The Berry Man
The Berry Man is a privately held wholesale produce distributor founded in 1989 that distributes 2,600+ fresh produce items to 1,200+ restaurants, hospitals, schools, caterers, and markets across California's Central Coast from four warehouse facilities, with 60% of produce sourced locally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersSanta Barbara, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Berry Man does
The Berry Man, Inc. is a privately held wholesale produce distributor founded in 1989 by Guy De Mangeon in Santa Barbara, California. The company distributes over 2,600 fresh produce and produce-related items to more than 1,200 foodservice establishments — including restaurants, hospitals, schools, caterers, and markets — across California's Central Coast, spanning from Big Sur to Malibu/Los Angeles. Approximately 60% of its produce is sourced from farms within a 75-mile radius of Santa Barbara, supporting a local-sourcing value proposition and direct relationships with over 20 named farm partners including Sun Pacific, Grimmway Farm, Christopher Ranch, Del Cabo Farm, and Bonipak.
The company operates four warehouse/distribution facilities — Santa Barbara (headquarters), San Luis Obispo, Oxnard, and Ventura — all temperature-controlled and three of which (Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Oxnard) are HACCP and GMP certified through SCS Global Services. Underlying technology is conventional for regional foodservice distribution: account-based online ordering platforms (berrymanprices.com for Santa Barbara, allaboutproduce.biz for San Luis Obispo), proprietary produce database for hard-to-find specialty items, and a farm-to-school tracking system supporting audit and grant compliance for school district customers. The company operates its own delivery fleet 7 days a week, 363 days per year.
Revenue is generated through wholesale transactional pricing on produce and related items (dairy, juices, prepared deli salads, specialty cheeses, olive oils, etc.) sold to foodservice accounts on pay-as-you-go terms. The go-to-market is sales-led enterprise field sales, with sales representatives delivering produce directly and supporting same-day and last-minute orders. The company is 100% founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investors, no external funding rounds, and no M&A activity. Sustainability initiatives include a composting partnership with the City of Santa Barbara Environmental Services.
The Berry Man firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Berry Man
- Legal name
- The Berry Man, Inc.
- Website
- https://theberryman.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Berry Man is a privately held wholesale produce distributor founded in 1989 that distributes 2,600+ fresh produce items to 1,200+ restaurants, hospitals, schools, caterers, and markets across California's Central Coast from four warehouse facilities, with 60% of produce sourced locally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Berry Man industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Produce Distribution
- NAICS
- Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Foodservice / HORECA Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fresh Fruit Wholesale (AFAIACAA)
Keywords
Where The Berry Man is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Barbara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Berry Man business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fresh Produce Distribution: Wholesale distribution of over 2600 fresh produce items to foodservice establishments including restaurants, hospitals, schools, caterers, and markets. Sells over 2600 items to more than 1200 foodservice establishments.
- Related Items: Dairy products (eggs, milk, conventional and specialty cheeses, creme fraiche), fresh squeezed juices, prepared deli salads, fresh and frozen pastas, Asian seaweed salads, exotic mushrooms and truffles, olive oils, flowers, and more
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale account pricing for foodservice establishments |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Berry Man product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Berry Man, Inc. is a wholesale produce distributor that sells over 2,600 fresh produce and produce-related items (including dairy, juices, specialty cheeses, olive oils, pastas, exotic mushrooms, and truffles) to more than 1,200 foodservice establishments — restaurants, hospitals, schools, caterers, and markets — across California's Central Coast from Big Sur to Malibu/Los Angeles. Deliveries are made 7 days a week, 363 days a year from HACCP-certified temperature-controlled warehouses, supported by online ordering for established accounts.
Product overview
The Berry Man operates as a wholesale produce distributor offering a single unified product line centered on fresh produce distribution. The core offering is fresh produce distribution serving restaurants, institutions, and schools across California's Central Coast. This core service is supplemented by related items (dairy, juices, specialty foods), an online ordering service for customer convenience, specialty hard-to-find produce, and a dedicated Farm to School Program sub-service for educational institutions. All offerings are unified under the company's distribution infrastructure with three warehouse locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Produce Distribution Wholesale produce distribution supplying restaurants, hospitals, schools, caterers, and markets from Big Sur to Los Angeles with over 2,600 produce items, operating 7 days a week, 363 days a year from temperature-controlled HACCP-certified warehouses.
- Related Items (dairy, juices, oils, pastas, specialty foods) Distribution of produce-related items including eggs, milk, conventional and specialty cheeses, creme fraiche, fresh squeezed juices, prepared deli salads, fresh and frozen pastas, Asian seaweed salads, exotic mushrooms, truffles, olive oils, and flowers.
- Online Ordering Service Web-based ordering platform for established wholesale customers, with separate portals for the Santa Barbara location (berrymanprices.com) and the San Luis Obispo location (allaboutproduce.biz).
