Foodist Co

What Foodist Co does

Foodist Co (legal name: SAJO Foodist Co., LTD.; Korean: 사조푸디스트) is a South Korean B2B food service and ingredient distribution company headquartered in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, operating as a subsidiary of the diversified Sajo Group conglomerate. The company operates across five interlocking business lines: contract catering (위탁급식) for institutional clients such as schools, corporations, and healthcare facilities; B2B food ingredient distribution (식자재유통) to restaurants, bars, and food service operators; private label brand distribution under the Sijajeawang (식자재왕) brand family; direct-operated retail warehouse marts (직영마트) with 12 locations nationwide; and a proprietary B2B online food ingredient platform (Sijajeawang Mall / ewangmart.com). Its customer segments span food service operators, institutional caterers, and food business operators, all served through an enterprise-only model.

The company's underlying infrastructure consists of 6 regional logistics centers equipped with cold chain entry/exit systems (entry, refrigerated, and frozen storage), a nationally certified Food Safety Analysis Center capable of inspecting approximately 300 items, a direct farm and RPC purchasing system (산지직거래) for cost-competitive procurement, and an in-house R&D function that has produced patented fresh noodle dough technology. Its private label portfolio spans roughly 20 product categories including cutlets, dumplings, fried foods, noodles, sauces, processed meats, and seafood, with sub-brands (Sijajeawang, Sijajeawang Plus, Sijajeawang On, Care for U) targeted to specific channels. Supporting enterprise systems include the Foodist Integrated Computer System (FICS) for operations management and the Gourmet Place mobile application for institutional catering engagement.

Foodist generates revenue through a combination of recurring contract catering fees for institutional clients and transaction-based B2B sales across distribution, retail marts, and the online platform. Pricing is quotation-based and not publicly disclosed. The company markets through owned social channels (YouTube, Facebook, Naver Blog, Instagram, Twitter) and a Naver Smart Store presence, with sales executed by dedicated account managers and consultants. Parent conglomerate affiliation provides brand credibility and cross-subsidiary procurement advantages, while the 11-50 reported headcount appears modest relative to the described national operational footprint, suggesting either reliance on outsourced logistics or significant automation within internal systems.

Name

Foodist Co

Legal name

SAJO Foodist Co., LTD.

Website

https://efoodist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Foodist Co (SAJO Foodist Co., LTD.) is a Seoul-based B2B food service and ingredient distribution company and subsidiary of Sajo Group, operating contract catering, nationwide retail marts, B2B online procurement, and a 20+ category private label brand portfolio (Sijajeawang) for restaurants, institutions, and food business operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Distribution and Contract Catering Services

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Foodservice & Hospitality Supply Marketplaces (CRAFAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wholesale-to-Business Online Ordering (B2B Food E-Commerce) (AFAIAMAD)

Keywords

• Food ingredient distribution
• Contract catering services
• Private label foods
• Cold chain logistics
• Institutional meal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Catering (위탁급식): Professional food service management for institutional clients including schools, corporations, and healthcare facilities. Provides comprehensive catering operations tailored to client requirements.
2. Food Ingredient Distribution (식자재유통): B2B distribution of food ingredients and supplies to restaurants, food service operators, and businesses. Includes private brand (PB) products under Sikjaremwang brand.
3. Direct Retail Mart (직영마트): Direct-owned retail warehouse stores (식자재왕) operating 12 locations nationwide serving food business operators with wholesale pricing.
4. Online Platform (온라인 식자재몰): E-commerce platform (식자재왕몰) for food business operators to purchase ingredients online with delivery services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Foodist Co operates a B2B food service platform delivering contract catering (위탁급식) for institutions such as schools, corporations, and hospitals, alongside nationwide food ingredient distribution (식자재유통) and an exclusive private-brand product line (식자재왕/Sijajeawang) sold through 12 direct retail marts and an online B2B platform. The offering is supported by a 6-region cold chain logistics network, a nationally certified food safety analysis center, direct farm purchasing, and proprietary R&D for menu and product development targeting food business operators across South Korea.

