Sunset Foods
Sunset Foods is a family-owned neighborhood supermarket chain founded in 1937 operating seven grocery locations across North Shore Chicago suburbs, serving local residents with fresh, specialty, and locally-sourced foods, plus catering, in-store dining, and online ordering through eGrocer and Instacart.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersHighland Park, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sunset Foods does
Sunset Foods (legal entity Sunset Food Mart, Inc.) is a family-owned neighborhood supermarket chain founded in 1937 and headquartered in Highland Park, Illinois. The company operates seven grocery locations across the North Shore Chicago suburbs: five under the Sunset Foods banner in Highland Park, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Libertyville, and Long Grove, and two under the wholly-owned Grand Food Center banner in Winnetka and Glencoe. Each store carries standard grocery departments (meat, seafood, produce, deli, bakery, grocery/dairy/frozen) and several feature in-store dining concepts (Libertyville Sandwich Werks, Northbrook Grill, BeriGood Acai Bowls).
The business monetizes through multiple transaction-fee revenue streams: in-store retail, the proprietary eGrocer online ordering platform offering curbside pickup and same-day delivery, third-party delivery through Instacart, full-service catering for events, and prepared-food/dining operations. Marketing and customer engagement run through a weekly email newsletter, blog content, Facebook and Instagram, an events calendar (Hatch Chile Fest, Copper River Salmon, Maine Lobster, Caviar & Bubbles), and the Glow Rewards loyalty program. Technology is not a differentiator; the digital stack is built on the eGrocer ecommerce platform, a SideChef-powered Recipe Rack for shoppable recipes, and standard integrations. No proprietary AI, patents, or technology products are disclosed.
Sunset Foods serves primarily North Shore Chicago area residents seeking fresh, local, and specialty foods, with secondary catering customers for events and corporate gatherings. The company differentiates through curated local vendor partnerships (Von Bergen Family Farms, Slagel Family Farms, Miller Amish Poultry, Certified Angus Beef, Meat by Linz), in-house expertise, and a closed-loop plastic bag recycling initiative with Aargus Plastics. Ownership is private with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors.
Sunset Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sunset Foods
- Legal name
- Sunset Food Mart, Inc.
- Website
- https://sunsetfoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1937
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Sunset Foods is a family-owned neighborhood supermarket chain founded in 1937 operating seven grocery locations across North Shore Chicago suburbs, serving local residents with fresh, specialty, and locally-sourced foods, plus catering, in-store dining, and online ordering through eGrocer and Instacart.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sunset Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Grocery Retail
- NAICS
- Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads) (CRAHAKAA)
Keywords
Where Sunset Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Highland Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Sunset Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- In-Store Retail Sales: Traditional grocery retail selling fresh foods, specialty items, meat, seafood, produce, deli, bakery, and grocery/dairy/frozen products across 7 physical store locations.
- eGrocer Online Ordering: Proprietary online ordering platform offering curbside pickup and same-day delivery. Customers place orders through eGrocer.sunsetfoods.com.
- Instacart Delivery: Third-party delivery partnership through Instacart platform for home delivery services.
- Catering Services: Full-service catering for events with menu options ranging from individual items to complete event packages. Online ordering available through entertaining.sunsetfoods.com.
- In-Store Dining: Sunset Eats food service operations including Libertyville Sandwich Werks and Northbrook Grill offering prepared foods. BeriGood Acai Bowls available for online ordering and in-store pickup.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Sunset Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sunset Foods is a family-owned neighborhood supermarket chain founded in 1937 operating seven storefronts across the North Shore suburbs of Chicago (five Sunset Foods stores plus two Grand Food Center sister stores). The retailer sells fresh, local, and specialty groceries, in-house butcher and prepared foods, and supplements in-store shopping with an eGrocer online ordering site, Instacart delivery, catering, and in-store dining concepts.
Product overview
Sunset Foods is a family-owned neighborhood supermarket chain offering a unified in-store and digital shopping experience. The core retail business features seven grocery locations across Illinois with departments for Meat, Seafood, Produce, Deli, Bakery, and Grocery/Frozen, plus prepared food venues (Libertyville Sandwich Werks, Northbrook Grill). Digital products include eGrocer for online ordering, the Recipe Rack powered by SideChef for shoppable recipes, Sunset Eats for order-ahead prepared foods, BeriGood Acai Bowls, and Glow Rewards loyalty program. Sunset Catering and Grand Food Center (sister brand) round out the portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BeriGood: Acai bowl brand offering fresh and healthy options to go
- Sunset Eats
- Glow Rewards
- Sunset Innovators
- eGrocer
Products and services
- Sunset Foods Supermarket Stores
Companies that use Sunset Foods
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sunset Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability3 records
Sunset Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Aargus PlasticscoreClosed-loop plastic bag recycling partnership. Aargus Plastics, a family-owned company in business for over sixty years with nearly fifty years in recycling, sorts and recycles plastic into post-consumer use trash bags at their Illinois facility. The partnership ensures plastic bags dropped in Sunset's recycle bins are actually recycled and reused rather than ending up in landfills, completing a verified closed-loop process from collection to recycled product.
