Sendik's Food Market

What Sendik's Food Market does

Sendik's Food Market is a privately held, third-generation family-owned independent grocery chain headquartered at 7225 W Marcia Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, tracing its roots to 1926 when the Balistreri family began peddling produce in Milwaukee after immigrating from Sicily. The company operates 18 full-service grocery stores and 3 Fresh2GO convenience locations across southeastern Wisconsin, serving household grocery shoppers in the Milwaukee metro (Bayside, Brookfield, Elm Grove, Franklin, Germantown, Grafton, Greendale, Greenfield, Hartland, Marquette, Mequon, New Berlin, Oconomowoc, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, West Bend, Whitefish Bay) with full-department assortment spanning fresh produce, full-service meat, deli, in-house bakery, wine and spirits, grocery, and home goods.

The technology stack is a directly operated omnichannel retail platform: a proprietary e-commerce site (sendiks.com) supporting Sendik's Express online ordering with in-house Personal Shopper fulfillment ($5.95 per curbside pickup order, $15.95 per home delivery order, same in-store and online pricing), a mobile app for iOS and Android (released 2011) with weekly deals, shopping lists, and pantry scanning, a separate pre-order platform (order.sendiks.com) for holiday meals and catering, the Red Bag Rewards loyalty program (1 point per $1, free enrollment, 250-point redemption), and Booknetic-powered Community Grill event booking. Specialty extensions include Sendik's Catering & Special Events (sendikscatering.com), Sendik's Home & Floral (sendikshome.com, including a "Flowers for a Year" subscription), and gift cards distributed online and in-store.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through in-store and online grocery merchandise sales at retail prices, supplemented by transaction-based service fees on Sendik's Express pickup and delivery, sales at Fresh2GO convenience locations (including everyday-low-price Colectivo coffee), Sendik's Pre-Ordering for holiday meals and custom catering, Sendik's Catering, Sendik's Home & Floral, and gift cards. The Red Bag Rewards loyalty program is a retention/CRM lever rather than a direct revenue stream. Pricing is item-by-item retail with no subscription grocery model; the average order economics on Express are explicit ($5.95 pickup, $15.95 delivery). The company's go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer, anchored by 250+ Wisconsin vendor partnerships in the "Real Local" program, rotating quarterly charity partnerships, the Community Grill fundraising program at 11+ stores, and PR-driven awards communications (13 consecutive Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Top Work Place, 2015 Progressive Grocer Outstanding Independent in Produce, multiple Milwaukee Magazine Readers' Choice wins).

Name

Sendik's Food Market

Legal name

Sendik's Food Market

Website

https://sendiks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Sendik's Food Market is a third-generation, family-owned independent grocery chain operating 18 full-service stores and 3 Fresh2GO convenience locations across southeastern Wisconsin, serving Milwaukee-area household shoppers with full-department groceries, in-house deli and bakery, online ordering, and a 250-vendor "Real Local" Wisconsin sourcing program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grocery Retail

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Special Food Services (7223), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Chef/Restaurant Meal Boxes & Marketplace Prepared Meals (CRAHAJAI), Prepared Foods & Catering-Focused Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAM), Drop-Off Catering & Boxed Meals (HSACAGAB)

Keywords

• Grocery retail stores
• Fresh food market
• Online grocery delivery
• Specialty catering services
• Convenience store format

