Local Foods

What Local Foods does

Local Foods is a private food company that operated a gourmet grab-and-go and prepared meal business under the brand Local Foods Kitchen, offering heat-and-eat meals for consumers. The company was founded in 2011 and was originally structured around connecting small local providers and farmers with shoppers, supporting farm-to-table distribution in Chicago. Following its acquisition by The Common Market, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wholesale food distributor, Local Foods' operations have been integrated into The Common Market's portfolio, with the grab-and-go and prepared meal segment now serving as a complement to The Common Market's broader institutional food distribution activities across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, and Great Lakes regions.

The company's core commercial activity centers on the Local Foods Kitchen product line, which delivers ready-to-heat, gourmet meals positioned for multiple consumer occasions. Prior to the acquisition, Local Foods appears to have operated a hybrid model — a consumer-facing prepared-meals brand combined with a B2B farm-to-table aggregation model linking small producers to buyers. The company was co-founded by David Rand, who served as CEO. A single disclosed funding round of approximately $2,450,000 was recorded in October 2013, with no subsequent funding rounds disclosed. With 11-50 employees and an undisclosed revenue base, Local Foods operated as a small, regionally focused food business prior to being absorbed into The Common Market's nonprofit distribution network.

The Common Market, as parent, serves institutional customers including schools, hospitals, colleges, universities, corporate cafeterias, restaurants, retailers, and elder care facilities across multiple U.S. regions. The acquisition positions Local Foods Kitchen as the consumer-facing prepared-meals arm within The Common Market's mission of connecting local farmers with food service operators. Given that Local Foods no longer operates independently and is governed by The Common Market's nonprofit charter, its standalone commercial identity has effectively been folded into the parent's regional food system strategy.

Name

Local Foods

Website

https://localfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Local Foods operated a gourmet grab-and-go meal business under the Local Foods Kitchen brand and originally connected small local providers with shoppers in Chicago. It has been acquired by The Common Market, a nonprofit wholesale food distributor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel

Core offering

Local Foods operates as a gourmet grab-and-go meal provider, offering heat-and-eat meal options suitable for various occasions. Its primary product line, Local Foods Kitchen, provides ready-to-heat meals directly to consumers. The company was subsequently acquired by The Common Market, a nonprofit wholesale food distributor, and its operations have been integrated into The Common Market's food distribution activities in the Great Lakes region.

Product overview

Local Foods operates as a gourmet grab-and-go meal business that was acquired by The Common Market (a nonprofit wholesale food distributor). The company's primary offering is Local Foods Kitchen, which provides heat-and-eat meal options. The acquisition by The Common Market, a regional food distributor serving the Great Lakes area including Chicago, indicates Local Foods has been integrated into The Common Market's operations to strengthen Chicago's local food ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Local Foods Kitchen A gourmet grab-and-go meal spot offering heat-and-eat options suitable for various occasions, providing ready-to-heat meals for consumers.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Common MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Common Market acquired the operations of Local Foods as part of strengthening Chicago's local food ecosystem. This acquisition represents The Common Market's expansion of its food distribution operations into the gourmet grab-and-go and prepared meal segment.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Farmer's Fridge: A direct peer in the gourmet grab-and-go prepared-meal category, also based in Chicago. Operates vending-style kiosks and retail points selling chef-driven, fresh, ready-to-eat meals — overlapping closely with Local Foods Kitchen's format and geography.
• Revolution Foods: A mission-driven prepared-meals provider serving schools, hospitals, and institutions with healthy, often locally sourced food. Closely comparable to Local Foods' post-acquisition positioning within The Common Market's institutional channels.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetgreen: A large, publicly traded prepared-meals and fast-casual operator with a strong farm-to-table and sustainability narrative. Comparable as a broader incumbent competing for the same health-conscious, locally sourced prepared-meal consumer.
• CAVA Group: A broad incumbent in the fast-casual/prepared-meals space, with strong Mediterranean positioning and scaling national retail (grab-and-go/CPG) distribution. Comparable as a larger peer addressing consumer demand for premium, ready-to-eat meals.
• Freshly: A large prepared-meal delivery brand (now part of Nestlé) offering heat-and-eat meals nationwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the ready-to-heat gourmet meal category Local Foods Kitchen occupied.
• Imperfect Foods: A larger direct-to-consumer food retailer with a sustainability and local-sourcing angle. Comparable as a broader incumbent addressing overlapping demand for locally and sustainably sourced prepared food.
• Sprouts Farmers Market: A specialty grocery retailer featuring natural, organic, and locally sourced prepared foods in its deli/ready-to-eat sections. Comparable as a retail channel that competes for share of stomach in the gourmet grab-and-go category.

Emerging players

• Epicured: An emerging prepared-meal company specializing in health- and dietary-restriction-friendly chef-curated meals for delivery. Comparable as a niche player in the premium prepared-meal space that Local Foods Kitchen addresses.
• Hungry Harvest: A mission-driven food company addressing food access and sustainability via rescued/produce-forward meal and grocery offerings. Comparable as a values-aligned, emerging player in the local/sustainable prepared-food space.

Regional players

• FreshDirect: A regional online grocer and prepared-meal provider operating primarily on the East Coast. Comparable as a prepared-meals retailer serving urban consumers seeking convenient, higher-quality meal options.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/localfoodscom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Local Foods