Southern Foods

What Southern Foods does

Southern Foods is a privately held gourmet meat, seafood, and specialty grocery retailer and processor headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, operating as a subsidiary of Cheney Brothers, a fourth-generation family-owned broadline food distributor with annual sales over $3 billion. The company runs a 91,000 square foot processing facility with on-site butchering, aging, and packing capabilities for Certified Angus Beef, pork, veal, lamb, seafood, and artisan cheeses, and it has been one of the first suppliers in the country licensed to sell Certified Angus Beef since the 1950s. Distribution is supported by five additional locations across the Southeast (Statesville NC, Tifton GA, Ocala FL, Riviera Beach FL, Punta Gorda FL), enabling both regional food service supply via parent Cheney Brothers and nationwide direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipping through southernfoods.direct.

The business operates three distinct revenue streams: (1) direct-to-consumer sales through a single physical retail store in Greensboro and a nationwide e-commerce platform selling gift boxes, holiday turkeys and hams, seafood, artisan cheeses, and specialty items; (2) food service supply to restaurants, hotels, and country clubs routed through parent Cheney Brothers; and (3) a B2B Pick & Pack fulfillment service for frozen and refrigerated products, which packages and ships temperature-sensitive items under third-party client brands using subzero storage, cooler facilities, and gel-pack or dry-ice packaging shipped via FedEx and UPS. Pricing is unit-based on the consumer side and contract-based on the B2B fulfillment side, with no public pricing disclosure. Go-to-market blends a sales-led motion for food service and B2B clients with a direct-to-consumer motion for retail and e-commerce, supported by organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube) and email marketing.

Name

Southern Foods

Legal name

Southern Foods

Website

https://southernfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Southern Foods is a Greensboro, NC-based gourmet meat, seafood, and specialty grocery retailer and processor, operating a 91,000 sq ft facility, a retail store, a nationwide e-commerce platform, and a B2B cold-chain fulfillment service, as a subsidiary of Cheney Brothers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Gourmet Foods

NAICS

Meat Retailers (44524), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447), Other Food Manufacturing (3119)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Butcher Shops & Meat Markets (CRAHAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bulk Meat & Seafood Wholesale-to-Consumer (CRAHAMAI)

Keywords

• Gourmet meat retail
• Specialty grocery distribution
• Frozen food fulfillment
• Certified angus beef
• Cold chain logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Store Sales: Direct consumer sales of gourmet meats, seafood, and specialty items through the physical retail store in Greensboro, NC.
2. E-commerce Sales: Online sales through southernfoods.direct with shipping of gourmet foods, gift boxes, and specialty items nationwide.
3. B2B Fulfillment Services: Pick & Pack fulfillment services for businesses, packaging and shipping frozen/refrigerated items for third-party brands under their own brand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Southern Foods is a gourmet food retailer and processor specializing in premium meats (including Certified Angus Beef), fresh and processed seafood, artisanal cheeses, and specialty grocery items. The company operates a physical retail store in Greensboro, NC with an on-site 91,000 square foot processing facility handling butchering, aging, and packing, alongside an e-commerce platform (southernfoods.direct) offering nationwide shipping. It also provides B2B Pick & Pack fulfillment services for frozen and refrigerated products, and acts as the gourmet retail arm of parent company Cheney Brothers, a broadline food service distributor.

Product overview

Southern Foods is a gourmet food retailer operating as a single unified retail and e-commerce platform with integrated fulfillment services. Their core product portfolio centers on premium meats (Certified Angus Beef, pork, veal, lamb), fresh and processed seafood, artisanal cheeses, and specialty gourmet items. The company combines an online shopping platform (southernfoods.direct) with physical retail store operations and a dedicated Pick & Pack fulfillment service for frozen/refrigerated product shipping. Gift boxes and specialty holiday products (turkeys, hams) represent key seasonal offerings. Their 91,000 square foot Greensboro, NC processing facility handles on-site butchering, aging, packing, and seafood processing. Parent company Cheney Brothers provides commercial food service distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certified Angus Beef Premium beef cuts licensed for sale by Southern Foods since being one of the first suppliers in the country. Cuts must grade Choice or Prime and pass 10 exacting standards for flavor, tenderness, and juiciness, sold to individual consumers and food service customers.
• Gift Boxes Pre-packaged gourmet gift boxes shipped nationwide, including the Charcuterie Supreme, Cowboy Steak Package, Family Pack, Lusty Ribeye Lovers Brat, The Rack, and Surf Your Turf options for personal gifting and corporate client gifts.
• Holiday Turkeys and Hams Seasonal holiday entrees including NC All Natural Turkey (16-20 lb, feeding 12-15 people) and NC Spiral Ham (8-10 lb, approximately 16-20 servings), sold for personal use, client gifts, and corporate holiday needs.
• Fresh Seafood Fresh and processed seafood including fillets and shrimp, processed inside Southern Foods' Greensboro facility for retail and e-commerce customers.
• Artisan Cheese and Specialty Groceries Imported and regional artisanal cheeses and specialty items for charcuterie boards, gourmet recipes, and gift assortments, sold to consumers through retail and online channels.
• B2B Pick & Pack Fulfillment Services Pick & Pack fulfillment service specializing in packaging and shipping frozen and refrigerated items from business to consumer. Includes subzero temperature warehouse storage, dry warehouse, and cooler facilities with national shipping via FedEx, UPS, and carriers using gel packs or dry ice, offered to brands selling temperature-sensitive products.

