Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc.

What Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc. does

Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc. is a B2B wholesale importer and distributor of Japanese and Asian food products headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, California. Founded in 1912 as Nishimoto Trading Co., Ltd., the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Nishimoto Co., Ltd. and operates as the North American distribution arm of the broader Wismettac group. It distributes more than 6,000 SKUs sourced from Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand through 20 branch offices across the United States and four locations in Canada, serving Japanese and Asian restaurants, grocery stores, specialty food retailers, and foodservice operators. The company reports serving more than 1 in 2 Japanese food businesses in North America and runs the proprietary Shirakiku brand alongside a dedicated sake portfolio.

The company generates revenue exclusively through B2B wholesale transactions; it sells only to retailers and wholesalers and requires customers to complete a credit application to establish accounts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated on a per-customer basis. Its digital stack consists of an eCatalog B2B ordering platform, an "Online Order" (eConnect) capability described as coming soon, and an Online Payment System integrated with Billtrust for accounts receivable processing. Customer acquisition relies heavily on trade show participation (NACS Show, Summer Fancy Food Show NYC, Natural Products Expo West, AAHAR), regional Sake & Food Expo events, and a multilingual corporate website. The technology posture is that of a traditional distribution business with no proprietary technology, no public API, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Wismettac has pursued a measured expansion strategy, opening new branches in Orlando (2016) and Raleigh (2019) and entering Latin America via a December 2023 strategic partnership with Mexico-based Toyo. The company has continued relocating existing branches to larger facilities (Vancouver 2021, Boston 2023, Toronto 2023, Denver 2026) and in March 2026 exhibited at AAHAR in New Delhi as part of an apparent push into the Indian market. It faces one disclosed legal overhang: a California Labor Code class action filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging wage-and-hour violations.

Name

Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc.

Legal name

Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc.

Website

https://wismettacusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Wismettac Asian Foods is a B2B wholesale distributor of Japanese and Asian food products, operating 20 U.S. branches and four Canadian locations to serve restaurants, grocery retailers, and foodservice operators with 6,000+ sourced SKUs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Asian Food Distribution

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cross-Border / Import-Export Cash & Carry (Ethnic & International Trade) (CRAEAEAJ), Ethnic Produce & Specialty Vegetables Wholesale (AFAIAIAD)

Keywords

• Asian food distribution
• Japanese food wholesale
• B2B food importer
• Specialty food distribution
• Wholesale grocery supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices27 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Product Distribution: Revenue generated through the wholesale distribution of Asian food and beverage products to businesses including restaurants, grocery stores, specialty retailers, and foodservice operators. The company imports products from Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand, and distributes them through their North American branch network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wismettac Asian Foods is a B2B wholesale importer and distributor of authentic Japanese and Asian food products, supplying more than 6,000 SKUs to restaurants, grocery stores, specialty retailers, and foodservice operators across North America. The company sources directly from Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand, distributes through 20 U.S. branch offices and four Canadian branches, and operates under its proprietary Shirakiku brand and Wismettac Sake line. Customers access products through a B2B eCatalog, with online ordering and payment tools supporting the wholesale relationship.

Product overview

Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc. is a food importer, wholesaler, and distributor of Asian food products operating a platform-plus-services model. The core offering consists of over 6,000 authentic Japanese and Asian food products distributed through a network of 20 offices and branches across North America. Key product lines include the proprietary Shirakiku private brand, premium Japanese sake, and an extensive range of food categories including rice, noodles, seafood, frozen products, seasonings, and beverages. Digital services include an eCatalog B2B ordering platform, an upcoming Online Order (eConnect) system, and an Online Payment System integrated with Billtrust. The company also organizes regional Sake & Food Expo events to showcase products to B2B customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shirakiku: Private brand product line for Japanese and Asian food products including sauces, noodles, and specialty ingredients
• Wismettac Sake

Products and services

• Shirakiku Private Brand Proprietary Wismettac private brand offering Japanese and Asian food products including sake, sauces, noodles, condiments, and specialty ingredients distributed to B2B wholesale customers across North America.
• Wismettac Sake Premium Japanese sake and Japanese beverage product line curated for B2B foodservice and retail customers, distributed through Wismettac's branch network and showcased at Sake & Food Expo events.
• Asian Food Wholesale Distribution Core B2B wholesale distribution service covering more than 6,000 authentic Asian food SKUs (rice, noodles, seafood, seasonings, frozen foods, beverages, and foodservice supplies) imported from across Asia and delivered to restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice operators through Wismettac's U.S. and Canadian branch network.

