Red Diamond Foodservice

What Red Diamond Foodservice does

Red Diamond Foodservice, d/b/a Red Diamond Coffee & Tea, is a fifth-generation, family-owned coffee and tea manufacturer founded in 1906 by William 'Fitz' Donovan in Birmingham, Alabama and now headquartered in Moody, Alabama. The company operates the only Scolari tea and coffee manufacturing plant in the United States (installed in 2008), which uses computer-programmed batch roasting and hot-packing processes, alongside fresh-brewing operations for ready-to-drink iced tea produced from actual tea leaves rather than concentrate or powders. Its product portfolio comprises three core lines: premium coffee (whole bean, ground, single-serve), refrigerated ready-to-drink iced teas (Sweet, Sugar-Free Sweet, Unsweet, Extra Sweet, and Sweet Tea & Lemonade), and premium tea bags. The legacy Foodservice operating subsidiary was sold to Gordon Food Service in 2017, and the parent now operates as Red Diamond Coffee & Tea focused on wholesale distribution plus retail CPG.

The business generates revenue through three primary streams: retail grocery sales through major chains (Walmart in 1,100+ stores across 16 states, Kroger in Texas, Dillons in Kansas/Nebraska/Missouri), wholesale distribution of coffee and tea through foodservice distributors and national convenience store chain accounts, and direct e-commerce via shopreddiamond.com. Go-to-market is a hybrid channel model combining enterprise retail partnerships, foodservice distribution, and direct-to-consumer. Customer segments span individual retail consumers, foodservice operators (restaurants, hotels, stadiums, offices), and wholesale distributors. The company employs 251-500 people, holds Kosher certification for dry products, and maintains industry leadership with the President & CEO serving as Chairman of the Tea Association of the United States.

Name

Red Diamond Foodservice

Legal name

Red Diamond Coffee and Tea

Website

https://reddiamond.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Red Diamond Foodservice, operating as Red Diamond Coffee & Tea, is a fifth-generation, family-owned U.S. coffee and tea manufacturer founded in 1906, producing premium batch-roasted coffee, fresh-brewed ready-to-drink iced tea, and tea bags from its Scolari manufacturing plant in Moody, Alabama for retail, foodservice, and e-commerce customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing & Foodservice Distribution

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee & Tea Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAH)

Keywords

• Premium coffee products
• Fresh-brewed iced tea
• Foodservice distribution
• Ready-to-drink beverages
• Wholesale beverage supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Moody

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Products: Sale of consumer-packaged coffee and tea products through retail grocery stores including Walmart, Kroger, and Dillons. Products include ground coffee, whole bean, single-serve, and refrigerated ready-to-drink iced tea in various formats (gallon, pint).
2. Foodservice/Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale distribution of coffee, tea and allied products through foodservice distribution companies and national convenience store chain accounts. Legacy coffee service for office and hospitality markets.
3. E-commerce Direct Sales: Online sales of non-refrigerated coffee and tea products plus Red Diamond merchandise through shopreddiamond.com, delivered directly to homes and businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Red Diamond Foodservice is a broadline distributor and manufacturer of premium coffee, tea, and allied beverage products serving foodservice operators, wholesale distributors, retail grocery chains, and national convenience store accounts. The company operates the only Scolari tea and coffee manufacturing plant in the U.S., producing batch-roasted coffee, fresh-brewed ready-to-drink iced teas, and premium tea bags marketed under the Red Diamond family of brands.

