Berkot's Super Foods

What Berkot's Super Foods does

Berkot's Super Foods is a family-owned, full-service grocery store chain operating 16 retail locations across Illinois and Wisconsin since its founding in 1990 by John Kotara in Mokena, Illinois. The company grew from a single store into a regional chain primarily through acquisitions of locations divested by larger operators such as Fleming and SuperValu during the 1990s and 2000s. Berkot's positions itself on perishables — USDA-grade meats (including Prime, Choice, and Select via a premium pre-order program), farm-fresh produce, in-store bakery, deli, and prepared foods — supplemented by catering, custom cakes, and bulk produce services. Its customer base is primarily individual consumers and families in local Midwest trade areas, with secondary catering and event-planning use cases.

The underlying technology platform consists of an e-commerce website (berkotfoods.com) and native iOS and Android mobile applications (under the 'com.homesome.berkots' package), which together support online grocery ordering, home delivery, curbside pickup, digital coupon clipping, and a points-based loyalty program (250 points accrued over 3 months yields a $5 reward). A separate online vendor portal handles supplier onboarding, appointment scheduling, and product/promotional data management. Berkot's is a member of the Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) cooperative, a network of 3,500+ independent grocery retailers, which provides collective purchasing power and supply chain infrastructure.

The business model is straightforward retail: transactional revenue at the point of sale across physical stores and digital channels, with supplementary revenue from catering, premium pre-order meats, custom cakes, and gift cards. Distribution is omnichannel — physical retail in Illinois and Wisconsin, plus e-commerce home delivery and curbside pickup — and pricing is competitive retail with weekly promotional circulars and digital coupons distributed through the loyalty system. The company remains privately held and family-controlled, with no disclosed external funding, and operates with 101-250 total employees.

Name

Berkot's Super Foods

Legal name

Berkot's Super Foods

Website

https://berkotfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Berkot's Super Foods is a family-owned, full-service grocery chain operating 16 stores across Illinois and Wisconsin, serving local consumers and families with fresh meats, produce, bakery, catering, and an integrated online ordering, delivery, and curbside pickup platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Line Supermarkets (National/Regional Chains) (CRAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grocery & Specialty Food Marketplaces (CRAFABAE), Delis & Sandwich Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAF), Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Grocery retail
• Fresh produce
• Meat department
• Online grocery
• Catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Lenox

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling fresh groceries including USDA-grade meats, produce, bakery items, deli products, and everyday essentials through physical store locations and online channels. Revenue is generated through individual customer transactions at point of sale.
2. Catering Services: Catering revenue from providing prepared food for events, parties, and gatherings including fried chicken, pasta trays, salads, deli platters, and sides.
3. Premium Pre-Order Meats: Specialty meat products including USDA Prime, Choice, and Select grades available for pre-order pickup, commanding premium pricing for specialty cuts.
4. Custom Cakes and Bakery: Custom decorated cakes and bakery items ordered in advance for celebrations and special occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Berkot's Super Foods operates a chain of 16 full-service grocery stores across Illinois and Wisconsin, selling fresh USDA-grade meats, produce, bakery items, deli products, and everyday grocery essentials. The company complements in-store retail with an integrated e-commerce platform offering online ordering, home delivery, and curbside pickup, alongside in-house catering, custom cakes, premium pre-order meats, and a digital loyalty rewards program.