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-Store Grocery & Fresh Merchandise Sales: Core revenue stream from sales of produce, meat, deli, dairy, bakery, grocery, wine & spirits, and home goods across 18+ full-service Sendik's grocery stores. Includes private label and 'Real Local' Wisconsin vendor assortment.
2. Sendik's Express Online Shopping (Curbside Pickup & Delivery): Service-fee revenue: $5.95 per pickup order and $15.95 per delivery order ($10 delivery fee + $5.95 personal shopper service). Same in-store pricing; revenue is a service/handling fee layered on top of merchandise sales.
3. Fresh2GO Convenience Store Sales: Convenience-store revenue from three Fresh2GO by Sendik's locations (Bayside, Marquette, Greendale) selling fresh produce, meats, made-from-scratch deli, sushi, coffee (Colectivo), beer, wine, prepared meals, and fuel. Convenience-focused price points with everyday-low pricing on coffee/pastries.
4. Sendik's Pre-Ordering (Holiday Meals, Catering, Custom Cakes, Box Lunches): Event-based revenue from pre-ordered holiday meals, custom catering, box lunches (10 box minimum), and custom cakes. Includes Chef-prepared Family Meals (15+ varieties, serves family of four) sold fully cooked with reheating instructions.
5. Chef-Prepared Family Meals & Daily Deli Hot Bar: Recurring revenue from chef-prepared Family Meals and rotating Daily Deli hot bar (different cuisine each day, e.g., Monday Continental, Tuesday Hispanic, Wednesday Italian, Thursday Asian, Friday Fish, Saturday/Sunday Comfort) sold by the pound at transparent price points.
6. Sendik's Gift Cards: Sale of physical/digital gift cards usable in-store and online; gift cards are explicitly excluded from Red Bag Rewards points earning.
7. Sendik's Catering & Special Events: Specialty catering revenue (sendikscatering.com) for delivery, set-up, and full-service catering events.
8. Sendik's Home & Floral: Revenue from white-glove hand-delivery of floral arrangements, gifts, custom gift baskets, wedding floral services, and 'Flowers for a Year' subscriptions across southeastern Wisconsin (sendikshome.com).
9. Red Bag Rewards Loyalty Program (Membership-driven Retention): Loyalty program used as a retention/CRM lever, not a direct revenue stream: members earn 1 point per $1 spent and redeem at 250 points; points expire after six months of inactivity. The program drives repeat visits and digital engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sendik's Food Market is a family-owned independent grocery retailer operating 18 full-service stores and 3 Fresh2GO convenience locations across southeastern Wisconsin. The company sells fresh produce, full-service meat, deli, in-house bakery, wine & spirits, grocery, and home goods, complemented by Sendik's Express curbside pickup and home delivery, in-house catering, home and floral delivery, and pre-ordered holiday/event meals. It also runs the Red Bag Rewards loyalty program and the Community Grill fundraising program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sendik's Express: Online grocery shopping service offering curbside pickup ($5.95) and home delivery ($15.95), with dedicated personal shoppers at every store.
• Fresh2GO by Sendik's
• Sendik's Home
• Sendik's Catering & Events
• Red Bag Rewards
• Sendik's Fan Club / Wine & Spirits Club

Products and services

• In-Store Grocery & Fresh Merchandise Core retail offering across 18 full-service Sendik's stores: fresh produce, full-service meat counter, deli, in-house bakery, dairy, wine & spirits, grocery, and home goods, including a 'Real Local' assortment of 250+ Wisconsin vendors.
• Sendik's Express Pick Up (Curbside) Online grocery ordering with in-store Personal Shoppers fulfilling orders for curbside pickup at $5.95 per order; same in-store and online pricing; available 8 AM-7 PM daily with dedicated parking spots.
• Sendik's Express Delivered (Home Delivery) Home delivery of online grocery orders for a $15.95 total fee ($10 delivery + $5.95 personal shopper service); same in-store and online pricing; two delivery windows at most stores; alcohol cannot be delivered.
• Fresh2GO by Sendik's Convenience Stores Convenience-store format with grocery-store selection operating three locations in Bayside, Marquette (Milwaukee), and Greendale; offers fresh produce, meats, made-from-scratch deli, fresh sushi, beer and wine, and Colectivo coffee.
• Sendik's Pre-Ordering (Holiday Meals, Custom Cakes, Box Lunches) Pre-order platform at order.sendiks.com for fully-cooked holiday/celebration meals, custom cakes, and box lunches (10 box minimum), with configurable meal options and scheduled pickup windows.
• Sendik's Catering & Special Events Specialty catering service through sendikscatering.com providing delivery, set-up, and full-service catering for events across southeastern Wisconsin.
• Sendik's Home & Floral Floral and home goods division at sendikshome.com offering white-glove hand-delivery of floral arrangements, custom gift baskets, wedding floral services, and a 'Flowers for a Year' subscription across southeastern Wisconsin.
• Chef-Prepared Family Meals 15+ fully-cooked chef-prepared meal varieties sized to serve a family of four, sold refrigerated with reheating instructions; availability differs per store.
• Daily Deli Hot Bar Rotating themed daily deli hot bar (e.g., Monday Continental, Tuesday Hispanic, Wednesday Italian, Thursday Asian, Friday Fish, Saturday/Sunday Comfort) sold by the pound with published per-pound prices.
• Sendik's Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards available for purchase online (shipped) and in-store; usable in-store and online, non-refundable once activated, and excluded from Red Bag Rewards points earning.
• Red Bag Rewards Loyalty Program Free-to-join loyalty program where members earn 1 point per $1 spent in-store and online (excluding fuel, tobacco, lottery, stamps, bottle deposits, fundraising, gift cards), receive 100 bonus points for enrolling, and redeem rewards starting at 250 points; phone-number-based identification with optional physical card.
• Sendik's Mobile App Native iOS and Android app (App Store id405751737; Google Play com.sendiks.android.google.consumer) offering weekly deals lookup, online ordering, custom shopping lists, pantry scanning, and digital account access.
• Community Grill Program Fundraising program for nonprofits and schools to reserve grill dates at participating Sendik's stores; food is purchased through Sendik's, pre-cooked and ready, and the organization receives 100% of sales proceeds.

