Butts Foods
Butts Foods is a full-service protein distributor founded in 1935, operating four distribution facilities across Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, and serving national and independent grocery retailers with beef and imported meats as a brand under Quirch Foods, LLC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1935
- HeadquartersJackson, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Butts Foods does
Butts Foods is a full-service protein distributor headquartered in Jackson, Tennessee, founded in 1935 by R.E. Butts. The company operates four distribution facilities across Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, distributing beef and imported meats to national and independent grocery store chains as well as regional distributors across the U.S. Southeast.
The core capability set is cold-chain protein distribution: USDA-inspected sourcing, multi-temperature warehousing, and last-mile delivery into grocery retail and foodservice distributor channels. Imported meats form a differentiated product line relative to commodity-only regional protein distributors, providing assortment breadth for ethnic and specialty retail segments.
Since May 2020, Butts Foods has operated as a brand under Quirch Foods, LLC, following its acquisition as Quirch's first platform deal. The business is privately held and not separately reported; revenue, customer concentration, and headcount detail are not publicly disclosed beyond an employee range of 101-250. There are no indications of proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or direct-to-consumer channels; the company's economics are driven by protein volume throughput, category mix, and freight efficiency within its four-state footprint.
Butts Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Butts Foods
- Legal name
- Butts Foods
- Website
- https://buttsfoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1935
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Butts Foods is a full-service protein distributor founded in 1935, operating four distribution facilities across Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, and serving national and independent grocery retailers with beef and imported meats as a brand under Quirch Foods, LLC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Butts Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Distribution Services
- NAICS
- Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (424470)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beef Wholesale (Primal/Subprimal, Boxed Beef) (AFAIADAA)
Keywords
Where Butts Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jackson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Butts Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Butts Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Butts Foods is a full-service protein distributor specializing in fresh beef and imported meats, serving national and independent grocery stores, regional distributors, and foodservice operators. The company operates 4 distribution facilities across Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, distributing its products through its own network and through its parent Quirch Foods' broader regional distribution infrastructure.
Product overview
Butts Foods is a food distribution company and sub-brand of Quirch Foods, specializing in fresh protein distribution. The company offers a focused portfolio centered on Beef and Imported Meats, which are distributed through 4 facilities across Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Founded in 1935 and acquired by Quirch Foods in May 2020, the company serves foodservice and retail customers with fresh protein products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Beef Fresh beef products distributed to foodservice operators, grocery stores, and regional distributors through the company's distribution network across Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.
- Imported Meats Imported meat products offered as part of the company's protein distribution program, complementing domestic beef offerings for foodservice and retail customers.
Companies that use Butts Foods
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Butts Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Butts Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Quirch FoodscoreButts Foods was acquired by Quirch Foods in May 2020 as Quirch's first acquisition. This strategic acquisition expanded Quirch Foods' reach and added 4 distribution facilities throughout Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Butts Foods has been an industry leader in fresh protein distribution since 1935.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Butts Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- US Foods: Major national broadline foodservice distributor with extensive fresh protein, imported meat, and specialty protein offerings. Comparable to Butts on imported meat distribution and foodservice customer mix, though at much greater scale.
- Reyes Holdings: Privately held food and beverage distributor with major protein and fresh operations through Reinhart Foodservice. Overlaps with Butts in foodservice protein distribution and family/private ownership profile.
- Shamrock Foods Company: Family-owned broadline food distributor with strong fresh protein and dairy capabilities serving foodservice and retail. Similar in being a privately held, founder-influenced protein-focused distributor, though larger and more diversified.
- Ben E. Keith Company: Privately held broadline foodservice distributor with significant fresh protein operations across the South and Southwest. Overlaps with Butts on foodservice distribution and fresh protein category focus.
- Performance Food Group: Large publicly traded broadline foodservice distributor with significant protein capabilities through its Vistar and other specialty units. Sets competitive benchmarks for scale, sourcing, and private-label protein programs that Butts must contend against.
- Gordon Food Service: Large family-led broadline foodservice distributor serving restaurants, schools, and grocery operators across North America. Comparable to Butts in foodservice distribution model, though operating at much greater scale and breadth.
- Sysco Corporation: Largest broadline foodservice distributor in North America with national protein procurement and distribution capabilities. A competitive incumbent whose scale advantages pressure regional protein specialists like Butts Foods.
Others
- Quirch Foods: Parent company of Butts Foods since the May 2020 acquisition. Quirch is a multi-regional protein and food distributor with Pacific, Central, East, and Puerto Rico operations, directly comparable to other broadline protein distributors and the most relevant ecosystem reference for Butts.
Direct peers
- Cheney Brothers: Regional broadline food and protein distributor serving foodservice and retail customers across the Southeast US. Most directly comparable to Butts Foods in customer mix, fresh protein focus, and regional Southeast distribution model.
- Maines Paper & Food Service: Privately held broadline foodservice distributor serving the Eastern US with fresh protein and center-of-plate capabilities. Closely comparable to Butts Foods in foodservice customer focus and regional distribution model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Butts Foods social profiles
Digital presenceButts Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Butts Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Butts Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Butts 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 Butts Foods
What does Butts Foods do?
Butts Foods is a full-service protein distributor specializing in fresh beef and imported meats, serving national and independent grocery stores, regional distributors, and foodservice operators. The company operates 4 distribution facilities across Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, distributing its products through its own network and through its parent Quirch Foods' broader regional distribution infrastructure.
Is Butts Foods a public or private company?
Butts Foods is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Butts Foods founded?
Butts Foods was founded in 1935. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Butts Foods based?
Butts Foods is headquartered in Jackson, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Butts Foods's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are US Foods, Reyes Holdings, Shamrock Foods Company, Ben E. Keith Company, Performance Food Group, Gordon Food Service and Sysco Corporation. Quirch Foods is listed as an others. Direct peers are Cheney Brothers and Maines Paper & Food Service.
Does Butts Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Butts Foods.
What industry is Butts Foods in?
Butts Foods's product category is Food Distribution Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIADAA, Beef Wholesale (Primal/Subprimal, Boxed Beef). Its NAICS code is 42447 and its SIC code is 5141.