The Food Institute

What The Food Institute does

The Food Institute (legal entity: Food Institute LLC) is a privately held, for-profit B2B media and information services company serving the U.S. food and beverage industry. Founded in 1928 by Seattle food broker Gordon C. Corbaley, the firm has operated continuously for nearly a century, relocating multiple times in the New York/New Jersey corridor and currently headquartered in Pine Brook, NJ. Its core offering is a content platform that delivers daily email news, a weekly flagship publication (the Food Institute Report), short-form and long-form podcasts, video series, webinars, and premium research reports covering agriculture, commodities, manufacturing, retail, foodservice, finance, and emerging trends. The company maintains a curated Data Insights section aggregating CPI, PPI, CES, and grocery/retail metrics.

The underlying technology stack is conventional digital publishing infrastructure — a WordPress-based website, Constant Contact for email distribution, SoundCloud for podcast hosting, BigMarker for webinars, and Google Analytics/Clicky for traffic analytics — with no proprietary platform or AI components disclosed. The business model is multi-stream: tiered subscription memberships (Essential, Pro, Enterprise) at undisclosed pricing, individual research reports sold at $99 each, advertising and webinar sponsorships, and podcast content partnerships. Its distribution reaches over 100,000 food-industry decision makers via email, supplemented by an active presence across TikTok, X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Customer segments are organized horizontally across food industry executives, CPG and food manufacturing leaders, foodservice and retail operators, and food-focused investors. Leadership is a small named team led by CEO and Managing Partner Brian Choi (CFA), with Chris Campbell as VP of Content & Relationships and Richard Bei as COO and Head of Data Science.

Name

The Food Institute

Legal name

Food Institute LLC

Website

https://foodinstitute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Food Institute is a privately held B2B food and beverage media firm founded in 1928, delivering daily news, a weekly report, podcasts, webinars, and premium research to over 100,000 industry decision makers via tiered memberships and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pine Brook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The Food Institute operates on a membership-based subscription model with tiers (Essential, Pro, Enterprise) providing access to reports, daily updates, web research library, and analyst support. Membership provides exclusive access to premium content and industry intelligence.
2. Publication Sales: Sale of individual industry reports and studies such as the 2026 Flavor Trends report ($99), The Restaurant of the Future Report, and other specialized research publications.
3. Advertising: The Food Institute offers advertising options including banner ads, podcast and webinar sponsorships, and sponsored articles. Contact information references Paola Garcia for advertising opportunities.
4. Webinar Sponsorships: Hosting sponsored webinars on food industry topics featuring expert speakers from organizations like Korn Ferry, Placer.ai, Circana, and others.
5. Podcast Content Partnerships: Co-production of podcasts like 'Grocery Nerds' with Heritage Radio Network, expanding reach and creating content partnership opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Food Institute is a food and beverage media firm that publishes daily and weekly news, analysis, and trend reports for food-industry professionals. Its commercial core consists of tiered membership subscriptions (Essential, Pro, Enterprise) that unlock the weekly Food Institute Report, daily Today in Food emails, a research library, and direct analyst support, supplemented by individual premium research reports sold à la carte and sponsored podcast, webinar, and newsletter advertising.

