National Checking Company

What National Checking Company does

National Checking Company (NCCO) is a 120-year-old Saint Paul, Minnesota-based manufacturer and distributor of foodservice consumables and tech-enabled labeling solutions. Founded in 1905, the company began with its original GuestCheck™ product and has since expanded into register rolls and ribbons (including BPA-free thermal and Sticky Back linerless options), food safety labels under the DateIt™ brand, tamper-evident products, and first aid kits. Its flagship tech offering is DateCodeGenie®, an automated labeling system that pairs a tablet-based app with connected label printers and a low monthly subscription with no contract commitments, supported by complementary solutions such as Task Manager (remote temperature monitoring, hygiene checklists, analytics) and RightBytes® (workflow management). Food safety training is delivered through a partnership with Always Food Safe, offering ANSI-accredited Food Protection Manager, Food Handler, and Allergen Awareness courses.

NCCO's core customers are full-service and quick-service restaurants, with additional reach into convenience stores, hospitality, contract foodservice, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and ghost kitchens. The company reports a vertical-segmentation approach and sells through a nationwide network of leading foodservice distributors, supplemented by a direct e-commerce storefront at store.ncco.com and a dedicated international arm at ncco.eu. The business model is hybrid: a core base of hardware and consumable sales (guest checks, rolls, labels) generates recurring reorders, while the DateCodeGenie subscription layer, custom print and brand fulfillment services, and food safety training courses add higher-margin, contractually lighter revenue streams. Specific public pricing is limited; the DateCodeGenie subscription is described as low-cost monthly with no contract commitment.

In May 2026, NCCO sold a majority position to private equity firm Gallant Capital, with the proceeds and sponsor support earmarked for the company's next phase of growth. Following the transaction, NCCO continues to operate as a privately held company headquartered at 899 Montreal Circle in Saint Paul, with an employee base of 101–250. The combined effect of the PE recapitalization, an expanding multi-vertical customer strategy, international expansion via NCCO International, and a stated AI-themed product roadmap (signaled through the 2026 NRA Show positioning) points to a business attempting to evolve from a legacy consumables manufacturer into a connected, subscription-augmented foodservice workflow platform.

Name

National Checking Company

Legal name

National Checking Company

Website

https://nationalchecking.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NCCO is a 120+ year-old Saint Paul, Minnesota-based manufacturer of foodservice consumables and tech-enabled labeling solutions, including GuestChecks, register rolls, and the DateCodeGenie automated labeling platform, serving restaurants and adjacent foodservice verticals through nationwide distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Supplies

NAICS

Packaging and Labeling Services (56191), Packaging and Labeling Services (561910), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Foodservice Packaging & Takeout Containers Wholesale (AFAIALAE)

Keywords

• Foodservice consumables
• Automated food labeling
• Restaurant supply products
• Food rotation labels
• POS register rolls

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware and Consumable Sales: Sale of physical products including guest checks, register rolls, ribbons, food safety labels, and labeling equipment. These are recurring consumable purchases for foodservice operators.
2. DateCodeGenie® Subscription: Low monthly subscription for the DateCodeGenie automated labeling system with no contract commitments. Includes automatic updates and access to the labeling app.
3. Custom Print Services: Custom labeling and print solutions including custom labels with branding for food packaging and restaurant operations.
4. Professional Services: Food safety training courses including ANSI-accredited Food Protection Manager, Food Handler, and Allergen Awareness training programs through Always Food Safe partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National Checking Company (NCCO) manufactures and supplies workflow-critical foodservice consumables and tech-enabled labeling solutions for restaurants and foodservice operators. Its core product line includes GuestChecks™ guest check pads, register rolls and ribbons (including BPA-free thermal options), DateIt™ food rotation labels, tamper-evident products, and first aid kits. The company has expanded into automated food labeling through its DateCodeGenie® system, which combines a tablet-based app, connected label printers, and consumable labels sold under a monthly subscription.

Product overview

National Checking Company (NCCO) offers a portfolio of workflow-critical foodservice consumables and tech-enabled labeling solutions. The core product portfolio includes GuestChecks™ (original guest check products), DateCodeGenie® (an all-in-one automated labeling system with app, printers, and labels), DateIt™ food rotation labels, and Register Rolls & Ribbons (including BPA-free thermal and Sticky Back linerless options). The company also provides Task Manager (digitized food safety with remote temp monitoring), RightBytes®, and custom print/fulfillment solutions. Products are available nationwide through leading foodservice distributors. Founded in 1905, NCCO serves restaurants, convenience stores, hospitality, healthcare, education, contract foodservice, and ghost kitchens.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DateCodeGenie®: Automated labeling app and system for foodservice operations
• GuestCheck™
• DateIt™
• RightBytes®

