Kai Gourmet

What Kai Gourmet does

Kai Gourmet is a privately held e-commerce platform headquartered in El Segundo, California that sells premium sashimi-grade seafood, caviar, specialty meats, and gourmet pantry items to U.S. consumers and foodservice operators. Founded in 2013 and operating with 11–50 employees, the company sources globally from named premium producers — including New Zealand King Salmon (Ora King), Calvisius (Italy), H. Forman (UK), Cambridge House, Petuna (Tasmania), Glacier 51 (Australia), and Del Pacifico (Mexico) — and resells these products under its own Shopify storefront alongside a dedicated B2B foodservice/wholesale division serving restaurants, hotels, caterers, and hospitality groups. The technology stack is commodity e-commerce; the company's defensible capabilities lie in cold-chain logistics from a single LAX-adjacent node (UPS overnight nationwide, six-day local LA delivery), in-house cut-to-order fishmongers handling custom chef cuts, and supplier relationships that confer preferred-distributor status for several internationally recognized brands.

The business model combines transaction-fee direct product sales to consumers with transaction-fee wholesale supply to foodservice buyers, plus a recurring-revenue subscription layer (Kai Perks membership at $5.95/month promotional / $11.95/month regular, offering 15% off caviar and 10% off other full-priced items) and one-time gift card sales in $50–$500 denominations. Consumer pricing varies by product category — fresh seafood spans roughly $14–$155 per unit, caviar $25–$192+, specialty meats $23–$65 — with order minimums of $25 for local SoCal delivery and $50 for UPS overnight. The company carries no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries; ownership is privately held with no public information on founders, executives, or equity structure.

Name

Kai Gourmet

Legal name

Kai Gourmet, LLC

Website

https://kaigourmet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kai Gourmet is a privately held El Segundo, California e-commerce platform selling premium sashimi-grade seafood, caviar, specialty meats, and gourmet products directly to U.S. consumers and to restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups via a wholesale division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Seafood & Gourmet Foods Retail

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Retailers (44525), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (311710), Meat Retailers (445240), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Retail-Food Stores (5400), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Markets & Fishmongers (CRAHAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Fresh Food Specialists (Produce/Meat/Seafood) (CRAHAIAF), Sushi/Sashimi-Grade & Raw Ready-to-Serve Seafood (Including Poke) (AFANALAI), Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG), Bulk Meat & Seafood Wholesale-to-Consumer (CRAHAMAI)

Keywords

• Premium seafood retail
• Sashimi grade fish
• Gourmet meat distribution
• Caviar online store
• Foodservice wholesale supply

Headquarters

HQ city

El Segundo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (B2C): Revenue generated from direct sales of premium seafood and specialty meats to individual consumers through e-commerce platform. Products sold at retail markup with per-unit pricing. Customers pay for products plus shipping fees.
2. Foodservice/Wholesale (B2B): Supplying restaurants, hotels, caterers, and hospitality groups with chef-trusted seafood and specialty products. Cut-to-order service for professional kitchens.
3. Kai Perks Membership: Subscription membership program offering 15% off caviar and 10% off other full-priced items. Special promotional rate of $5.95/month (regularly $11.95/month).
4. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations from $50 to $500, providing flexible gifting options for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kai Gourmet operates an online specialty foods store selling sashimi-grade fresh and frozen seafood (salmon, tuna, yellowtail, uni, scallops, lobster, crab, octopus, etc.), caviar and roe, smoked salmon, specialty meats (Wagyu, Angus beef, NZ lamb, Jidori chicken), sushi essentials, pantry items, and curated gift boxes. Customers order online for UPS overnight shipment or local Southern California delivery, with restaurant and hospitality accounts served through a separate wholesale channel.

