PITCO Foods
PITCO Foods is a California-based wholesale cash-and-carry and distribution company serving 25,000+ independent retailers across groceries, convenience stores, restaurants, and food service operators via four warehouses and next-day delivery since 1982.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersBrisbane, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PITCO Foods does
PITCO Foods is a California-based wholesale cash-and-carry and distribution company that has operated since 1982, originally under the names PGI (Pacific Groservice, Inc.) and Pittsburg Wholesale Grocers, Inc. The business distributes more than 10,000 SKUs across 14+ product categories — groceries, candy, snacks, beverages, refrigerated and frozen items, health and beauty, general merchandise, OTC medications, cigarettes and tobacco, household cleaning, and institutional supply — alongside its Life Goods private label and branded Food Service Programs covering food-to-go, commissary, frozen dispensed beverages, and concession / snack-bar solutions.
The company serves more than 25,000 retail stores across California, Nevada, and the broader West Coast, with a customer base spanning independent grocers (including Hispanic and Asian-market operators), convenience stores, gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants, bakeries, food trucks, hotels, and educational institutions. Operations are supported by four warehouses (San Jose headquarters, Brisbane, San Leandro, and West Sacramento) totaling approximately 550,000 square feet, a temperature-controlled delivery fleet offering next-business-day delivery for orders placed before 5pm, an online ordering portal at orders.pitcofoods.com, and an annual PITCO Foods Expo for vendor and customer engagement. Headcount is reported at approximately 500 associates.
The business model is membership-gated B2B wholesale: prospective customers must register with business documentation (resale certificate, seller's permit) to access wholesale pricing through both physical Cash & Carry walk-in and scheduled delivery channels. Revenue is generated transactionally through product sales across these channels; the company does not publicly disclose revenue. The firm remains privately held, has no recent disclosed institutional capital beyond a 2004 $4.5M Seacoast Capital Partners investment, has not disclosed M&A activity, and does not disclose leadership.
PITCO Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PITCO Foods
- Legal name
- Pitco Foods
- Website
- https://pitcofoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- PITCO Foods is a California-based wholesale cash-and-carry and distribution company serving 25,000+ independent retailers across groceries, convenience stores, restaurants, and food service operators via four warehouses and next-day delivery since 1982.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PITCO Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Food Distribution
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Grocers (Business/Trade Customers) (CRAHACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)
Keywords
Where PITCO Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brisbane
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
PITCO Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling products at wholesale prices to verified business members including grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants, and food service operators. Both Cash & Carry walk-in sales and scheduled delivery orders.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
PITCO Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PITCO Foods is a membership-based wholesale cash & carry and distribution company that sells groceries, candy, snacks, beverages, refrigerated, frozen, health & beauty, general merchandise, OTC, cigarettes, tobacco and accessories, household cleaning products, and institutional supply to verified business members. It operates four warehouse locations in California and offers both walk-in Cash & Carry shopping and next-business-day delivery via temperature-controlled fleet to independent retailers, convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, bakeries, liquor stores, and food service operators.
Product overview
PITCO Foods is a wholesale cash & carry and distribution company offering a unified portfolio of product categories and service offerings. The core product suite includes over 25,000 SKUs across Groceries, Candy, Snacks, Beverages, Refrigerated, Frozen, Health & Beauty, General Merchandise, OTC, Cigarettes, Tobacco & Accessories, Household Cleaning Products, and Institutional Supply. The company operates both Cash & Carry Operations (members-only warehouse locations) and Delivery Operations (next-business-day delivery). Their own Private Label brand, Life Goods, provides value alternatives alongside national brands. The Food Service Programs module offers specialized solutions including food prepared on-site, commissary/packaged sandwiches, and frozen dispensed beverages with branded partnerships. This is not a technology platform but a physical wholesale distribution business serving independent retailers, convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, bakeries, and food service operators across California.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Life Goods: Private label brand offering quality-driven products including snacks, groceries, and various consumer goods.
