Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Refeições Coletivas

What Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Refeições Coletivas does

ABERC (Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Refeições Coletivas) is a civil, non-profit trade association founded on 11 February 1984 and headquartered at Rua Estela 515 in the Paraíso neighborhood of São Paulo. It represents collective meal service companies operating in Brazil — catering providers, institutional food service operators, and meal program suppliers serving corporate clients, hospitals, schools, industrial plants, and government entities. Members collectively represent approximately 60% of Brazil's collective meal market, which the association reports at R$21 billion+ annually, 37 million meals per day, and 350,000 sector employees, with nearly 13 million workers served in São Paulo state alone.

ABERC's offering is a portfolio of advocacy, knowledge, and engagement assets rather than a unified software or technology product. Core assets include the Manual ABERC de Práticas (11th edition, 274 pages), the Guia de Controle de Pragas, a Supplier Qualification Guide, and a Training Guide; the AberCast videocast/podcast; digital bulletins; and the annual Catálogo ABERC de Associados e Fornecedores. The association also runs the annual Seminário ABERC (the 2025 edition gathered 1,000+ hybrid participants and 18 exhibitors across 400 m²), the Fórum RH ABERC for workforce management, and the multi-regional roadshow 'Experiência em Refeições Coletivas' co-organized with RATIONAL, Unilever Food Solutions, Villa Camarão, and We Digitek. It maintains a booth at FISPAL Food Service, South America's largest food service trade fair.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring membership contributions from associated companies; one-time sales of technical publications priced at R$21–R$83 per copy with member discounts; and paid training/course fees (e.g., R$600–R$800 for a four-session online course). ABERC does not issue invoices (Nota Fiscal), only receipts bearing its CNPJ. Governance is exercised through a board of directors led by President Daniel Mendez (founding partner of Sapore), Vice-President Rogério da Costa Vieira, Vice Technical Operations Director Aline Rigotti (quality manager at Massima Alimentação), and association counsel Marcos Tavares. The association celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024 and is classified as a small organization with 11–50 employees.

Name

Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Refeições Coletivas

Legal name

Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Refeições Coletivas

Website

https://aberc.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ABERC is a Brazilian trade association founded in 1984 that represents collective meal service companies, providing legal advocacy, technical publications, training courses, and industry events to its member companies operating across the R$21 billion+ sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAFAIAH

Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries)

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Education Marketplaces & Course Platforms (MOOCs, Cohort-Based, Creator Platforms)

Keywords

• Collective meal services
• Trade association advocacy
• Industry technical publications
• Professional training courses
• Industry events seminars

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership contributions: ABERC generates revenue through membership contributions (associados). Companies join to gain representation, advocacy, industry resources, and networking benefits.
2. Publications and guides sales: Sale of technical publications including the Manual ABERC de Práticas de Elaboração e Serviço de Refeições para Coletividades (11th edition, 274 pages), Guia de Controle de Pragas (80 pages), and other industry guides. Priced at R$63–R$83 for members and non-members respectively.
3. Educational programs and courses: ABERC offers paid courses such as 'Venda Consciente: Formação de Preço em Alimentação Coletiva' at R$800 for general public and R$600 for members, conducted over four online sessions.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ABERC is a civil (non-profit) trade association founded in 1984 that represents Brazilian companies providing collective meal services. Its core offering to member companies is industry representation and advocacy before government bodies, complemented by technical publications, sector research, professional training, and an annual seminar and roadshow program that facilitates networking and knowledge sharing across the collective meal sector.

Product overview

Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Refeições Coletivas (ABERC) is a trade association for collective meal companies in Brazil, founded in 1984. Rather than offering a unified software product, ABERC provides a portfolio of publications (the annual Catalog of Members and Suppliers, the Manual of Meal Preparation Practices, pest control and supplier qualification guides, training guides), digital content (the AberCast podcast/videocast, bulletins), and events (annual Seminars, RH Forums, and the Experiência em Refeições Coletivas roadshow). These offerings support knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking for its member companies serving millions of meals daily across Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Abercast: Official videocast/podcast of the association, featuring interviews with sector professionals and event coverage.
• Catálogo ABERC
• Seminário ABERC

Products and services

• Catálogo ABERC de Associados e Fornecedores Annual catalog distributed in May profiling ABERC member companies and qualified suppliers of products and services for the collective meal sector, serving as a procurement reference for corporate meal buyers.
• Manual ABERC de Práticas de Elaboração e Serviço de Refeições para Coletividades 274-page technical reference manual in its 11th edition covering best practices for meal preparation and service in collective settings, developed by ABERC's Technical Operational Commission and sold to member and non-member companies.
• Guia ABERC de Controle de Pragas em Unidades de Alimentação e Nutrição 80-page technical guide covering pest management in food and nutrition units, prepared by ABERC's Integrated Pest Control Sub-Commission and sold to member and non-member companies.
• Guia ABERC para Treinamento de Colaboradores de Unidades de Alimentação e Nutrição Training guide for employees of food and nutrition units, designed to support workforce development and standardization across collective meal operations.
• Guia ABERC de Qualificação de Fornecedores — Produtos e Serviços Guide covering qualification of suppliers of products and services used in collective meal operations, supporting standardized vendor evaluation by member companies.
• Curso Venda Consciente: Formação de Preço em Alimentação Coletiva Four-session online course on strategic pricing and conscious selling in collective meal operations, taught by industry expert Diogenes Lima and offered to ABERC members and the general public.
• Seminário ABERC Annual flagship seminar bringing together sector leaders, specialists, and professionals to discuss trends, challenges, and opportunities in collective meals, featuring exhibitions, panels, and workshops in a hybrid format.
• Fórum RH ABERC Human resources forum convened by ABERC for sector leaders to discuss workforce management challenges in collective meal companies.
• Roadshow Experiência em Refeições Coletivas Multi-regional roadshow organized by ABERC in partnership with RATIONAL, Unilever Food Solutions, Villa Camarão, and We Digitek to promote innovation, knowledge exchange, and connections across the collective meal sector in Brazil.
• AberCast Official videocast and podcast of ABERC featuring interviews with sector leaders, seminar panelists, and industry specialists, distributed on YouTube and Spotify across multiple seasons.
• Boletins ABERC Periodic digital bulletins distributed in PDF format to members covering industry news, legal updates, labor issues, and market information relevant to the collective meal sector.

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

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canal RestaurantecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 October 2025Canal Restaurante provides live streaming for ABERC seminars and webinars, enabling hybrid participation and nationwide reach. ABERC's content is broadcast through this channel to engage professionals across Brazil.
• Cebrasse (Central Brasileira do Setor de Serviços)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Cebrasse partnered with ABERC and Abrasel to host the 'Fomento aos Produtores de Vinho' event, promoting Brazilian wine production and advocating for ICMS tax reduction on São Paulo wines. The event brought together authorities, businessmen, and producers at the Esbre Auditorium in São Paulo.
• Abrasel (Associação Brasileira de Bares e Restaurantes)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Abrasel co-organized the 'Fomento aos Produtores de Vinho' event with ABERC and Cebrasse, promoting Brazilian wine and integrating the wine-producing regions of São Roque, Jundiaí, and Serra da Mantiqueira with the broader food service ecosystem.
• GalunioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025Galunion, a market intelligence firm focused on food service, partners with ABERC for research and insights. ABERC supports the WEFOOD REPORT 2025, and Galunion contributes research data to ABERC's events and communications, including the Galunion Insights trend publications presented at ABERC seminars.
• Rational, Red Bull, BMG Foods, Rojemac, Proauto Kimium, Unilever Food Solutions (WEFOOD REPORT sponsors)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 October 2025Multiple companies sponsored the WEFOOD REPORT 2025 event organized by We Digitek with ABERC's support, including Rational, Red Bull, BMG Foods, Rojemac, Proauto Kimium, and Unilever Food Solutions.
• RATIONALcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2025RATIONAL is a key partner in the roadshow 'Experiência em Refeições Coletivas', launched in partnership with ABERC. The initiative promotes innovation, knowledge, and connections among professionals and companies in the collective meals sector across multiple editions in different regions of Brazil.
• Unilever Food SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2025Unilever Food Solutions co-partners with ABERC in the roadshow 'Experiência em Refeições Coletivas', contributing to industry knowledge exchange and innovation dissemination in the collective meal sector across Brazil.
• Villa CamarãocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2025Villa Camarão participates as a co-organizer of the roadshow 'Experiência em Refeições Coletivas' with ABERC, contributing expertise in the collective meals space and supporting industry events across Brazil.
• We DigitekcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2025We Digitek is a strategic partner in the roadshow 'Experiência em Refeições Coletivas' and the organizer of the WEFOOD REPORT, the largest trend survey in the collective meals sector in Brazil and Latin America, conducted with ABERC's support.
• Fispal Food ServicecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 March 2025Fispal Food Service is the largest food service trade fair in South America. ABERC maintains a dedicated exhibition booth at the event and provides VIP free entry codes to its members, using the fair as a primary platform for industry visibility and member networking.
• SaporeminorOthers · 16 January 2025Sapore, one of the three largest collective meal companies in Brazil, is represented at ABERC events through its founder and ABERC president Daniel Mendez. Sapore contributes to ABERC's market research presentations, including the 'Panorama da Alimentação no Trabalho' survey.
• Amcham Business CenterminorOthersAmcham (American Chamber of Commerce) Business Center in São Paulo is the venue for ABERC's annual seminars, providing space for ABERC's flagship industry events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ABIA (Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Alimentos): Brazilian food industry association with the same civil-association, membership-funded model as ABERC; addresses an adjacent (industrial upstream) slice of the food value chain and competes for member mind-share.
• Abrasel (Associação Brasileira de Bares e Restaurantes): Brazil's national trade association for bars and restaurants; directly comparable as a membership-based association serving the Brazilian food service industry, with which ABERC has a documented co-organization partnership for the 'Fomento aos Produtores de Vinho' event.
• Cebrasse (Central Brasileira do Setor de Serviços): Federation representing Brazil's services sector; comparable as a peer trade-association body and a documented ABERC partner for joint event and advocacy activity around ICMS and tax-reform issues.
• ABRAS (Associação Brasileira de Supermercados): Brazilian supermarket and self-service retail association; structurally identical to ABERC (membership-based trade association serving food-related operators in Brazil) and comparable member-services portfolio.
• SINDIRESTAURANTES (Sindicato de Restaurantes, Bares e Similares): Brazilian labor-union-style association for restaurants and bars; comparable as a food-service trade body organized by operator-members with overlapping advocacy, training, and events mandates.

Broad incumbents

• UKHospitality: UK trade association for the hospitality and foodservice sector; comparable as an international peer with membership dues, advocacy and industry events, serving a broader foodservice category than ABERC's collective-meals niche.
• National Restaurant Association (NRA): Long-established US restaurant and foodservice trade association; broader in scope than ABERC but the standard international archetype for a foodservice operator association with events, training and policy programs.

Others

• Galunion: Brazilian food-service market-intelligence firm and direct ABERC partner; included as an adjacent ecosystem participant that supplies research, insights and trend publications (Galunion Insights) used in ABERC seminars and the WEFOOD REPORT.
• We Digitek: Brazilian event and content operator that organizes the WEFOOD REPORT trend survey with ABERC; an adjacent ecosystem participant enabling ABERC's flagship research and roadshow deliverables.

Emerging players

• ANEDA (Asociación Nacional Española de Distribuidores Automáticos): Spanish vending and foodservice distribution association; an emerging/niche peer with partial overlap to ABERC, focused on institutional foodservice channels but operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/abercbr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abercbr
• Instagraminstagram.com/abercbr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Refeições Coletivas