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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ITO ENminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 March 2026Japanese beverage company showcased products at AAHAR 2026 in New Delhi, India. ITO EN is planning to establish its own Mumbai office in May to expand Indian operations and product portfolio.
• ASUKU IndiaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 March 2026Indian distribution partner for Japanese food products showcased at AAHAR 2026 International Food & Hospitality Fair.
• Satonoyuki FoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 March 2026Japanese food company showcasing products at AAHAR 2026 in New Delhi, India.
• OTOKIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 March 2026Japanese food company showcasing products at AAHAR 2026 in New Delhi, India.
• Toyo (Mexico)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2023Strategic partnership for Latin American market expansion. Toyo, founded in 1975, is a well-established company specializing in import and distribution of Asian food products in Mexico. They hold a leading market share in major Mexican cities. The collaboration combines Toyo's local market expertise with Wismettac's global procurement and supply chain capabilities to expand authentic Asian cuisine across Mexico.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• H Mart: Korean-American Asian grocery chain that has expanded into wholesale and supplier relationships for Asian restaurants; a downstream customer of Asian distributors like Wismettac and an emerging competitive force in Asian-focused food retail.

Broad incumbents

• KeHE Distributors: One of the largest specialty food and natural product distributors in North America, serving independent grocers and foodservice operators with overlapping ethnic/specialty categories; competes for the same grocery and foodservice customers as Wismettac but across a much broader category set.
• Performance Food Group: Major US foodservice distributor (Vistar and Performance Foodservice divisions) that supplies restaurants and specialty operators, including customers with Asian cuisine menus who could otherwise source from specialty distributors like Wismettac.
• United Natural Foods (UNFI): Major North American wholesale distributor of natural, organic, and specialty foods serving retailers including those carrying Asian assortments; broad-line competitor that increasingly competes in specialty and ethnic categories where Wismettac operates.
• US Foods Holding Corp. Large US broadline foodservice distributor with a growing specialty and international product portfolio, competing for restaurant and institutional accounts where Wismettac supplies Asian cuisine operators.
• Sysco Corporation: Largest US broadline foodservice distributor serving restaurants, hotels, and healthcare operators; competes for foodservice accounts that include Japanese/Asian restaurants and is progressively expanding ethnic and specialty assortments that overlap with Wismettac's menu-relevant SKUs.

Direct peers

• C.F. Gollub & Company: Specialty food importer and distributor focused on ethnic and international brands including Asian products, serving grocery and foodservice accounts in a comparable niche to Wismettac's specialty import model.
• Mutual Trading Co., Inc. Specialty Japanese food importer and distributor serving restaurants and retailers on the US West Coast and beyond, with comparable product categories (sake, sauces, dry goods) and a similar customer segmentation to Wismettac.
• JFC International Inc. US subsidiary of Kikkoman, JFC International is the largest direct competitor in Japanese and Asian food import/wholesale distribution to foodservice and retail customers across North America, with an overlapping product portfolio, customer base, and branch network model.

Others

• Yamato Transport / Yamato Logistics: Japanese logistics and cold-chain provider with US operations serving importers and food distributors; adjacent infrastructure peer rather than direct distributor, but critical to the Japan-North America supply chain Wismettac depends on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wismettacasianfoods5891
• Facebookfacebook.com/wismettacsake
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nishimoto-trading-co--ltd-
• Instagraminstagram.com/shirakikubrand

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries11 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 Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc.