailers, ethnic markets, and foodservice partners across North America through six distribution centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ziyad: Leaders in Middle Eastern & Mediterranean foods, offering authentic products from the Middle East
• Global Choice
• Vintage
• Indo-European
• Sunburst
• Sahadi
• UBC Food
• Asli Fine Foods

Products and services

• Ziyad (Division) Importer and distributor of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food products, offering over 3,000 items across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Serves retailers and foodservice partners.
• Global Choice (Division) Importer and distributor of South Asian and Indian products serving retailers across Canada since 2017.
• Vintage Food (Division) Premium Turkish and European specialty foods distributor operating from a 30,000-square-foot warehouse in New Jersey. Acquired by Ziyad Brothers in February 2023.
• Indo-European Foods (Division) Importer and distributor of Eastern European and Mediterranean products since 1966, known for its flagship Zergut brand featuring vegetable spreads, pickles, grape leaves, and tahini.
• Sunburst Trading (Division) Importer and distributor of authentic Caribbean, Latin American, and African foods, serving as a trusted distributor of beloved global brands across North America.
• Sahadi (Division) Pioneers in Middle Eastern Gourmet products since 1895, offering grains, beans, oils, spices, and pantry staples distributed to retailers.
• Asli Fine Foods (Division) Importer and distributor of South Asian and Indian cuisine and staples, offering basmati rice, lentils, spice blends, and pantry essentials sourced from over ten countries. Acquired by GMF in June 2025.
• UBC Food Distributors (Division) Distributor of quality halal food and confectioneries, distributing Middle Eastern and Mediterranean confections, beverages, and pantry staples through Wellmade and Baraka brands.
• GM Foods Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android enabling customers to place orders, view monthly promotions, check order status, and browse product catalogs with desktop and mobile versions. Built on Google Firebase infrastructure with Stripe and Razorpay payment integrations.
• GMF Ordering Platform Online ordering portal enabling retailers to place B2B orders, access monthly promotions and hot deals, and manage account status.
• MERVE Halal Meat Brand Halal meat brand launched in 2001 under the Vintage Food division, offering authentic Turkish meat products to retail and foodservice partners.
• Zergut Brand Flagship brand of Indo-European Foods featuring vegetable spreads, pickles, grape leaves, tahini, and molasses; name means 'very good' in German.
• Wellmade Brand Halal product brand under UBC Food Distributors offering confections, beverages, and pantry staples.
• Baraka Brand Halal product brand under UBC Food Distributors offering trusted halal-certified products.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Vintage Food CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023In February 2023, Ziyad Brothers Importing (a GMF division) acquired Vintage Food Corporation, a leading distributor of branded Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European food and beverage products. This acquisition expanded GMF's product portfolio to over 3,000 products and strengthened their presence in the Turkish and European specialty foods segment.
• Ziyad Brothers ImportingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZiyad Brothers Importing is a founding division of GMF, established in 1966 as Syrian Bakery and Grocery. It has grown into a leading importer and distributor of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, offering over 3,000 items.
• Asli Fine FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1998 as National Salad Oil, Asli Fine Foods is a trusted importer and distributor of South Asian and Indian products, sourcing from over ten countries including India, UK, Spain, Dubai, Canada, China, Kenya, and Australia.
• Indo-European FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1966, Indo-European Foods has brought Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern European culinary traditions to homes across North America. Known for its flagship brand Zergut.
• Sunburst TradingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1994, Sunburst Trading has championed authentic Caribbean, Latin American, and African foods, preserving heritage and serving as a trusted distributor of beloved global brands.
• Sahadi'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1895, Sahadi's has been pioneers in Middle Eastern gourmet products. Originally began importing specialty foods through Manhattan's port and opened the original storefront in Brooklyn's 'Little Syria' neighborhood.
• UBC Food DistributorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1996, UBC Food Distributors has been dedicated to sharing halal food, offering Middle Eastern and Mediterranean confections, beverages, and pantry staples through brands like Wellmade and Baraka.
• Global Choice FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2017, Global Choice Foods has specialized in sourcing and distributing authentic South Asian and Indian products across Canada, bringing quality items to retail shelves.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dot Foods: Dot Foods is the largest US food industry redistributor, supplying foodservice operators, retailers, and other distributors with a broad assortment including ethnic and specialty items. Its role as a redistributor to other distributors is complementary to GMF's retail-facing model, but the SKU breadth and logistics operations make it a relevant scale benchmark.
• United Natural Foods (UNFI): UNFI is the largest US distributor of natural, organic, and specialty foods, supplying independent retailers, chains, and foodservice. While UNFI is significantly larger and broader, its specialty food division directly overlaps with GMF's retail channel and customer base, particularly for retailers seeking ethnic and international SKUs.
• Shamrock Foods Company: Shamrock Foods is a privately held broadline foodservice distributor with specialty ethnic and Mediterranean offerings serving restaurants and retailers across the western US. Its privately held, family-owned operating model and specialty focus are highly comparable to GMF's structure and growth trajectory.
• Performance Food Group: Performance Food Group is a major US foodservice and specialty distributor with Vistar and other specialty divisions serving ethnic and international cuisines. Its scale and specialty focus make it a relevant comparable for GMF's growth trajectory into retail and foodservice channels.
• SpartanNash: SpartanNash operates both grocery retail and wholesale distribution, including specialty and ethnic food categories for independent grocers. Its combination of distribution and retail operations provides a useful comparison for GMF's potential vertical integration and category expansion strategies.
• Sysco Corporation: Sysco is the largest US broadline foodservice distributor with a growing specialty and ethnic food portfolio. While predominantly foodservice rather than retail, Sysco's Specialty Meat Group and ethnic category offerings overlap with GMF on the supplier and product side, and represent the scale-up benchmark GMF could pursue.
• C&S Wholesale Grocers: C&S is the largest US grocery wholesaler, supplying independent grocers and chain retailers with a broad assortment including specialty and ethnic categories. Its customer base (independents and chains) directly overlaps with GMF's segments, though its model is broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Atalanta Corporation: Atalanta is a privately held US importer and distributor of specialty and ethnic foods (Italian, Hispanic, Mediterranean, and other ethnic categories) to retail and foodservice. It is the closest direct peer to GMF in terms of import-led specialty distribution, multi-region ethnic portfolio, and family-owned operating model.
• KeHE Distributors: KeHE is a leading US distributor of specialty, natural, and ethnic foods to retailers and foodservice operators, with similar B2B value-added services (category management, merchandising). Its product breadth and customer base (independent and chain grocers) closely mirror GMF's model, making it the most directly comparable peer.

Emerging players

• Chef's Warehouse: Chef's Warehouse is a specialty foodservice distributor focused on high-end restaurants and ethnic cuisine ingredients, with growing retail exposure. Its emphasis on authentic specialty ingredients for ethnic cuisines aligns with GMF's product positioning, particularly through MERVE halal meats and Ziyad Mediterranean brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-market-foods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Market Foods