- Farm to School Program Distribution and support service for schools participating in California Department of Food and Agriculture Farm to School and Harvest of the Month programs. Includes assistance navigating grant applications, ensuring program compliance, sourcing local produce at competitive prices, and tracking local commodity purchases for audit requirements.
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivers fresh produce 7 days a week, 363 days a year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Berry Man
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Berry Man technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Berry Man partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- City of Santa Barbara Environmental ServicescoreThe Berry Man partners with the City of Santa Barbara Environmental Services composting program. Food scraps collected from restaurants are turned into compost by professional composters at Engle and Gray, Inc. in Santa Maria.
- Farm to School Program (National)coreTrusted partner of local schools for farm-to-school programs. Knowledgeable in California Department of Food and Agricultural programs including Farm to School and Harvest of the Month. Helps schools navigate grant application process and ensure compliance.
- Sun PacificcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network to foodservice establishments.
- BoothranchescoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Del Cabo FarmcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Babe FarmcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Christopher RanchcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- BonipakcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Bennett's Honey FarmminorLocal partner supplying honey products through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Burkdoll FarmcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Brand FarmscoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Kenter Canyon FarmscoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Gold Coast PackingcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Genesis SproutsminorLocal partner supplying sprouts through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Friends RanchescoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Global MushroomsminorLocal partner supplying mushrooms through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Johnston FarmscoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- HouwelingscoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Grimmway FarmcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Jay Leaf FarmscoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Fresh OriginscoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Muranaka FarmcoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- Pacific Fresh ProducecoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
- San Miguel ProducecoreLocal farm partner supplying produce through The Berry Man's distribution network.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Berry Man competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FreshPoint: Sysco's specialty produce division and the largest fresh produce distributor in North America. Operates regional warehouses serving restaurants and institutions with broad fresh produce assortment—directly comparable in customer base and product mix, though at national scale.
- Keany Produce: Mid-Atlantic specialty produce distributor serving restaurants, hotels, and institutions. Comparable in business model (wholesale fresh produce to foodservice), customer mix, and regional-warehouse footprint.
- Coastal Sunbelt Produce: Regional foodservice produce distributor serving the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast from multiple warehouse locations. Direct comparable in warehouse-based foodservice produce distribution.
- Hardie's Fresh Foods: Texas-based regional produce and foodservice distributor serving restaurants and institutions across the Southwest. Comparable in regional foodservice produce distribution model and customer mix.
Broad incumbents
- Shamrock Foods Company: Aspirations Foods-distributing foodservice broadliner with produce, dairy, and grocery lines serving restaurants and institutions in the Western US. Comparable foodservice distribution model but broader product portfolio.
- Sysco Corporation: Largest foodservice distributor in North America; competes with The Berry Man for restaurant and institutional accounts through both broadline distribution and its FreshPoint produce division.
- US Foods: Top-3 national foodservice distributor serving restaurants, hospitals, and schools across the US with broadline and specialty offerings including fresh produce. Overlaps on customer base (foodservice, healthcare, education) but competes at national scale.
- Performance Food Group: Major national foodservice distributor with broadline and specialty divisions including produce. Comparable in serving restaurants, schools, and healthcare institutions, but at much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
Others
- Markon Cooperative: Cooperative of independent foodservice produce distributors; relevant as both an indirect competitor (member distributors) and an industry/network comparable shaping procurement standards for the segment.
- Produce Alliance: Network of regional fresh produce distributors serving chain restaurants and foodservice operators across the US. Indirectly comparable as a peer-set player in foodservice produce distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Berry Man social profiles
Digital presenceThe Berry Man compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Berry Man financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Berry Man leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
The Berry Man funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Berry Man 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 The Berry Man
What does The Berry Man do?
The Berry Man, Inc. is a wholesale produce distributor that sells over 2,600 fresh produce and produce-related items (including dairy, juices, specialty cheeses, olive oils, pastas, exotic mushrooms, and truffles) to more than 1,200 foodservice establishments — restaurants, hospitals, schools, caterers, and markets — across California's Central Coast from Big Sur to Malibu/Los Angeles. Deliveries are made 7 days a week, 363 days a year from HACCP-certified temperature-controlled warehouses, supported by online ordering for established accounts.
Is The Berry Man a public or private company?
The Berry Man is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Berry Man founded?
The Berry Man was founded in 1989. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Berry Man based?
The Berry Man is headquartered in Santa Barbara, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Berry Man make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fresh Produce Distribution is the primary driver. The others are related Items.
Who are The Berry Man's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FreshPoint, Keany Produce, Coastal Sunbelt Produce and Hardie's Fresh Foods. Broad incumbents are Shamrock Foods Company, Sysco Corporation, US Foods and Performance Food Group. Others are Markon Cooperative and Produce Alliance.
Does The Berry Man have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Berry Man.
What industry is The Berry Man in?
The Berry Man's product category is Wholesale Produce Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIACAI, Foodservice / HORECA Produce Wholesale, with a secondary code of AFAIACAA, Fresh Fruit Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 424480 and its SIC code is 5140.