Quantifiable outcome

• $100,000 raised for Stars & Stripes Honor Flight (May-July 2023)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship spring flex charity partner 2024, flagship rotating quarterly charity partner (november-january), flagship rotating quarterly charity partner (august-october), flagship rotating quarterly charity partner (may-july), flagship local-vendor spotlight partner, flagship local-vendor spotlight partner + fresh2go supplier, core supplier for fresh2go coffee program, core community + sustainability partner, supporting community fundraising partner, flagship specialty division (catering), flagship specialty division (home & floral), flagship specialty division (event pre-orders), long-term charity partner (since 2005), flagship governance relationship, standard regulatory linkage and supporting technology vendor.

• American Heart Associationflagship spring flex charity partner 2024GTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Sendik's 2024 American Heart Association 'Life is Why' Spring Flex Charity campaign raised $50,000. Funding supports the 'Libraries with Heart' self-monitoring blood pressure program, expanded to all 13 Milwaukee Public Library branches, 5 senior centers, and church locations.
• MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer)flagship rotating quarterly charity partner (november-january)GTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2023Sendik's rotating quarterly in-store charity partner (November-January). The MACC Fund has contributed $45 million to childhood cancer and related blood disorder research since 1976. Sendik's raised $127,271 between November 2023 and January 2024. In its first six years supporting the MACC Fund, Sendik's customers raised more than $600,000.
• Feeding America Eastern Wisconsinflagship rotating quarterly charity partner (august-october)GTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2023Sendik's rotating quarterly in-store charity partner (August-October). Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is a food bank distributing more than 20 million pounds of food a year to 1,000 pantries, meal programs, and other nonprofits serving 330,000 people in eastern Wisconsin. In 2023, Sendik's raised over $70,000 and 120,000 lbs of food for the organization.
• Stars & Stripes Honor Flightflagship rotating quarterly charity partner (may-july)GTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2023Sendik's rotating quarterly in-store charity partner (May-July). Stars & Stripes Honor Flight celebrates veterans with flights to Washington, D.C. and tours of war memorials. Sendik's raised $100,000 for the organization between May-July 2023.
• Good City Brewingflagship local-vendor spotlight partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured as a Real Local vendor spotlight on sendiks.com. Good City Brewing is a Milwaukee craft brewery with three taproom locations in Greater Milwaukee; its beers (with names like 'Home' and Milwaukee-landmark can artwork) are sold at Sendik's. Co-marketing relationship with public spotlight page.
• Lakefront Breweryflagship local-vendor spotlight partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Real Local vendor spotlight. Milwaukee craft brewery founded in 1987 by brothers Russ & Jim Klish, located along the Milwaukee River. Sendik's raises a glass of Lakefront (e.g., Riverwest Stein, My Turn Series) at its stores.
• Sprecher Brewingflagship local-vendor spotlight partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Real Local vendor spotlight. Milwaukee's original craft brewery (since 1985), using a unique fire-brewing process. Sendik's stocks Sprecher craft sodas and beers, including the new Dr. Sprecher Soda made with real Wisconsin honey.
• Stone Creek Coffeeflagship local-vendor spotlight partner + fresh2go supplierGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Real Local vendor spotlight. Milwaukee-based coffee roaster since 1993, with 10 cafes around greater Milwaukee. Stone Creek is also the coffee served at Fresh2GO by Sendik's (Collectivo/Sendik's coffee program). Sold at Sendik's for at-home brewing.
• Milwaukee Pretzel Companyflagship local-vendor spotlight partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Real Local vendor spotlight. Authentic Bavarian soft pretzels hand-rolled and freshly baked in Milwaukee. Sold at Sendik's in the frozen section for at-home 'bretzel' enjoyment.
• Peter Sciortino's Bakeryflagship local-vendor spotlight partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Real Local vendor spotlight. A Brady Street (Milwaukee) fixture since 1947, now owned by Maria, Joe & Luigi Vella. Provides daily fresh-baked deliveries of Sciortino's breads, pastries, and cookies to Sendik's.
• Red Light Ramenflagship local-vendor spotlight partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Real Local vendor spotlight. Milwaukee-based ramen brand. Sold at Sendik's as a local favorite.
• Henning's Wisconsin Cheeseflagship local-vendor spotlight partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Real Local vendor spotlight. Fourth-generation, family-owned Kiel, Wisconsin cheese factory making cheese for over 100 years. Sources from small local family dairy farmers; uses natural and Kosher ingredients. Sells specialty, block Cheddar, and 12,000-pound mammoth wheels.