Product overview

Berkot's Super Foods is a family-owned, full-service grocery chain operating 16 stores across the Midwest (Illinois and Wisconsin) since 1990. The company operates a unified e-commerce platform integrated with in-store services, offering online grocery shopping with home delivery and curbside pickup as the core digital product. This core platform is complemented by loyalty and rewards, weekly ads, and recipe inspiration. Additional product modules include Premium Pre-Order Meats for specialty cuts, Catering services for events, Cakes & Bakery for celebrations, Bulk Produce ordering, a full Deli & Prepared Foods department, Gift Cards, and Store Finder functionality. The company positions itself on perishables—particularly USDA-grade meats and fresh produce—while maintaining competitive pricing through a vendor partnership program. The business is part of Associated Wholesale Grocers cooperative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Grocery Shopping E-commerce platform enabling customers to browse Berkot's full selection of fresh produce, premium meats, deli favorites, and everyday essentials, with home delivery or curbside pickup options for individual consumers and families.
• Home Delivery Delivery service bringing fresh groceries directly to customer doorsteps, providing convenience for busy families and professionals in the Midwest.
• Curbside Pickup Contactless service allowing customers to order online and retrieve groceries at the store without leaving their vehicle.
• Premium Pre-Order Meats High-grade and specialty meats available for pre-order, including USDA Prime, Choice, and Select beef, pork, and poultry for holiday feasts and BBQs, targeting consumers willing to pay premium prices for specialty cuts.
• Catering Services Full-service catering for parties, family gatherings, and office events featuring fried chicken, pasta trays, fresh salads, deli platters, and sides for event hosts and office administrators.
• Cakes & Bakery Custom decorated cakes for celebrations, freshly baked bread, pastries, cookies, and party trays for individual consumers and event hosts.
• Bulk Produce Bulk ordering service for produce items, particularly seasonal options like Michigan blueberries, for large families, organizations, and event planners needing volume quantities.
• Deli & Prepared Foods Premium deli meats and cheeses, signature deli trays, ready-made sandwiches, salads, and dips for individual shoppers seeking ready-to-eat meal solutions.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase, suitable for gifting occasions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 44 years of heritage serving communities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkot's Super Foods is part of Associated Wholesale Grocers, a cooperative that serves over 3,500 independent grocery retailers across the United States. This partnership provides Berkot's with competitive purchasing power, supply chain efficiency, and access to a network of independent grocers. The cooperative model enables independent stores like Berkot's to compete with larger chain retailers through shared resources and collective buying power.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Meijer: Grand Rapids, Michigan-based supercenter chain with 250+ stores concentrated in the Midwest. A key competitor in Berkot's Illinois/Wisconsin markets with format overlap and stronger scale economics.
• Trader Joe's: National specialty grocer with concentrated Midwest store density. Competes for the same fresh, specialty, and prepared-foods customer occasions that anchor Berkot's perishables differentiation.
• Hy-Vee: Large employee-owned Midwest supermarket chain with 280+ stores across eight states. Significantly larger incumbent operating in adjacent Midwest geographies, offering a broader assortment and stronger digital/e-commerce capabilities.
• Mariano's (Kroger): Chicago-area premium supermarket banner owned by Kroger, operating ~40 stores in Illinois. Direct Midwest competitor to Berkot's with stronger scale, digital investment, and a fresh/perishables positioning.
• Schnucks: St. Louis-based regional supermarket chain with ~100+ stores across the Midwest. Larger incumbent in the same regional independent-supermarket space, competing head-to-head with Berkot's and adjacent markets.

Direct peers

• Dierbergs Markets: Family-owned St. Louis-area regional grocery chain known for premium perishables, in-store experiences, and community involvement. Comparable to Berkot's as a multi-store regional independent focused on fresh, service, and locality.
• Strack & Van Til: Family-owned Midwest regional grocery chain operating supermarkets across Indiana and Illinois. Highly comparable to Berkot's in footprint, scale, and AWG cooperative alignment (Strack & Van Til is also referenced on Berkot's blog as a community peer), serving the same upper-Midwest independent grocery segment.
• Woodman's Markets: Wisconsin-based regional independent grocery chain known for its broad assortment, low-price positioning, and warehouse-style stores. Directly comparable to Berkot's given overlapping Wisconsin geography and similar independent-retailer competitive positioning.
• Piggly Wiggly Midwest: Franchised grocery brand operating independent stores across the Midwest, including Wisconsin and Illinois. Operates with a similar small-format, locally-owned store model that overlaps Berkot's regional footprint and competitive dynamics.
• Festival Foods: Wisconsin-headquartered family-owned supermarket chain with ~40+ stores across the state. Comparable in scale, regional concentration in Wisconsin, family ownership model, and emphasis on fresh/perishable departments like Berkot's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Berkots
• Facebookfacebook.com/Berkots
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkot's-super-foods
• Instagraminstagram.com/berkotssuperfoods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Berkot's Super Foods