Product overview

Red Diamond Coffee & Tea is a fifth-generation, family-owned beverage company founded in 1906, offering three core product lines: premium coffee products (whole bean, ground, and single-serve formats sourced from high-altitude new crop beans), fresh-brewed ready-to-drink iced teas (refrigerated, never from concentrate, including Sweet Tea, Sugar-Free Sweet Tea, Unsweet Tea, Extra Sweet Tea, and Sweet Tea & Lemonade), and premium tea bags for hot and iced preparation. The company operates the only Scolari Tea and Coffee Manufacturing Plant in the U.S., batch-roasts coffee using state-of-the-art computer programming, and distributes through major retailers including Walmart and Kroger, as well as foodservice channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Red Diamond Coffee Premium coffee products available in whole bean, ground, and single-serve formats. Sourced from high-altitude, new crop beans from the finest coffee regions, batch-roasted for optimal flavor, and hot-packed to seal in freshness. Includes 100% Colombian and other varieties for retail consumers, foodservice operators, and office/hospitality accounts.
• Red Diamond Iced Tea (Ready-to-Drink) Fresh-brewed refrigerated iced tea made from actual tea leaves, never from concentrate or powders, with no preservatives. Available in multiple varieties including Sweet Tea, Sugar-Free Sweet Tea, Unsweet Tea, Sweet Tea & Lemonade, and Extra Sweet Tea. Requires refrigeration and is not shelf-stable.
• Red Diamond Tea Bags Premium tea bag products sourced from the finest quality tea leaves around the world. Available in single-serve formats for hot and iced tea preparation, including the original premium blend created in the 1920s. All dry tea products are Kosher certified.
• Extra Sweet Tea A sweeter variant of Red Diamond's fresh-brewed iced tea, made from actual tea leaves with no preservatives. Expanded to over 1,100 Walmart locations across 16 states and planned for Kroger stores across Texas.
• Sweet Tea & Lemonade Ready-to-serve iced tea blended with real lemon juice, launched in 2023 at select Kroger and Dillons stores, expanding Red Diamond's ready-to-drink portfolio beyond traditional sweet tea.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded to 1,100+ Walmart stores across 16 states
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Route 66 Centennial CelebrationsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Red Diamond's 120th anniversary coincides with Route 66's 2026 milestone and America's 250th anniversary. Partnership connects generations and communities through Route 66 Centennial events across Oklahoma.
• Tulsa DrillerscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2025Multi-year official partnership making Red Diamond the official beverage partner of the Tulsa Drillers minor league baseball team. Aligns with family-friendly community engagement and Route 66 Centennial celebrations.
• Tulsa DrillerscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2025Multi-year official partnership making Red Diamond the official beverage partner of the Tulsa Drillers minor league baseball team. Aligns with family-friendly community engagement and Route 66 Centennial celebrations.
• Grounds for HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing sponsorship of cervical cancer prevention organization serving women in coffee farming regions. 217,370 women screened and 17,922 treated. Supports the 70% of coffee farming labor force made up of women.
• Birmingham ZoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerTea Express train sponsorship at Birmingham Zoo, pairing with Coffee Express sister train. Brings technological and educational advances to the attraction. Approximately 550 animals from 195 species.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pure Leaf (Unilever/PepsiCo): Premium bottled iced tea brand jointly owned by Unilever and PepsiCo. Direct competitor in premium sweet tea RTD with shelf-stable format, national distribution, and parent-company scale advantages in retail partnerships.
• JDE Peet's: Global coffee company owning brands including Peet's Coffee, Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, and various foodservice coffee brands. Broad incumbent in coffee manufacturing and foodservice distribution with overlapping customer base and product portfolio.
• Lipton (Unilever): Global mass-market tea brand under Unilever (PepsiCo joint venture for RTD) including Lipton Iced Tea and Pure Leaf. Direct competitor in sweet tea RTD at national scale with massive marketing budgets and shelf presence across all channels.
• Keurig Dr Pepper: Large-scale coffee and beverage manufacturer with Keurig brewing systems, Dr Pepper, Snapple, and various tea and coffee brands. Broad incumbent in coffee/tea with overlapping product categories and major retail distribution including Walmart and Kroger.

Direct peers

• Royal Cup Coffee: Family-owned coffee roaster and distributor headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama with strong foodservice and retail presence in the Southeastern U.S. Direct comparable in geography, scale, family ownership model, and dual retail/foodservice business model.
• Bigelow Tea: Family-owned tea company (third generation) headquartered in Connecticut producing bagged and ready-to-drink iced teas for retail and foodservice. Comparable in family-ownership heritage, tea category focus, and multi-channel distribution including grocery and foodservice.
• Community Coffee Company: Family-owned regional coffee and tea company headquartered in Louisiana with strong Southeastern U.S. distribution through retail and foodservice. Most directly comparable peer in size, family ownership heritage, regional concentration, and product mix (coffee plus tea) to Red Diamond.
• AriZona Beverage Company: Family-owned (Don Vultaggio) beverage company famous for its iconic AriZona Iced Tea, including sweet tea variants. Direct competitor in sweet tea RTD category at massive national scale and similar family-ownership structure, but far larger revenue base.
• Celestial Seasonings (Hain Celestial): Specialty tea brand owned by Hain Celestial Group producing bagged teas and iced teas for retail and foodservice. Direct competitor in tea category with overlapping retail distribution channels and similar product portfolio.

Others

• Gordon Food Service: Large broadline foodservice distributor that acquired Red Diamond's Foodservice division in 2017 and now distributes Red Diamond products through its network. Connected as both a former parent of the foodservice division and current distribution partner; relevant channel comparable for foodservice go-to-market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/reddiamond
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrKwcs1g5Qn7a6myi8PQVjg
• Facebookfacebook.com/reddiamond
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/red-diamond
• Instagraminstagram.com/drinkreddiamond
• Pinterestpinterest.com/reddiamondinc
• TikToktiktok.com/@drinkreddiamond

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Red Diamond Foodservice