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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• FedExcoreOthersNational shipping partner for e-commerce and fulfillment services, providing ground and air delivery of gourmet food products across the nation.
• UPScoreOthersNational shipping partner for e-commerce and fulfillment services, providing package delivery of frozen and refrigerated products.
• Cheney BrothersflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerParent company since 1925, now in fourth generation as a family-owned company. One of the fastest-growing broadline distributors in the US with annual sales over $3 billion. Provides distribution infrastructure and food service customer access across the Southeast.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Performance Food Group: Performance Food Group is a major US foodservice and retail distributor providing broadline distribution to restaurants, convenience stores, and other operators. Comparable because Southern Foods' parent Cheney Brothers operates within the broader Performance Foodservice network (careers page references Performance Foodservice), making PFG a direct corporate/industry peer at the broadline distribution level.
• Sysco: Sysco is the largest broadline foodservice distributor in the US, supplying restaurants, hotels, and institutional operators across all categories including meat, seafood, and specialty items. Comparable to the broader Cheney Brothers food service distribution arm supporting Southern Foods, representing the industry incumbent in foodservice protein distribution.

Direct peers

• Crowd Cow: Crowd Cow is an online marketplace sourcing 100% grass-fed beef, craft meat, and seafood directly from small ranches for home delivery. Comparable to Southern Foods in specialty protein e-commerce with strong storytelling around product provenance, directly competing in the same online gourmet meat category.
• Allen Brothers: Allen Brothers is a Chicago-based premium meat purveyor serving steakhouses, country clubs, retailers, and consumers with dry-aged prime beef, gift boxes, and mail-order delivery. Comparable to Southern Foods in on-site butchering and aging, premium beef and seafood mail order, gift boxes, and a dual retail/foodservice model targeting high-end customers.
• ButcherBox: ButcherBox is a subscription-based DTC meat brand delivering grass-fed beef, heritage pork, and wild-caught seafood nationwide. Comparable to Southern Foods as a premium protein DTC brand with national shipping and similar target customer of quality-focused home cooks, differing mainly in subscription model versus transactional e-commerce.
• Lobel's: Lobel's is a multi-generation New York butcher and mail-order specialist in dry-aged prime beef, heritage pork, and game, with a strong e-commerce and gift-box business. Comparable to Southern Foods in long-established family heritage, premium meat specialization, mail-order catalog, and gourmet gift ordering model.
• Omaha Steaks: Omaha Steaks is a long-standing direct-to-consumer premium meat and gift-box brand selling beef, seafood, and gourmet items via e-commerce and gift catalogs. Directly comparable to Southern Foods in product mix (premium beef, holiday/gift hampers, online ordering) and target customer (gourmet home cooks and gift givers).
• Snake River Farms: Snake River Farms is a premium American Wagyu beef producer shipping high-end steaks, roasts, and gift boxes direct to consumers. Comparable to Southern Foods as a premium beef specialist with nationwide shipping and gift-box sales targeted at gourmet/entertaining use cases.
• Rastelli's: Rastelli's is an online premium meat and seafood retailer offering gift boxes, holiday roasts, and curated packages shipped nationwide. Comparable to Southern Foods in DTC gourmet protein, gift hampers, and similar premium home-entertaining customer base.
• Porter Road: Porter Road is an online butcher specializing in pasture-raised, dry-aged beef and Heritage breed pork shipped nationwide with a curated subscription and gift offering. Closely comparable to Southern Foods on premium beef focus, dry-aging capability, online ordering, and gift boxes for a discerning gourmet customer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/southernfoodsnc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SouthernFoodsHome
• Facebookfacebook.com/southernfoodsnorthcarolina
• Instagraminstagram.com/southernfoodsmarket
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-foods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Southern Foods