- Grand Food CentercoreTwo Grand Food Center locations (Winnetka and Glencoe) operate under the same ownership as Sunset Foods, serving the North Shore Chicago community with similar product offerings and customer service focus.
- Von Bergen Family FarmscoreThird-generation family farm in Hebron, Illinois supplying fresh, local Bi-Color Corn to Sunset Foods. Represents Sunset's commitment to supporting local farmers and providing locally-sourced produce.
- Slagel Family FarmscoreFifth-generation Illinois farm providing heritage pork (Berkshire, Duroc, and Yorkshire pigs) and turkey products. Slagel's Heritage pork genetics have been developed for decades to enhance meat quality, producing juicy, flavorful meat sought after by top Chicago steakhouses. Located approximately 90 miles from Sunset stores.
- Miller Amish PoultrycoreSupplier of air-chilled Amish chicken with direct farm-to-store delivery, bypassing warehouses to preserve texture, flavor, and cooking performance. Represents Sunset's focus on humane practices and premium quality.
- Certified Angus BeefminorPremium beef brand sourced from only the top 3% of beef in the country based on marbling and tenderness. Provides top-tier beef selections for Sunset's meat department.
- Meat by LinzminorSupplier of hand-selected and aged beef from premier cattle for Sunset's premium meat offerings.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sunset Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Heinen's Fine Foods: Family-owned premium regional grocer operating ~23 stores across Northeast Ohio and Greater Chicago with strong local-sourcing, in-store dining, and catering offerings — directly comparable to Sunset's neighborhood supermarket model.
- Mariano's (Roundy's/Kroger): Chicago-area premium grocery banner under Kroger with ~44 stores emphasizing fresh, local, and prepared foods — Sunset's primary direct competition for the same North Shore/Chicago premium-grocer shopper.
- Pete's Fresh Market: Independent multi-store Chicago-area grocery chain with a strong specialty produce, meat, and prepared-foods focus — competing head-to-head with Sunset Foods for Chicago suburban grocery baskets.
- Plum Market: Premium Michigan-based specialty grocer with several Chicago-area locations emphasizing organic, local, and prepared foods — directly comparable premium positioning and shopper demographic.
- Jewel-Osco (Albertsons): Long-standing Chicago-area supermarket chain (Albertsons banner) with broad grocery footprint including North Shore locations — Sunset's most direct local supermarket competitor at a different price/value tier.
Broad incumbents
- Whole Foods Market (Amazon): National premium/natural grocer with multiple Chicago-area stores — overlapping premium fresh, organic, and prepared-foods offering but broader scale and category coverage than Sunset's neighborhood format.
- Trader Joe's: National specialty grocer with curated assortment and strong private-label penetration; a habitual competitor for premium North Shore shoppers on specialty and fresh categories.
- Fresh Thyme Market: Midwest-focused natural and organic grocery banner operating ~70 stores — overlapping fresh/local and natural-products positioning aimed at the same Chicago-area health-conscious shopper.
- Hy-Vee: Midwest employee-owned supermarket chain with strong prepared-foods, catering, and digital ordering investments — comparable full-format grocery with in-store dining and online initiatives.
Emerging players
- Green Zebra Grocery: Smaller Chicago-based neighborhood convenience-grocer concept focused on grab-and-go prepared foods and local products — comparable curated assortment but smaller footprint than Sunset.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sunset Foods social profiles
Digital presenceSunset Foods compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Sunset Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sunset Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Sunset Foods subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Sunset Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sunset Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sunset Foods
What does Sunset Foods do?
Sunset Foods is a family-owned neighborhood supermarket chain founded in 1937 operating seven storefronts across the North Shore suburbs of Chicago (five Sunset Foods stores plus two Grand Food Center sister stores). The retailer sells fresh, local, and specialty groceries, in-house butcher and prepared foods, and supplements in-store shopping with an eGrocer online ordering site, Instacart delivery, catering, and in-store dining concepts.
Is Sunset Foods a public or private company?
Sunset Foods is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Sunset Foods founded?
Sunset Foods was founded in 1937. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Sunset Foods based?
Sunset Foods is headquartered in Highland Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sunset Foods make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. In-Store Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are eGrocer Online Ordering, instacart Delivery, catering Services and in-Store Dining.
Who are Sunset Foods's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heinen's Fine Foods, Mariano's (Roundy's/Kroger), Pete's Fresh Market, Plum Market and Jewel-Osco (Albertsons). Broad incumbents are Whole Foods Market (Amazon), Trader Joe's, Fresh Thyme Market and Hy-Vee. Green Zebra Grocery is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sunset Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sunset Foods.
What industry is Sunset Foods in?
Sunset Foods's product category is Specialty Grocery Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAGAG, Gourmet & Fine Food Stores, with a secondary code of CRAHAKAA, Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads). Its NAICS code is 44511 and its SIC code is 5411.