Jetro

What Jetro does

Jetro Restaurant Depot, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Whitestone, Queens, NY, is the largest U.S. cash-and-carry foodservice wholesaler, operating 167 large-format warehouse stores across 35 U.S. states under the Restaurant Depot brand. The company stocks over 15,000 SKUs spanning fresh and frozen meats, seafood, produce, dairy, dry groceries, deli items, wine & spirits, and commercial kitchen equipment, alongside roughly 20+ private-label brands (Big C, Chef's Quality, Superior Angus Beef, Sabor Nuestro, James Farm, Keep It Kool Solutions, and others). It serves a member base of 725,000+ independent restaurant operators and small foodservice businesses — including restaurants, pizzerias, caterers, bars, delis, non-profits, and small grocers — through a free-membership, no-minimum-purchase model that delivers 30-40% savings versus traditional broadline distributors.

Revenue is generated through transactional wholesale product sales by piece, case, or 5+ case quantities, supplemented by online Click & Collect ordering and third-party delivery (with Instacart providing a non-member marketplace channel). Technology stack is operationally lightweight: an online member portal (member.restaurantdepot.com) handles ordering, purchase history, and shopping lists; Clover Point-of-Sale is offered as a merchant-services add-on; and UKG Rapid Hire powers high-volume frontline recruitment at 140-160 hires per week. Headcount stands at 10,000-10,500 employees. The company is privately held by South African billionaire Nathan "Natie" Kirsh.

In 2025, Jetro generated approximately $16B in revenue and $2.1B in EBITDA. On March 30, 2026, Sysco Corporation announced a definitive agreement to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot for approximately $29.1B ($21.6B cash plus 91.5M Sysco shares, valuing the company at ~1.8x revenue and 14.6x EBITDA), giving Jetro holders ~16% of a combined ~$100B-revenue entity. The deal is expected to close by Q3 fiscal 2027 pending regulatory review, with the Independent Restaurant Coalition actively opposing it before the FTC. Post-close, Jetro will operate as a standalone segment within Sysco with stated plans to open 125 additional stores over the next two decades and capture $250M in annualized cost synergies within three years.

Name

Jetro

Legal name

Jetro Holdings, LLC

Website

https://restaurantdepot.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Jetro Restaurant Depot operates the largest U.S. cash-and-carry foodservice wholesale business, running 167 warehouse stores across 35 states that serve 725,000+ independent restaurants and small foodservice operators with no-minimum-purchase access to 15,000+ wholesale items.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Foodservice Distribution

NAICS

Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers (45521)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cash-and-Carry / Foodservice Warehouse Clubs (Broadline) (AFAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Wholesale foodservice distribution
• Cash and carry warehouse
• Restaurant supply wholesale
• Commercial kitchen equipment
• Foodservice cash and carry

Headquarters

HQ city

College Point

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Cash-and-Carry Product Sales: Revenue is generated through the sale of foodservice products (meats, seafood, produce, dairy, dry groceries, equipment, and supplies) at wholesale prices in a self-service warehouse format. Customers pay per item, by the case, or in five-or-more case quantities. No minimum purchase required. The model eliminates the overhead of a traditional distributor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Jetro operates a membership-based wholesale cash-and-carry foodservice business under the Restaurant Depot brand, running 167 large-format warehouse stores across 35 U.S. states where independent restaurants, caterers, delis, bars, pizzerias, and non-profit organizations purchase over 15,000 items of food, equipment, and supplies at wholesale prices with no minimum purchase requirement. Revenue is generated through per-item, per-case, or five-plus case sales to free members, complemented by online ordering, Click & Collect, and third-party delivery channels.

Product overview

Jetro/Restaurant Depot operates as a wholesale cash-and-carry foodservice supplier with a core business model of offering members access to warehouse-style stores without minimum purchase requirements. The company provides a unified offering combining in-store shopping, online ordering (Click & Collect), and delivery services through third-party partnerships. Their product portfolio centers on the Restaurant Depot brand alongside approximately 20+ private label brands including Big C, Chef's Quality, Superior Angus Beef, Sabor Nuestro, James Farm, and Keep It Kool Solutions for cold chain management. The membership-based model serves over 725,000 independent restaurants across 167 warehouse locations in 35 U.S. states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big C: Private label brand featured in Restaurant Depot stores
• Chefs Quality
• Sabor Nuestro
• Superior Angus Beef
• James Farm
• Black Steer
• Qualite
• Skyline
• Red & White