Products and services

• GuestChecks™ Original guest check pads that simplify restaurant service, streamline front- and back-of-house operations, and enhance customer satisfaction. Sold to full-service and quick-service restaurants worldwide.
• DateCodeGenie® Automated Labeling System All-in-one automated food labeling solution for foodservice operators, combining a tablet-based app, dedicated label printers, and consumable labels. Enables one-button printing of custom allergen, nutrition, prep, sell-by, and use-by labels, sold under a low monthly subscription with no contract commitments and automatic updates.
• DateCodeGenie® Label Printers Connected label printers compatible with the DateCodeGenie automated labeling system (including the DCG X223 Single Printer model) for bulk label printing in small kitchens.
• DateIt™ Food Rotation Labels Food rotation labels available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and adhesive types for kitchen-specific food rotation and prep ingredient labeling.
• Register Rolls & Ribbons High-quality, long-lasting register rolls and ribbons including BPA-free thermal, one-ply, and two-ply paper options, plus Sticky Back linerless thermal rolls with adhesive-free starter edge for quick roll changes.
• Tamper-Evident Products Security products for foodservice operations that ensure package integrity and prevent tampering.
• First Aid Kits First aid kit products designed for foodservice and hospitality environments.
• Task Manager Digitized food safety management solution providing remote temperature monitoring, hygiene checklists, and analytics for foodservice operations across single and multi-location operators.
• RightBytes® Workflow solution for foodservice operations, part of NCCO's broader tech-enabled product portfolio.
• Brand Fulfillment Portals Custom-branded fulfillment solution that enables foodservice operators to manage branded products and supplies through a dedicated portal.
• Print Fulfillment Solutions Print fulfillment services for foodservice operators, including production and distribution of printed supplies.
• Custom Print / Custom Labels Custom print and label solutions for branded food packaging and on-the-go dining operations, including custom labels with operator branding.
• Food Safety Training (via Always Food Safe) ANSI-accredited food safety training courses including Food Protection Manager, Food Handler, and Allergen Awareness programs, offered to foodservice operators through NCCO's partnership with Always Food Safe.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Always Food SafecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCCO partners with Always Food Safe to provide ANSI-accredited food safety training courses including Food Protection Manager, Food Handler, and Allergen Awareness programs. This partnership enables NCCO to offer comprehensive food safety solutions to its foodservice customers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Others

• Toast: Toast is a leading restaurant POS platform whose digital ordering, KDS, and back-office software increasingly displace paper guest checks, register rolls, and manual front-of-house workflows. It is not a direct supplier peer but a structural substitute risk to NCCO's legacy paper consumables base.

Emerging players

• ComplianceMate (CM Systems): ComplianceMate provides automated temperature monitoring and food safety compliance tools for restaurants and foodservice operators, directly overlapping with NCCO's Task Manager remote temperature monitoring and hygiene checklist capabilities.
• Jolt Software: Jolt is an employee accountability and food safety operations platform for restaurants and hospitality operators, including digital food safety checklists and labeling-adjacent workflows. It competes with NCCO's Task Manager and emerging digital food safety offerings.

Direct peers

• Markem-Imaje: Markem-Imaje provides industrial coding, marking, and food labeling systems used in food manufacturing and foodservice production environments, overlapping directly with NCCO's DateCodeGenie automated food labeling hardware and software offering.
• DayMark Safety Systems: DayMark Safety Systems manufactures food rotation labels, date labels, and food safety labeling solutions for foodservice operators, directly competing with NCCO's DateIt line and core food safety label portfolio across the same restaurant and institutional customer base.
• SATO Holdings: SATO manufactures industrial label printers and labeling solutions, including models used in foodservice and food production. Its hardware competes with DateCodeGenie's connected printer line for the same small-kitchen and foodservice labeling applications.

Broad incumbents

• Zebra Technologies: Zebra Technologies supplies enterprise label printers, barcode, and printing solutions used across retail, hospitality, and supply chain. Its printer hardware overlaps with NCCO's DateCodeGenie printers and broader consumables ecosystem, though Zebra operates at much larger enterprise scale.
• Brady Corporation: Brady Corporation manufactures labels, printing systems, and identification solutions for industrial and safety applications, including food safety and facility labeling. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping label-manufacturing capabilities versus NCCO's specialized foodservice labels.
• 3M: 3M offers a broad portfolio of food safety, sanitation, and labeling products for foodservice and industrial customers. It is a much larger incumbent whose food safety and labeling categories intersect with NCCO's consumables and safety product lines.
• Avery Dennison: Avery Dennison is a global manufacturer of pressure-sensitive labels and packaging materials with significant foodservice exposure. It competes broadly with NCCO's custom print and label businesses while serving a much wider set of end markets beyond restaurants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NCCO.US
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-checking-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncco__us

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 National Checking Company