• Colectivo Coffeecore supplier for fresh2go coffee programStrategic or Co-development PartnerColectivo Coffee is featured as a Real Local vendor and is the coffee served at Fresh2GO by Sendik's locations. The Daily Deli and Fresh2GO 'start your morning' messaging is built around an everyday-low-price Colectivo coffee and freshly baked muffin pairing. Real Local vendor list confirms Colectivo (Milwaukee) relationship.
• Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (Grind2Energy / food waste program)core community + sustainability partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSendik's operates a Grind2Energy food-waste-to-energy system (installed and recognized with the 2015 Distinguished Commitment to Organics Diversion Award from WasteCap Resource Solutions) and has a dedicated internal team reducing food waste in partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
• SCRIP Network (Shop with SCRIP)supporting community fundraising partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerSendik's works with the nation-wide SCRIP network for qualifying non-profit organizations as part of its corporate giving program and donation-request pipeline.
• Sendik's Catering & Special Events (sendikscatering.com)flagship specialty division (catering)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialty catering division operated as a Sendik's brand extension offering delivery, set-up, and full-service catering. Linkable from the Contact Us page under 'Specialty Departments' / 'Catering & Special Events'.
• Sendik's Home & Floral (sendikshome.com)flagship specialty division (home & floral)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialty division of Sendik's offering white-glove hand-delivery of floral arrangements, gifts, custom gift baskets, wedding floral services, and 'Flowers for a Year' subscriptions across southeastern Wisconsin. Linkable from Contact Us 'Specialty Departments'.
• Sendik's Pre-Ordering (order.sendiks.com)flagship specialty division (event pre-orders)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialty pre-order platform of Sendik's powering holiday/event meal pre-orders, custom cakes, and box lunches. Operates as a Sendik's brand extension with dedicated URL and integration to sendiks.com main site.
• After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD)long-term charity partner (since 2005)GTM or Marketing PartnerABCD has been a recurring Sendik's charity partner since 2005; Sendik's has contributed more than $500,000 in support, engaged tens of thousands of customers in learning about its mission, and featured ABCD annually as a charity partner. Recognized in 2017 with the Power of One-to-One Award.
• Balistreri Family (founding family owners)flagship governance relationshipOthersThird-generation family ownership: Ted, Patrick, Nick Balistreri (sons of Ted Sr.) and Margaret Harris (sister) currently own and operate the company. Ted's sons purchased Tom Jr.'s interest in the Whitefish Bay store in 2001 and have continued to expand. The Balistreri family immigrated from Sant'Elia, Sicily and began peddling produce in 1926.
• FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)standard regulatory linkageOthersSendik's posts product recalls (90 days) and links to the FDA's Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts page as the authoritative source for the most current and complete list of product recalls (e.g., Milkadamia, Hostess, Dannon, Zicam, Coca-Cola, etc.).
• Phenom People (career-site platform)supporting technology vendorTechnology or IntegrationSendik's jobs site (jobs.sendiks.com) is powered by Phenom People (CDN resources at cdn.phenompeople.com/CareerConnectResources/SFMSFMUS). Provides the career-site, talent community enrollment, and job-search functionality.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Kroger: Kroger is the largest pure-play U.S. supermarket operator with broad fresh, private label, loyalty (Boost), and digital grocery capabilities; comparable to Sendik's as a competing grocery format in the Milwaukee market, though vastly larger in scale, technology, and supply-chain leverage.
• Whole Foods Market: Whole Foods Market (owned by Amazon) is a national premium natural and organic grocer with strong prepared foods, local sourcing, and digital integration; comparable to Sendik's as a premium fresh/local-positioned grocer competing for similar household spend, though operating at much greater national scale.
• H-E-B: H-E-B is a large family-owned Texas grocery chain with deep community engagement, an in-house brand portfolio, fresh/prepared dominance, and a loyalty program; broadly comparable to Sendik's as a family-led regional grocer with strong local-brand, community, and fresh-food positioning, though at much larger scale.
• Meijer: Meijer is a large family-owned Midwestern supercenter chain with grocery, fresh, and general merchandise; comparable to Sendik's as a family-owned Midwest retailer with a strong regional footprint and emphasis on local sourcing, though Meijer operates at significantly greater scale and breadth.
• Publix: Publix is a large employee-owned regional supermarket chain in the Southeast known for fresh, prepared foods, strong customer service, and a top-tier employer brand; broadly comparable to Sendik's as a regional multi-format grocer with a strong workplace-culture reputation and fresh-premium positioning.