Products and services
- Groceries Wide selection of grocery staples including Hispanic and Asian product lines, serving convenience stores, grocery stores, and food service operators across California.
- Candy Confectionery products including chocolate bars, candy bars, hard candy, gummy candy, lollipops, chewing gum, jellybeans, and bagged candy sold in various pack sizes.
- Snacks Diverse snack offerings including confectionary snacks (cookies, cakes, pastries), natural snacks (fruit, vegetable, nuts), and savory snacks (chips, crackers, salty snacks).
- Beverages Wide range of beverages including energy drinks, juices, sodas, protein beverages, health drinks, bottled water, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages.
- Refrigerated Products Refrigerated products for food service establishments including items for gas stations, liquor stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, bakeries, and food trucks.
- Frozen Products Extensive frozen food products providing convenience, variety, and quality for gas stations, liquor stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, bakeries, food trucks, and food service industry.
- Health & Beauty Health and beauty products including skin care, oral care, hair care, nail care, baby care, sunscreen, vitamins, supplements, fragrance, body care, deodorants, and soap products.
- General Merchandise Non-food items including stationary, automotive accessories, batteries, party supplies, toys, games, seasonal items, and office supplies.
- OTC (Over-the-Counter Medications) Over-the-counter medications including pain relievers, antihistamines, cough suppressants, laxatives, antidiarrheal medication, motion sickness medicines, and vitamins and supplements.
- Cigarettes Wide range of cigarette and tobacco brands including Marlboro, Newport, Camel, Pall Mall, Maverick, Natural American Spirit, Seneca, and Montego.
- Tobacco & Accessories Tobacco products and accessories including cigars, pipe tobacco, rolling papers, lighters, Skoal, Kodiak, Grizzy, Black and Mild, Swisher, Good Times, Whip-It, BIC, and MK Lighters.
- Household Cleaning Products Cleaning products for commercial settings including all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, dishwashing soaps, baking soda, disinfectants, detergents, bleach, mops, squeegees, brushes, brooms, and paper towels.
- Institutional Supply Comprehensive products and services for foodservice operators and various institutions beyond just food products, providing solutions tailored to unique institutional requirements.
- Food Service Programs Food service solutions including food prepared on-site, commissary/packaged sandwiches, and frozen dispensed beverages with branded programs across multiple categories.
- Life Goods (Private Label Brand) PITCO Foods' own quality-driven private label brand offering value savings alongside national trademarked products.
- Cash & Carry Operations Members-only warehouse locations where business customers can personally shop and pick up products with both delivery and cash and carry options available at each warehouse.
- Delivery Operations Next-business-day delivery service for orders placed before 5pm, with temperature-controlled fleet trucks ensuring freshness of perishable items.
Quantifiable outcome
- Next-business-day delivery for orders placed before 5pm
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use PITCO Foods
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
PITCO Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
PITCO Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FrazilcoreFood service brand partnership for frozen dispensed beverages. Frazil products distributed through Pitco Foods to food service operators.
- Hillshire FarmcoreNational brand distributed through Pitco Foods to convenience stores and food service operators. Part of Tyson portfolio.
- Hot PocketscoreFrozen food brand distributed through Pitco Foods distribution network to retailers and food service customers.
- Nestlé (Abuelita)coreNestlé beverage brand for Mexican hot chocolate distributed through Pitco Foods to Hispanic markets and food service.
- HeinzcoreKraft Heinz food products distributed through Pitco Foods distribution network.
- Tyson FoodscoreMajor protein and prepared foods brand distributed through Pitco Foods to retailers and food service operators.
- Land O'LakescoreDairy and food products brand distributed through Pitco Foods distribution network.
- Foster FarmscorePoultry and prepared foods brand distributed through Pitco Foods, serving West Coast markets.
- Jimmy DeancoreBreakfast and protein products brand distributed through Pitco Foods to retailers and food service.
- Ball ParkcoreFrank and meat products brand distributed through Pitco Foods distribution network.
- Johnsonvillecoresausage and meat products brand distributed through Pitco Foods.