Product overview

Kai Gourmet is a direct-to-consumer and B2B premium seafood and specialty meats e-commerce platform operating from El Segundo, California. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized across seven core product lines: Fresh Seafood (sashimi-grade fish including Ora King Salmon, Bluefin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, Scottish Salmon, Hiramasa Yellowtail, Uni/Sea Urchin, and various white fish); Frozen Seafood (flash-frozen premium selections including Glacier 51 Chilean Sea Bass, Hokkaido Scallops, and various shellfish); Sushi Lovers (pre-cut poke cubes, saku selections, and sushi essentials including Nori, Wasabi, and sushi rice); Caviar (Calvisius sturgeon caviar, Oscietra Russian Sturgeon varieties, Siberian Baerii caviar, and Yarra Valley salmon roe); Specialty Meats (Australian AngusPure beef, Wagyu beef, New Zealand Lumina lamb, and Jidori chicken); Pantry items (stocks, glaces, truffle products, and sauces); and Gifts & Bundles (pre-curated gift boxes, subscription memberships, and gift cards). The platform also serves the foodservice industry through a dedicated wholesale channel providing cut-to-order seafood to restaurants and hospitality businesses. Key differentiators include sashimi-grade quality, sustainable sourcing certifications (MSC, ASC, BAP, Ocean Wise), overnight shipping, and preferred supplier relationships with premium brands like Ora King Salmon and Calvisius Caviar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Sashimi-Grade Seafood Premium fresh fish and seafood sold as standalone SKUs including Ora King Salmon, Bluefin Tuna Saku, Bigeye/Yellowfin Tuna, Albacore Tuna, Hiramasa Yellowtail, Scottish Salmon, Opal Barramundi, Sea Bream, Branzino, Black Cod/Sablefish, Swordfish, Alaskan Halibut, Petuna Ocean Trout, Dry Sea Scallops, Crab Meat, Lobster Tails, Premium Uni (Santa Barbara Sea Urchin), Unagi Kabiyaki, and Sashimi 'Saku' Selections. Targeted at home cooks and chefs seeking restaurant-quality seafood.
• Frozen Seafood Frozen premium seafood assortment including Ora King Salmon frozen portions, Ora King Salmon Signature Box (bulk), Yellowfin Saku Premium AAA, Yellowtail Hamachi, Hokkaido Scallops, Glacier 51 Chilean Sea Bass, Bacalao (dried salt cod), and shellfish products. Targeted at home cooks and chefs needing convenient, flash-frozen premium seafood.
• Caviar & Roe Premium caviar and fish roe collection featuring Calvisius Caviar (Black, Tradition Prestige), Oscietra Russian Sturgeon (Classic, Royal, Imperial), Siberian Baerii Caviar (Classic, Royal), Yarra Valley Salmon Roe (including Ikura Shoyu and Bloody Shiraz Gin), Trout Roe, plus caviar essentials (blinis, crème fraîche, mother-of-pearl spoon, tin opener). Targeted at chefs, gifting customers, and luxury home consumers.
• Smoked Seafood Artisanal smoked salmon and seafood assortment including Smoked Ora King Salmon (Manuka wood), Regal NZ King Salmon Smoked, H. Forman 'London Cure' Scottish Smoked Salmon, H. Forman Gravadlax with Dill, Cambridge House Balmoral Smoked Salmon, and Cambridge House Royal Smoked Salmon. Targeted at gourmet consumers and foodservice buyers.
• Specialty Meats & Poultry Premium grass-fed and specialty meats including AngusPure Short Rib (Australian/NZ grass-fed beef), Wagyu Beef Burgers, Wagyu Beef Hot Dogs, Wagyu Flat Iron Steak (all Australian Wagyu), Lumina NZ Lamb Rump, NZ Lamb Leg (Bone-In), Lamb Rack (Frenched), Lamb Shanks, and Jidori Chicken Breasts. Targeted at home grillers and premium restaurants.
• Sushi Lovers Sushi-making ingredients and pre-cut sushi-grade fish including Poke Salmon Cubes, Poke Yellowfin Tuna Cubes, Sashimi Saku Sampler, plus sushi essentials: Nori seaweed sheets, Sashimi Soy Sauce, Organic Sesame Oil, Wasabi paste, Kizami Wasabi, Pickled Ginger, Seaweed Salad, and Koshihikari Sushi Rice. Targeted at home sushi makers.
• Pantry Items