Products and services

• Restaurant Depot Cash & Carry Warehouse Stores Membership-based wholesale cash-and-carry warehouse stores (167 locations across 35 U.S. states) where qualifying food business owners and operators self-shop over 15,000 SKUs of food, equipment, and supplies at wholesale prices with no minimum purchase; open 7 days a week; customers may buy by piece, by the case, or in five-or-more case quantities.
• Online Ordering (Click & Collect) Member-only online ordering service via member.restaurantdepot.com allowing members to place orders for pickup at their preferred warehouse location, with items picked by store staff for convenient collection; available at select locations with prices higher than in-store to reflect service fees.
• Delivery Service Third-party delivery service that picks online orders at the warehouse and delivers directly to member businesses; available in select locations with pricing that includes a delivery service fee higher than in-store pricing.
• Free Restaurant Depot Membership No-cost membership program for qualifying owners and operators of food businesses and registered non-profit organizations providing access to warehouse stores, member-only wholesale pricing, and member portal features including purchase history, product search, shopping lists, and order recommendations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-40% cost savings vs. traditional distributors, with some customers reporting $10,000 per month savings between two restaurant locations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sysco CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Sysco Corporation agreed to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot for approximately $29.1 billion in a cash-and-stock transaction ($21.6 billion in cash plus 91.5 million Sysco shares). The deal will create a combined entity with nearly $100 billion in revenue. Jetro will operate as a standalone segment within Sysco after closing, expected by Q3 fiscal 2027 pending regulatory approval. Deal gives Jetro shareholders approximately 16% stake in the combined company. Sysco expects $250 million in annual cost synergies within three years.
• Third-Party Delivery PartnerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant Depot partnered with a third-party delivery service to offer delivery of online orders directly to customers' businesses. The delivery service picks items in the online order and delivers to the customer. Restaurant Depot disclaims liability for the delivery service's performance and disputes are between the customer and the delivery service.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sysco Corporation: The largest U.S. broadline foodservice distributor, serving restaurants, healthcare, and hospitality with traditional minimum-order delivery. Sysco is the announced acquirer of Jetro for $29.1B; both compete for the same foodservice customer wallet but with different delivery models (route-based vs. cash-and-carry).
• US Foods: Second-largest U.S. broadline foodservice distributor, directly competing for independent restaurant customers with route-based distribution and own-brand programs like Stock Yards. Highly comparable in customer base and product breadth, though US Foods lacks Jetro's cash-and-carry format.
• Performance Food Group: Third major U.S. broadline foodservice distributor (with Vistar for vending/concessions), competing for the same independent and chain restaurant customers as Jetro via traditional route delivery. Comparable in scale and product mix, different in format.
• Gordon Food Service: Privately held broadline foodservice distributor operating in the U.S. and Canada with both route-based distribution and a growing cash-and-carry store format. Most structurally similar competitor to Restaurant Depot given its warehouse store expansion strategy.
• Metro AG: Germany-headquartered global cash-and-carry wholesale operator (METRO Cash & Carry, MAKRO) serving HoReCa (hotel/restaurant/catering) customers across Europe and Asia. Operates the most direct international analog of Jetro's cash-and-carry foodservice model.
• BJ's Wholesale Club: East Coast-focused membership warehouse club with cash-and-carry format and growing B2B/foodservice customer base. Comparable in membership-gated warehouse model and SMB foodservice customer segment, though smaller in foodservice specialization.
• Bunzl plc: UK-listed international distribution and outsourcing group supplying foodservice, grocery, retail, and safety products to businesses worldwide. Comparable in B2B foodservice distribution model and own-brand strategy, though Bunzl is a B2B-only distributor with no retail cash-and-carry.

Broad incumbents

• Costco Wholesale: Largest U.S. membership warehouse club, serving both consumer and B2B (foodservice/reseller) customers from large-format cash-and-carry warehouses. Overlaps with Restaurant Depot on format (warehouse + membership) and on B2B foodservice purchasing, though Costco's assortment is consumer-led.
• Sam's Club: Walmart-owned membership warehouse club with national footprint, serving both consumer and small business members. Overlaps with Restaurant Depot on cash-and-carry format and SMB purchasing, but Sam's assortment is broader and not foodservice-specialized.

Emerging players

• Webstaurant Store: Largest U.S. online-only foodservice supply retailer, shipping restaurant equipment, smallwares, and consumables directly to operators nationwide. Directly comparable in target customer (independent restaurants) and product categories, though digitally native rather than cash-and-carry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/restaurantdepot
• Instagraminstagram.com/restaurantdepot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Jetro