Product overview

The Food Institute is a food industry media company offering a platform of news, analysis, and research products. The core offerings include the weekly Food Institute Report publication, the daily Today in Food email newsletter reaching over 100,000 industry professionals, and the FI Fast Break podcast series providing brief audio news updates. The company also produces the Food for Thought Leadership video interview series, hosts webinars and seminars on industry topics, and publishes premium research reports including the 2026 Flavor Trends, The Restaurant of The Future Report, and CBD in Food and Beverage reports. Premium membership tiers (Essential, Pro, Enterprise) provide enhanced access to specialized content and reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Institute Report Weekly flagship publication delivering food industry news, analysis, and trends to industry professionals, distributed as part of the Food Institute's member content offerings.
• Today in Food Daily email newsletter delivering the latest food industry news to more than 100,000 key industry decision makers each day.
• FI Fast Break Short-form audio news podcast providing weekly food industry developments in approximately two-minute episodes.
• Food for Thought Leadership Interview-based video series featuring industry experts discussing trends, strategies, and insights for the food and beverage sector.
• FI Live and FI Newscast Video news content covering current events and developments in the food industry across the FI Live and FI Newscast formats.
• Food Industry Webinars Interactive online events featuring industry experts discussing topical issues, trends, and best practices in food and beverage.
• 2026 Flavor Trends Report Premium research report analyzing emerging and mature flavor trends in the food and beverage industry, including next-generation fusion cuisine and health preferences. Available à la carte at approximately $99 and included in FI Essential, Pro, and Enterprise member subscriptions.
• The Restaurant of the Future Report Research report examining future trends and innovations shaping the restaurant industry, sold as part of The Food Institute's premium research catalog.
• Best Practices for Hiring in the Food Industry Report Industry report covering hiring strategies and best practices for food and beverage companies, available through The Food Institute's research publications shop.
• CBD in Food and Beverage Report Research report analyzing the regulatory landscape and market opportunities for CBD in food and beverage products.
• Grocery Nerds Podcast Weekly podcast co-produced with Heritage Radio Network and hosted by Errol Schweizer, providing industry analysis on grocery operations, front-line workers, emerging brands, and independent operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Daily updates delivered to over 100,000 key decision makers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Heritage Radio NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 June 2026Heritage Radio Network and The Food Institute launched the 'Grocery Nerds' podcast, hosted by Errol Schweizer (former VP of Grocery at Whole Foods Market). The podcast is an evolution of Schweizer's previous show 'The Checkout,' which produced over 100 episodes. The partnership expands The Food Institute's audio content reach and provides industry analysis on grocery operations, front-line workers, emerging brands, and independent operators.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Food Navigator: Food Navigator is a leading online B2B news and analysis platform covering the global food industry, including ingredients, processing, and F&B trends. It is directly comparable to The Food Institute in audience (food industry decision makers), content format (daily news, analysis, and trends), and monetization model (advertising and sponsored content).
• Nation's Restaurant News: Nation's Restaurant News is a long-established B2B media brand covering the U.S. restaurant industry with news, data, and trends. It overlaps with The Food Institute's foodservice content and shares the membership/subscription plus advertising monetization model targeting food industry executives.
• Supermarket News: Supermarket News is a B2B trade publication covering food retail, grocery operations, and consumer packaged goods. Comparable to The Food Institute's food retail and grocery/retail data insights offerings, targeting similar executive audiences with subscription and advertising revenue streams.
• Food Engineering Magazine: Food Engineering Magazine covers food and beverage manufacturing with news, trends, and technical content targeting industry professionals. Comparable to The Food Institute's food manufacturing and supply chain coverage, serving a similar B2B audience with advertising and content sponsorship models.
• Winsight: Winsight is a B2B media and information company serving the foodservice and convenience retail industries with news, data, events, and research. It directly competes with The Food Institute across foodservice content and share of voice among food industry decision makers.
• Restaurant Business Magazine: Restaurant Business is a B2B media brand serving the U.S. restaurant industry with operational intelligence, news, and trends. Overlaps with The Food Institute's foodservice and consumer trend coverage, including topics like inflation, menu innovation, and consumer behavior.
• Sosland Publishing: Sosland Publishing produces several food industry trade publications including Milling & Baking News, Meat + Poultry, and Food Business News. Comparable long-tenured B2B trade media business serving food industry executives with subscription and advertising revenue models similar to The Food Institute.
• Food Processing: Food Processing is a B2B trade media brand covering food and beverage manufacturing operations, technology, and ingredients. Comparable to The Food Institute's manufacturing and supply chain coverage, targeting similar food industry professionals with news, analysis, and advertising-supported content.
• Blue Book Services: Blue Book Services provides credit ratings, business intelligence, and procurement data for the food industry supply chain. Comparable to The Food Institute's data insights offerings (CPI, PPI, CES, grocery/retail metrics) and serves overlapping food industry executive audiences with subscription-based intelligence.

Broad incumbents

• IFT (Institute of Food Technologists): IFT is a large global non-profit scientific organization serving food science and technology professionals with publications, research, and events. While larger and more science-focused than The Food Institute, it serves overlapping food industry audiences and competes for the same members and advertisers in food industry intelligence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/foodinstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheFoodInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/foodinstitutenj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-food-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodinstitute
• TikToktiktok.com/@foodinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 The Food Institute