Hye Cuisine

What Hye Cuisine does

Hye Cuisine, Inc. is a privately-held, founder-owned food processing and packaging company headquartered in Del Rey, California, founded in 1982 by Raffi Santikian. The company specializes in custom packaging and private labeling of specialty Mediterranean foods, with its signature product being "Hye-quality" California grape leaves — hand-picked, locally grown, and offered in packaging ranging from 32 oz. glass jars to 50-gallon drums. Hye Cuisine also produces Roasted Eggplant (cooked over an open fire) and an extended line of marinated vegetables (artichoke hearts, asparagus, sun-dried tomato olive oil, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, garlic, string beans, carrots), sauces, and salad dressings, both under its own Hye Cuisine brand and as custom private-label products.

The company runs a dual revenue model: (1) house brand product sales of California grape leaves and roasted eggplant through its distributor and retailer channels, and (2) custom packaging and private labeling services for clients who provide proprietary recipes and formulas, with confidentiality maintained as a contractual condition. Its core technology centers on hand-picked grape leaf selection, open-fire roasting of eggplant, and flexible packaging across multiple container formats and sizes. Hye Cuisine emphasizes recipe integrity and formula non-disclosure, positioning itself as a contract-style co-manufacturer that takes products from concept to market for clients with unique requirements.

The company is sales-led, acquiring customers through direct B2B outreach and relationship-based selling to distributors and retailers. Distribution spans over 40 distributors and 300 retailers across more than 10 countries, covering both domestic and international markets. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Hye Cuisine has no disclosed external funding, venture capital, or private equity investment, operates with 11-50 employees, and maintains a modest digital presence through its corporate website (copyright 2011), Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr profiles. No patents, certifications, awards, or AI/ML capabilities are documented in the source materials.

Name

Hye Cuisine

Legal name

Hye Cuisine, Inc.

Website

https://hyecuisineinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hye Cuisine is a privately-held, founder-owned food processing and packaging company in Del Rey, California, founded in 1982, specializing in custom packaging and private labeling of California grape leaves, roasted eggplant, marinated vegetables, sauces, and salad dressings for distributors and retailers across more than 10 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Processing and Packaging

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & international prepared meals manufacturing (AFAKAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mayonnaise & Aioli Manufacturing (AFAKADAB), Ethnic & International Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAJ)

Keywords

• Custom food packaging
• Private label foods
• Grape leaves processing
• Marinated vegetables
• Specialty food manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Del Rey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. House Brand Product Sales: Sale of Hye Cuisine branded products including California grape leaves and roasted eggplant through distributor and retailer networks.
2. Custom Packaging and Private Labeling Services: Custom processing and packaging of specialty foods for clients who provide their own recipes and formulas. The company processes grape leaves, marinated vegetables, sauces, and salad dressings under client private labels. All formulas remain non-disclosed upon receipt of order.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hye Cuisine, Inc. is a full-service custom food processing and packaging company that produces and packages specialty foods — primarily California grape leaves and roasted eggplant — under its own Hye Cuisine brand, while also providing custom packaging and private labeling services for clients with their own recipes and formulas. Its product portfolio spans grape leaves, marinated vegetables, sauces, and salad dressings, offered in container formats ranging from 32 oz. glass jars to 50-gallon drums for domestic and international distribution.

Product overview

Hye Cuisine is an industry-leading full-service custom food processing and packaging company offering a portfolio of branded and custom products. The company's core branded products include California Grape Leaves (their signature product since 1982) and Roasted Eggplant, both produced under their house brand or custom labels. Beyond branded offerings, Hye Cuisine provides extensive custom packaging and private labeling services for specialty foods including marinated vegetables, sauces, and salad dressings. The company serves domestic and international markets through over 40 distributors and 300 retailers across more than 10 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Grape Leaves Hye Cuisine's primary brand product, featuring locally grown California grape leaves known for soft texture, natural form, and vibrant green color. Available in 32 oz. glass jars, 1-gallon plastic jars, 6-gallon pails, and 50-gallon drums for retail and foodservice buyers.
• Roasted Eggplant House-brand roasted eggplant product made from hand-picked eggplant cooked over an open fire for an authentic Mediterranean taste, suitable for dishes including Mootabal (eggplant salad). Sold through distributors and retailers under the Hye Cuisine brand.
• Marinated Vegetables Custom marinated vegetable product line including artichoke hearts, asparagus, sun dried tomato olive oil, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, garlic, string beans, and carrots, available in various jar sizes for retail and private-label customers.
• Custom Packaging and Private Labeling Services Full-service custom food processing and packaging for specialty foods including grape leaves, marinated vegetables, sauces, and salad dressings for clients who provide their own recipes and formulas. The company takes products from concept to market and maintains strict non-disclosure of client formulas, serving domestic and international markets.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Krinos Foods: Krinos is the largest US importer and manufacturer of Greek and Mediterranean specialty foods, including grape leaves, feta, and olives. It directly overlaps with Hye Cuisine's Mediterranean product portfolio and distribution model, but at substantially greater scale.
• Colavita USA: Colavita is a US-based Italian/Mediterranean food company offering olive oil, pasta, sauces, and specialty vegetables. It competes with Hye Cuisine for Mediterranean category shelf space in retail and private label programs.
• Athenos: Athenos (owned by Saputo) is a leading US brand of Mediterranean cheeses and related specialty foods. It is a direct peer in the Mediterranean specialty category that Hye Cuisine serves, with overlapping retail buyers and consumer segments.
• Mezzetta: Mezzetta is a US specialty food company focused on Italian and Mediterranean products including peppers, olives, sauces, and pickled vegetables. It competes with Hye Cuisine in marinated vegetables, sauces, and specialty packaged foods, and similarly blends branded and private label offerings.
• Pastene: Pastene is a US distributor and packer of Italian and Mediterranean specialty foods, including canned tomatoes, olive oil, and grape leaves. It is directly comparable in product mix, private label capability, and specialty foodservice distribution.
• Sclafani Foods: Sclafani is a specialty Italian and Mediterranean foods company producing jarred vegetables, sauces, and prepared items. It is a comparable niche manufacturer serving retail and foodservice with a similar branded-plus-private-label model.
• Roland Foods: Roland Foods is a US importer and brand of specialty Mediterranean and international foods, including marinated vegetables, sauces, and condiments. It overlaps with Hye Cuisine in product categories, foodservice distribution, and private label offerings.

Emerging players

• Mediterranean Food Company: Mediterranean Food Company is an emerging specialty producer of prepared Mediterranean foods and condiments. It is comparable to Hye Cuisine as a smaller, focused manufacturer in the same niche, potentially competing for private label and specialty retail programs.

Others

• Atalanta Corporation: Atalanta is one of the largest US specialty food importers and distributors, supplying Mediterranean and international foods to retailers. It is comparable as a channel partner and indirect competitor for the same end-buyer relationships Hye Cuisine serves.

Broad incumbents

• Bay Valley Foods (TreeHouse Foods): Bay Valley Foods / TreeHouse is a large-scale private label manufacturer of dressings, sauces, and condiments. It is comparable as a co-manufacturing option for the same category buyers, but at significantly greater scale and with national retail certifications Hye Cuisine lacks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hyecuisine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/hyecuisine
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Hye-Cuisine-Inc/142991805766630

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 Hye Cuisine