Product overview

Foodist Co operates a multi-brand portfolio consisting of private brand (PB) food ingredient products under the Sijajeawang (식자재왕) sub-brand line (standard, Plus, and On variants), commissioned meal service brands including Gourmet Place (고메이플레이스), Dining VO (다이닝보), and Care for U (케어포유), supported by online platforms (Sijajeawang Mall), mobile application (Gourmet Place APP), and B2B enterprise systems. The company provides food ingredient distribution and commissioned meal services to business operators through physical retail (12 direct stores nationwide), online channels, and integrated enterprise systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 식자재왕: Private-label food ingredient brand for B2B customers, offering a wide range of product categories including frozen foods, sauces, meats, and seafood.
• 식자재왕 플러스
• 식자재왕 온
• 케어포유
• 고메이플레이스
• 다이닝보

Products and services

• Contract Catering (위탁급식) Professional food service management for institutional clients including schools, corporations, and hospitals. Provides comprehensive catering operations tailored to client requirements, with systematic and specialized operations accounting for diverse customer characteristics.
• Food Ingredient Distribution (식자재유통) B2B distribution of food ingredients and supplies to restaurants, food service operators, and food businesses across South Korea, leveraging nationwide cold chain logistics and food safety systems. Includes private-brand products under the Sijajeawang (식자재왕) brand family.
• Sijajeawang Private Brand Product Line (식자재왕 PB) Private brand (PB) food ingredient product line for B2B customers, offering 20+ product categories including cutlets, dumplings, fried items, noodles, sauces, hams/sausages, processed meats, snacks, and non-food items. Includes standard Sijajeawang, Sijajeawang Plus, and online-focused Sijajeawang On variants.
• Direct Retail Mart Network (직영 식자재마트) Direct-owned retail warehouse stores (식자재왕 Mart) operating 12 locations nationwide, serving food and beverage business operators with wholesale pricing and broad product range including private-brand items.
• Sijajeawang Online Mall (식자재왕몰) Online B2B e-commerce platform (ewangmart.com) for food and beverage business operators to purchase food ingredients online with delivery, offering account-based pricing and access to the Sijajeawang PB product line.
• Gourmet Place APP (고메이플레이스 APP) Mobile application supporting the Gourmet Place commissioned meal service brand, used for meal service operations and food ingredient consultation by institutional clients.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sajo Group (사조그룹)coreOthersParent conglomerate group encompassing multiple food-related businesses including Sajo Foodist, Sajo Industry, Sajo C-Food, Sajo Won, Sajo Livestock, Sajo Systems, and others. Sajo Foodist operates as a subsidiary within the group.
• Naver Smart StoreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline marketplace distribution channel for retail products through Naver's e-commerce platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OurHome: OurHome is one of Korea's leading institutional food service and meal kit companies, providing outsourced catering for schools, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias alongside B2B ingredient supply — a close functional peer to Foodist's combined catering and distribution model.
• Dongwon F&B: Dongwon F&B is a Korean food manufacturer and distributor with institutional food service and B2B ingredient supply operations, comparable to Foodist's combined manufacturing-adjacent PB brand and foodservice distribution business.
• Hyundai Green Food: Hyundai Green Food is a major Korean institutional catering and food service company serving schools, corporations, and government cafeterias, directly comparable to Foodist's 위탁급식 (contract catering) business and B2B ingredient supply model.
• CJ Freshway: CJ Freshway is the largest B2B foodservice ingredient distributor in South Korea, supplying restaurants, institutional caterers, and hospitality operators through national logistics centers — directly comparable to Foodist's core ingredient distribution and contract catering business at materially larger scale.
• Hansung Food: Hansung Food is a Korean B2B food ingredient distributor and frozen foods manufacturer supplying restaurants and foodservice operators nationwide, comparable to Foodist's PB ingredient distribution and cold-chain supply model.
• Sysco Korea: Sysco Korea is the Korean operation of the global foodservice distribution leader Sysco, supplying restaurants, hotels, and institutions with broad-line ingredients — directly comparable to Foodist's multi-category B2B foodservice supply model.
• Daesang: Daesang is a major Korean food manufacturer (well-known for sauces, noodles, and processed foods) that also supplies B2B ingredients and operates food service channels — comparable to Foodist's branded ingredient portfolio and foodservice distribution.
• Pulmuone Foods: Pulmuone Foods is a leading Korean food manufacturer and foodservice supplier with institutional, retail, and B2B channels, comparable to Foodist's PB brand portfolio and B2B foodservice operator customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Shinsegae Food: Shinsegae Food is the food and catering subsidiary of Korean retail conglomerate Shinsegae, operating institutional catering, meal solutions, and ingredient supply at large scale — a broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities to Foodist's contract catering and distribution.
• Lotte Wellfood: Lotte Wellfood is a major Korean confectionery and packaged food company within the Lotte conglomerate with foodservice and B2B ingredient exposure — a broad incumbent that overlaps with Foodist's packaged food and PB ingredient categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/sajogroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@%EC%84%A0%ED%95%9C%EC%9A%B8%EB%A6%BC
• Facebookfacebook.com/eFoodist
• Instagraminstagram.com/sajogroup

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 Foodist Co