Caputo Cheese

What Caputo Cheese does

Caputo Cheese is a specialty Italian cheese manufacturer founded in 1978 in Melrose Park, Illinois, and currently owned by Tilia Holdings following a 2025 private equity acquisition financed by Monroe Capital. The company produces fresh mozzarella varieties (Bocconcini, Ovolini, Ciglieni, Ovolungo, Perlini, Pearls, sliced and loaf formats), hard Italian cheeses (Parmesan, Romano, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, and proprietary blends including Red Cow Imported Parmesan and Red Sheep Imported Romano), and specialty cheeses (Burrata, Stracciatella, Ricotta, Orecchiette di Mozzarella, and a Brazilian-inspired Grilling Cheese). Caputo holds the exclusive domestic production position for Orecchiette di Mozzarella and maintains SQF Level 2 food safety certification.

The company's core production technology blends traditional Italian cheesemaking techniques, rooted in founder Pasquale Caputo's heritage from Mola di Bari, Italy, with proprietary formulation and modern process capabilities. Products are supplied in customized formats including grated, shredded, shaved, cubed, balls, slices, logs, and loaves, with tailored packaging and process workflows developed in collaboration with customers. The business has earned continuous industry recognition since 2016, including First 'Best Of Class' for Bocconcini at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest and multiple First Place wins at the 2026 American Cheese Society Awards.

Caputo operates a B2B enterprise field sales motion targeting foodservice operators (restaurants, pizzerias, hotels, hospitality, institutional buyers), food distributors, restaurant chains, and food manufacturers, supplemented by a retail channel. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contracts for custom formulations and pay-as-you-go pricing for bulk foodservice orders. The company markets through major industry trade shows (IDDBA, International Pizza Expo, PLMA), a content-driven website, and earned media in trade publications. Under current CEO and second-generation owner Natale Caputo, the business employs 11-50 people and serves customers across the United States.

Name

Caputo Cheese

Legal name

Caputo Cheese

Website

https://caputocheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caputo Cheese is a family-founded (1978) Italian cheese manufacturer based in Melrose Park, Illinois, producing award-winning fresh mozzarella, hard Italian, and specialty cheeses for B2B foodservice operators, distributors, and food manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Italian Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Pasta Filata Cheese Manufacturing (Mozzarella, Provolone, String Cheese) (AFAHABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grated, Shredded & Sliced Cheese Manufacturing (Value-Added Cuts) (AFAHABAF), Cheese Blending & Formulation (Retail & Foodservice Blends) (AFAHABAG), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)

Keywords

• Italian cheese manufacturing
• Fresh mozzarella production
• Foodservice ingredient supply
• Specialty cheese processing
• Hard Italian cheese production

Headquarters

HQ city

Melrose Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. B2B Foodservice and Manufacturing Ingredient Sales: Caputo Cheese generates revenue by manufacturing and selling Italian cheeses (fresh mozzarella, hard Italian cheeses, specialty cheeses) primarily to foodservice operators, distributors, restaurant chains, and food manufacturers. The company provides customized cheese solutions including shaved, grated, shredded, and specialty formats. Revenue is derived from recurring product orders with custom formulations and packaging solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Caputo Cheese manufactures Italian-style cheeses for foodservice and industrial customers, including fresh mozzarella in multiple formats (slices, balls, loaves, pearls), hard Italian cheeses (Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Romano, Asiago, plus proprietary Red Cow and Red Sheep blends), and specialty cheeses (Burrata, Stracciatella, Ricotta, Orecchiette di Mozzarella, Brazilian-inspired Grilling Cheese). The company supplies these products to restaurant operators, distributors, food manufacturers, and retailers across the United States, offering custom formulations and tailored packaging. Production is based at the Melrose Park, Illinois facility founded in 1978.