- S&D CoffeecoreCoffee and beverage service provider distributed through Pitco Foods to food service operators.
- International DelightcoreCoffee creamer and flavored beverage brand distributed through Pitco Foods.
- El MontereycoreMexican frozen food brand distributed through Pitco Foods to Hispanic markets and food service.
- Don MiguelcoreMexican food products brand distributed through Pitco Foods to serve Hispanic communities.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
PITCO Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Associated Food Stores: Cooperative wholesale grocery distributor serving independent retailers across the Intermountain West. Comparable independent grocery wholesale model but serves a different (non-California) regional geography.
Direct peers
- McLane Company: Major wholesale distributor serving convenience stores, gas stations, and restaurants across the U.S. Highly comparable to PITCO's SMB customer mix, broad product categories, and Cash & Carry / delivery hybrid distribution model.
- KeHE Distribution: Specialty and natural product wholesale distributor serving independent retailers, grocery chains, and food service. Comparable in serving independent SMB retail customers with broad multi-category assortment and route-based delivery.
- Core-Mark International: One of the largest wholesale distributors to convenience stores in North America. Directly comparable to PITCO's convenience store / gas station customer base, broad product mix including tobacco and grocery, and route-based delivery model.
- SpartanNash: Food distributor and grocery retailer operating wholesale distribution to independent retailers and military commissaries, plus company-owned retail banners. Comparable hybrid wholesale / retail model serving independent grocery customers.
- C&S Wholesale Grocers: Largest wholesale grocery distributor in the U.S., supplying independent supermarkets, retail chains, and food service operators. Comparable broad-line grocery wholesale model serving independent retailers with multi-category SKUs.
Broad incumbents
- Sysco: Largest broadline food service distributor in North America. Operates in adjacent wholesale food distribution to restaurants and food service operators—comparable customers (restaurants, food trucks) but at substantially greater scale and broader food service focus.
- Reyes Holdings (Martin Brower): Privately held food and beverage distribution holding company including Martin Brower (QSR distribution), Reyes Beverage Group, and Coca-Cola Bottling. Comparable in scale and private ownership, but with broader food service / QSR focus.
- US Foods: Major broadline food service distributor serving restaurants and food service operators nationwide. Comparable foodservice distribution business to PITCO's restaurant segment, but at much larger scale and as a public company.
Others
- Topco Associates: Grocery cooperative providing private label brands, procurement, and supply chain services to member retailers. Comparable through private label brand development (like PITCO's Life Goods) and support for independent grocery operators.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PITCO Foods social profiles
Digital presencePITCO Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PITCO Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PITCO Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PITCO Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PITCO Foods
What does PITCO Foods do?
PITCO Foods is a membership-based wholesale cash & carry and distribution company that sells groceries, candy, snacks, beverages, refrigerated, frozen, health & beauty, general merchandise, OTC, cigarettes, tobacco and accessories, household cleaning products, and institutional supply to verified business members. It operates four warehouse locations in California and offers both walk-in Cash & Carry shopping and next-business-day delivery via temperature-controlled fleet to independent retailers, convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, bakeries, liquor stores, and food service operators.
Is PITCO Foods a public or private company?
PITCO Foods is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was PITCO Foods founded?
PITCO Foods was founded in 1982. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is PITCO Foods based?
PITCO Foods is headquartered in Brisbane, United States, in the North America region.
How does PITCO Foods make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Product Sales.
Who are PITCO Foods's main competitors?
Associated Food Stores is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are McLane Company, KeHE Distribution, Core-Mark International, SpartanNash and C&S Wholesale Grocers. Broad incumbents are Sysco, Reyes Holdings (Martin Brower) and US Foods. Topco Associates is listed as an others.
Does PITCO Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for PITCO Foods.
What industry is PITCO Foods in?
PITCO Foods's product category is Wholesale Food Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHACAB, Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Grocers (Business/Trade Customers), with a secondary code of AFAIAHAC, Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale. Its SIC code is 5141.