Quantifiable outcome

• Speedy turnaround times ensure product arrives fresh, often from dock to door in hours not days
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Zealand King Salmon (Ora King)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKai Gourmet is a preferred supplier of Ora King Salmon, described as the 'Wagyu of the Sea.' Ora King is sustainably raised in New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds. The company features Ora King prominently across fresh, frozen, and smoked product lines.
• Calvisius CaviarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive purveyor of Calvisius Caviar, a leading producer of premium sturgeon caviar. Products include Tradition Prestige, Black Caviar, and various Russian Sturgeon varieties.
• Yarra Valley CaviarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Yarra Valley Caviar including Ikura Shoyu Salmon Roe, First Harvest Atlantic Salmon Roe, and Bloody Shiraz Gin Salmon Roe. Australian-crafted salmon roe products.
• Petuna (Tasmania)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Petuna Ocean Trout from Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour. Family-owned company founded in 1949, BAP-certified multi-species seafood producer.
• Leigh Fisheries (New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of NZ Ike Jime Fish including Bream, scorpionfish, tarakihi, and alfonsino. Renowned for producing some of the world's finest dayboat line-caught seafood.
• Kilic (Turkey)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Branzino (European Sea Bass) sourced from Turkey, also known as Loup de Mer for Mediterranean cuisine.
• Bristol Seafood (USA/Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Dry Sea Scallops U12 from cold, pristine waters of USA (Maine) or Canada. All-natural, phosphate-free sustainable scallops.
• Fremantle (Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVertically integrated fishery supplying pre-cooked octopus legs. MSC-certified sustainable sourcing from Western Australia. Sous-vide cooked for consistent quality.
• Santa Barbara Smokehouse (Cambridge House)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Cambridge House smoked salmon including Balmoral and Royal varieties. Award-winning smokehouse using aged oak whisky barrels and applewood.
• H. Forman (UK/London)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Scottish smoked salmon including London Cure and Gravadlax with Dill. Century-old tradition, favorite of Michelin starred chefs. KLBD Kosher certified.
• Glacier 51 (Australia Antarctic Territory)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Glacier 51 Patagonian Toothfish (Chilean Sea Bass) from sub-Antarctic Heard Island waters. MSC-certified sustainable fishery.
• Northern Prawn Fishery (Australia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Australian Tiger Prawns from Australia's largest prawn fishery. First tropical prawn fishery to earn MSC certification.
• Del Pacifico (Mexico)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Wild Blue Mexican Shrimp, first wild shrimp to receive Fair Trade Certification. Comprehensive Fishery Improvement Project participant.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vital Choice Seafood: Online direct-to-consumer retailer of premium wild-caught and sustainably sourced seafood and fish-oil supplements. Comparable to Kai Gourmet in DTC channel, sashimi-grade positioning, sustainability certifications, and nationwide shipping of perishable seafood.
• Fulton Fish Market: Online seafood retailer delivering restaurant-quality fresh and frozen seafood nationwide from a New York base. Directly comparable to Kai in DTC sashimi-grade assortment, overnight shipping model, and chef/consumer dual customer base.
• Wild Alaskan Company: Subscription-based DTC seafood retailer specializing in wild-caught Alaskan salmon and other sustainable seafood. Comparable in DTC cold-chain model, sustainability certifications, and subscription/membership revenue layer.
• Goldbelly: Online marketplace delivering gourmet foods and curated regional specialties from top restaurants and producers nationwide. Comparable to Kai in the gourmet food DTC category, curated gift boxes, and gift-card revenue layer.
• Crowd Cow: Online retailer offering premium, traceable meats and seafood sourced directly from farms and fisheries. Comparable in DTC channel, premium positioning, sustainability/sourcing story, and curated bundles.
• Citarella: NYC-based specialty seafood and gourmet foods retailer with both retail storefronts and online ordering. Comparable to Kai in premium fresh seafood assortment, chef-driven customer base, and curated gourmet offerings.
• Browne Trading Company: Specialty seafood retailer and wholesaler offering premium fresh and frozen seafood, caviar, and smoked fish with nationwide shipping. Comparable to Kai in premium seafood assortment, caviar category, and DTC + B2B dual channel.
• Honolulu Fish Company: Online and wholesale seafood retailer specializing in sashimi-grade Hawaiian and Pacific seafood with nationwide shipping. Comparable to Kai in sashimi-grade positioning, premium pricing, and chef/consumer customer overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Chef's Warehouse: Specialty foodservice distributor supplying restaurants with premium proteins, seafood, and gourmet ingredients across the U.S. Comparable to Kai's B2B foodservice channel in serving white-tablecloth restaurants and hospitality groups with premium seafood.

Regional players

• Santa Monica Seafood: Regional specialty seafood distributor serving restaurants and retailers across the Western U.S. from Southern California. Comparable to Kai in SoCal geographic overlap, B2B foodservice channel, and sashimi/specialty seafood assortment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kaigourmet
• Facebookfacebook.com/KaiGourmet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kai-gourmet

Compliance17 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kai Gourmet