Direct peers

• Wegmans: Wegmans is a family-owned East Coast regional grocery chain renowned for prepared foods, in-store experiences, employee culture, and digital ordering; directly comparable to Sendik's as a family-owned, employee-favored grocer with strong prepared-foods and private-label differentiation.
• Festival Foods: Festival Foods is a Wisconsin-based family-owned regional grocery chain with stores concentrated in eastern and central Wisconsin; directly comparable to Sendik's as a Midwestern family-run independent grocer emphasizing fresh, local sourcing, and community engagement.
• Hy-Vee: Hy-Vee is a large Midwestern employee-owned grocery chain operating full-service supermarkets with strong fresh, prepared foods, in-house bakery/meat counters, and a loyalty program; comparable to Sendik's in being a regional multi-store grocer with deep community involvement and a broad specialty/recipe content strategy.
• Schnucks: Schnucks is a family-owned regional supermarket chain headquartered in St. Louis with comparable store count and emphasis on fresh, prepared foods, online ordering with pickup, and community partnerships; directly comparable as a multi-format independent regional grocer.

Regional players

• Roundy's (now part of Kroger): Roundy's was a long-standing Wisconsin-based regional supermarket operator (Pick 'n Save, Metro Market, Mariano's) historically headquartered in Milwaukee and now a Kroger subsidiary; directly comparable to Sendik's as a Milwaukee-area multi-format regional grocer and one of its principal historical competitors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sendiks
• Facebookfacebook.com/sendiks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Sendik's Food Market