Product overview

Caputo Cheese is a manufacturer of authentic Italian cheeses founded in 1978, headquartered in Melrose Park, Illinois. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of fresh mozzarella (including Ciglieni, Bocconcini, Ovolini, Ovolungo, Perlini, Pearls, and sliced formats), hard Italian cheeses (Parmesan, Romano, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, and proprietary blends like Red Cow Imported Parmesan and Red Sheep Imported Romano), and specialty cheeses (Burrata, Stracciatella, Ricotta, Orecchiette di Mozzarella, and Grilling Cheese). The products are primarily served to foodservice operators, distributors, restaurant chains, food manufacturers, and retailers. Caputo Cheese emphasizes traditional Italian craftsmanship combined with modern innovation, offering customized cheese solutions in various formats (grated, shredded, shaved, cubed, balls, slices, and loaves) for foodservice and manufacturing customers. The company holds SQF Level 2 certification and has won multiple industry awards including recognition at the 2026 ACS Awards and 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ciglieni Small, finger-shaped fresh mozzarella cheese in Caputo's fresh mozzarella portfolio, positioned for appetizers and charcuterie boards, primarily sold to foodservice operators and distributors.
• Bocconcini Small bite-sized fresh mozzarella balls, sold primarily to foodservice operators and retailers; won First 'Best Of Class' in the Fresh Mozzarella category at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest.
• Ovolini Small oval-shaped fresh mozzarella in Caputo's fresh mozzarella line, sold to foodservice and retail customers; won First Place at the 2026 American Cheese Society Awards and Third Place at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest.
• Fresh Mozzarella Slices Pre-sliced fresh mozzarella available in multiple portion sizes (1 oz, 0.8 oz, and 0.4 oz) for foodservice, pizza, and culinary applications, designed for convenient portion-controlled use by operators and chain customers.
• Ovolungo Elongated oval-shaped fresh mozzarella cheese sold to foodservice customers as part of Caputo's fresh mozzarella portfolio.
• Perlini Tiny pearl-sized fresh mozzarella balls sold to foodservice operators for salads, garnishes, and culinary applications.
• Pearls Small pearl-sized fresh mozzarella balls for foodservice and culinary applications, complementing Caputo's range of fresh mozzarella shapes and sizes.
• Fresh Mozzarella Loaf Fresh mozzarella sold in loaf format for foodservice applications, allowing operators to cut and portion to their requirements.
• Burrata Fresh Italian burrata made in the traditional fashion of Apulia with a creamy interior, sold to foodservice operators and retailers; won First Place at the 2026 American Cheese Society Awards.
• Stracciatella Fresh Italian specialty cheese made from stretched curd and cream, sold to foodservice and retail customers; won First Place at the 2026 American Cheese Society Awards.
• Ricotta Fresh Italian whey ricotta cheese with a mild, slightly sweet flavor, sold to foodservice operators and retailers for use in Italian and broader culinary applications.
• Orecchiette di Mozzarella Mozzarella produced exclusively by Caputo Cheese in the traditional orecchiette pasta shape, sold to foodservice operators, restaurant chains, and pizza-focused customers as an exclusive domestic offering; showcased at the 2026 Pizza Expo.
• Brazilian-Inspired Grilling Cheese Cow's milk cheese inspired by Latin and South American grilling traditions, with a buttery flavor and delicate saltiness that resists melting on the grill, developing a browned exterior with a chewy interior; launched at IDDBA 2026 for foodservice and retail channels in a 20lb case format.
• Parmesan Aged hard Italian Parmesan cheese with a sharp, complex flavor, sold to foodservice operators and distributors in grated format for convenient application.
• Imported Pecorino Romano Imported sheep's milk Pecorino Romano cheese with a sharp, salty flavor, sold in grated format to foodservice operators and distributors.
• Romano Hard Italian Romano cheese with a pungent flavor, sold in grated form to foodservice operators and distributors.
• Asiago Italian Asiago cheese with a nutty, buttery flavor, sold in shredded format to foodservice operators and distributors for Italian and broader culinary applications.
• Red Cow Imported Parmesan Proprietary Caputo Cheese blend of imported Parmesan formulated as an affordable, approachable version for classic and traditional recipes, sold in grated format in 4/5lb bags (Item #05690) to foodservice operators.
• Red Sheep Imported Romano Proprietary Caputo Cheese blend of Pecorino Romano and other imported and domestic Romano cheeses, designed to deliver flavor and functionality similar to old-world cheeses with new-world sensibility, sold in 4/5lb bags (Item #04690) to foodservice operators.
• Custom Cheese Formulation and Packaging Solutions Caputo Cheese's custom formulation, distinctive packaging design, and streamlined process workflow offering developed in collaboration with foodservice operators and food manufacturers, enabling tailored cheese blends, innovative flavor profiles, and specialized packaging formats including grated, shredded, shaved, cubed, balls, slices, and logs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Medaled in every competition since 2016 (10+ years of continuous recognition)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BelGioioso Cheese Company: Family-owned U.S. specialty Italian cheesemaker offering fresh mozzarella, burrata, and hard Italian varieties (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago). Closely comparable to Caputo in product category, traditional craft positioning, and B2B foodservice focus.
• Polly-O: Long-standing U.S. mozzarella-focused brand (now under Lactalis) serving retail and foodservice with sliced and fresh mozzarella. Directly comparable fresh mozzarella focus and foodservice orientation, competing for the same shelf and operator relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Leprino Foods: Largest U.S. mozzarella manufacturer and major dairy producer globally. Serves overlapping foodservice and food-manufacturer customers with mozzarella and cheese ingredients at massive scale — the dominant incumbent competitor to Caputo's fresh and specialty mozzarella lines.
• Galbani: Owned by Lactalis, Galbani is a leading Italian/Italian-style cheese brand (fresh mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan) with broad retail and foodservice presence. Comparable product portfolio and Italian cheesemaking heritage, but operates as a global incumbent vs. Caputo's specialty position.
• Saputo Inc. Among the largest dairy processors in the world, with deep mozzarella, parmesan, and Italian-style cheese lines serving U.S. foodservice and retail. Overlaps Caputo's customer base and product categories but operates at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Sargento Foods: Major U.S. natural cheese manufacturer with strong foodservice and retail presence (shredded, sliced, specialty Italian blends). Competitor in the grated/shredded hard Italian and Italian-blend categories where Caputo's Red Cow and Red Sheep lines compete.
• Hilmar Cheese Company: Large-scale U.S. cheese manufacturer (cheddar and Italian-style varieties) serving foodservice and industrial ingredient customers. Comparable in B2B foodservice/ingredient orientation but with commodity scale rather than specialty craft positioning.

Emerging players

• Cacique: Hispanic and specialty cheese manufacturer (queso fresco, Oaxaca-style cheeses) competing in foodservice and retail. Comparable specialty-cheese manufacturer with B2B foodservice focus, but with Latin cuisine orientation rather than Italian.

Regional players

• Hiland Dairy: Regional dairy processor with cheese, milk, and cultured product lines serving foodservice and retail in the Midwest U.S. Partial overlap with Caputo in cheese ingredient supply to foodservice and institutional accounts, but broader dairy mix and regional footprint.

Others

• Arla Foods Ingredients: Global dairy cooperative producing mozzarella and pizza cheese ingredients for foodservice and industrial customers. Adjacent in the pizza/mozzarella B2B supply chain, relevant as a scale supplier competitor in foodservice cheese applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/caputocheese
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaputoCheese
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caputo-cheese

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Caputo Cheese