Ocean Seafood Depot

What Ocean Seafood Depot does

Ocean Seafood Depot is a family-owned seafood distributor founded in 1998 by Luis and Bela Janota and headquartered at 331 Adams St., Newark, NJ. The company operates a wholesale and retail seafood business built on two core product lines: a Fresh Seafood Department that sources daily from domestic fishermen and imports premium wild-caught fish from Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and Norway, and a Frozen Seafood Department offering IQF shrimp, lobster tails, scallops, cod, tilapia, calamari, and crab products. Distribution is anchored by a fleet of 30 refrigerated trucks delivering six days per week across New Jersey, New York City, and Pennsylvania.

The company's primary customer segments are restaurants (primary), supermarkets, hotels, and country clubs across the tri-state foodservice market, with documented enterprise relationships spanning more than 20 years (Bahrs Landing) and 10 years (Mar Belo). In 2015 the company added a direct-to-consumer revenue stream by opening a gourmet retail seafood store at its Newark headquarters, offering restaurant-quality fresh, live, and frozen seafood plus specialty gourmet items to home cooks. Sales are driven by a dedicated B2B sales team led by Jonathan Carton working directly with chefs and owners via phone and field relationships, supported by social media, a website, email newsletters, and YouTube partner testimonials.

The business is fully family-controlled with no disclosed external investors, no funding rounds, and no public financial reporting. The next generation of the Janota family has joined operations — including Jonathan Janota as Frozen Seafood Buyer — supporting succession continuity. Operating geography is limited to the U.S. tri-state area, with no global footprint. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled via direct contact for wholesale accounts.

Name

Ocean Seafood Depot

Legal name

Ocean Seafood Depot

Website

https://oceanseafood.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ocean Seafood Depot is a family-owned wholesale and retail seafood distributor founded in 1998 in Newark, NJ, serving restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and country clubs across New Jersey, New York City, and Pennsylvania via a 30-truck fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Distribution

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (424460), Fish and Seafood Retailers (44525)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seafood Markets & Fishmongers (CRAHAHAC), Live Seafood & Tank-Based Distribution Wholesale (AFAIADAI)

Keywords

• Seafood distribution
• Wholesale seafood
• Fresh seafood supplier
• Frozen seafood distributor
• Restaurant seafood supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

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, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Seafood Distribution: B2B wholesale distribution of fresh and frozen seafood to restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and country clubs across NJ, NYC, and Pennsylvania. Revenue generated through product sales with delivery included via company fleet.
2. Retail Seafood Store: Direct-to-consumer retail sales through gourmet seafood store in Newark, NJ, opened in 2015. Offers fresh, live, and frozen seafood to individual customers and home cooks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ocean Seafood Depot is a family-owned wholesale and retail seafood distributor founded in 1998, sourcing fresh and frozen seafood from domestic fishermen and international suppliers (Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Norway). It distributes daily to restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and country clubs across New Jersey, New York City, and Pennsylvania via a fleet of 30 trucks operating six days per week, and also operates a public retail seafood store in Newark, NJ opened in 2015.

Product overview

Ocean Seafood Depot operates as a wholesale and retail seafood distributor offering two core product lines: Fresh Seafood Department (importing premium wild fish from Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and Norway while sourcing from domestic fishermen) and Frozen Seafood Department (IQF products including shrimp, lobster tails, scallops, cod, and shellfish). The company operates a retail store opened in 2015 offering restaurant-quality seafood to the public, and provides commercial wholesale delivery across the tri-state area via a fleet of 30 trucks serving restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and country clubs six days per week.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Seafood Department Premium wild-caught and imported fresh seafood sourced daily from domestic fishermen and imported directly from Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and Norway, featuring species such as salmon, halibut, snapper, tuna, branzino, and octopus. Serves B2B foodservice accounts and retail customers.
• Frozen Seafood Department IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) seafood line including shrimp, lobster tails, scallops, cod, tilapia, calamari, and crab products, processed and packaged for year-round availability for foodservice and retail customers.
• Live Seafood Live lobster and other live seafood products available for immediate preparation, sourced from domestic and international suppliers, targeted at restaurants and retail consumers.
• Gourmet Retail Store Public-facing retail store offering fresh, live, and frozen seafood directly to individual consumers and home cooks, along with gourmet items such as premium olive oil, cheeses, and specialty ingredients. Open Mon-Wed 9am-6pm, Thu-Sat 8am-6pm.
• Wholesale Seafood Delivery B2B delivery service for restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and country clubs using a fleet of 30 trucks providing six-day-per-week deliveries across New Jersey, New York City, and Pennsylvania.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 trucks on the road, 6 days per week delivery
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered featured and key account.

• Oceans RestaurantfeaturedOthersNYC's Premier Seafood Restaurant featured as a partner spotlight. Ocean Seafood Depot supplies seafood to this high-profile customer. Video testimonial available showcasing partnership.
• Mar Belo RestaurantfeaturedOthersCasual-chic venue pairing wine with Spanish & Portuguese dishes. Owner Paulo Barateiro states 10-year partnership with Ocean Seafood Depot contributing to their success. Video testimonial available.
• One Willow RestaurantfeaturedOthersClassic Jersey Shore seafood, fish and raw bar restaurant serving sustainable fare. Executive Chef Nicolas Liberto provides 4+ year partnership testimonial emphasizing family-owned business and sustainable fishing support.
• Bahrs Landingkey accountOthersLong-standing customer relationship spanning 20+ years. Executive Chef Jason Scalzo testimonial praising quality frozen seafood, shrimp, fresh fish, lobsters, clam strips, soft-shell crabs, clams. Both family-owned businesses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oceansfd
• Facebookfacebook.com/OceanSeafoodDepot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocean-seafood-depot-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/oceanseafooddepot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Ocean Seafood Depot