Cara Donna Provision Inc

What Cara Donna Provision Inc does

Cara Donna Provision Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-owned wholesale food distributor headquartered in Massachusetts, founded in 1972 (note: one firmographic data point lists 1945, but the company website and history sources consistently cite 1972) and now in its third generation of Cara Donna-family leadership. The company distributes Italian specialty provisions — principally cured meats (prosciutto, capicola, sopressata, Genoa salami, mortadella, pancetta) and cheeses (fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, provolone, ricotta, Gorgonzola) — alongside pizza ingredients, pasta, oils and vinegars, canned/jarred goods, frozen products, and dry pantry staples to restaurants, delis, pizzerias, caterers, and institutional foodservice operators across all six New England states. The business is built on a self-operated refrigerated cold-chain: the company owns its delivery fleet, maintains warehouse facilities with state-of-the-art temperature-controlled storage, and assigns a dedicated sales representative to each customer account. Ordering is available by phone, fax, or online, with electronic invoicing in place. With 29 employees, Cara Donna runs a small, regionally focused specialty distributor whose revenue and financials are not publicly disclosed and which has operated continuously across three family generations without external investors, M&A activity, or funding rounds.

Name

Cara Donna Provision Inc

Legal name

Cara Donna Provision Co., Inc.

Website

https://caradonnaprov.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cara Donna Provision is a family-owned, third-generation wholesale food distributor specializing in Italian specialty meats and cheeses, delivering via its own refrigerated fleet to restaurants, delis, and foodservice operators across all six New England states since 1972.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Food Distribution

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Foodservice Distribution (Education, Healthcare, Government) (CRAOABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Restaurant Chain Program Broadline Distributors (Contracted/Managed Supply) (AFAIAAAF)

Keywords

• Wholesale food distribution
• Italian specialty foods
• Foodservice distribution
• Refrigerated food delivery
• Restaurant supply wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Braintree, Massachusetts

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale food product sales: The company generates revenue through the sale of wholesale food products including Italian specialty meats, cheeses, pizza ingredients, pasta, oils, vinegars, canned goods, frozen products, and dry goods to restaurants, delis, pizzerias, and foodservice operators.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Cara Donna Provision Co. is a family-owned wholesale food distributor headquartered in Braintree, Massachusetts, that sells Italian specialty meats, cheeses, and a broadline selection of foodservice products (pizza ingredients, pasta, oils, vinegars, canned goods, frozen products, and dry goods) to restaurants, delis, pizzerias, caterers, and institutional foodservice operators across all six New England states. The company operates its own refrigerated delivery fleet, maintains temperature-controlled warehouse facilities, and assigns a dedicated sales representative to each customer account.

Product overview

Cara Donna Provision Co. is a wholesale food distributor operating as a single unified product offering — a broadline specialty distribution service focused on Italian provisions. The company aggregates thousands of food products across multiple categories, with Italian specialty meats (prosciutto, capicola, sopressata, Genoa salami, mortadella, pancetta) and cheeses (fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, provolone, ricotta, Gorgonzola) forming the core specialty focus, complemented by pizza ingredients, pasta and grains, oils and vinegars, canned and jarred goods, frozen products, and dry goods. The company delivers these products to restaurants and delis across New England using a refrigerated fleet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Italian Specialty Meats A comprehensive selection of Italian cured meats including prosciutto, capicola, sopressata, Genoa salami, mortadella, and pancetta from both imported and domestic producers, offered to restaurants, delis, and foodservice operators in New England.
• Specialty Cheeses A broad selection of Italian and specialty cheeses including fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, provolone, ricotta, and Gorgonzola from domestic and imported producers, supplied to restaurants, delis, and foodservice operators.
• Pizza Ingredients Complete pizza ingredient offerings including flour, canned tomatoes, pizza cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and other pizza-specific products supplied to pizzerias across New England.
• Pasta and Grains Dried and fresh pasta varieties, specialty grains, and breadcrumbs supplied to foodservice operators.
• Oils and Vinegars Extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, wine vinegars, and specialty cooking oils supplied to restaurants and delis.
• Canned and Jarred Goods Olives, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, anchovies, capers, and imported Italian tomato products supplied to foodservice operators.
• Frozen Products Frozen doughs, appetizers, vegetables, and seafood products supplied to restaurants and foodservice operators.
• Dry Goods and Pantry Staples Spices, seasonings, baking supplies, and other kitchen essentials supplied to foodservice operators.

Segments5 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sysco Corporation: Largest broadline foodservice distributor in North America, supplying restaurants, healthcare, and education with full product catalogs. Competes with Cara Donna across restaurants and institutional accounts but operates at vastly greater scale and SKU breadth, lacking the Italian specialty focus.
• US Foods: Major broadline foodservice distributor serving independent restaurants and chains nationwide. Overlaps with Cara Donna's restaurant customer base but operates broader catalog and larger scale, with growing specialty portfolio that competes directly for Italian-category customers.
• Gordon Food Service: Family-founded broadline foodservice distributor serving restaurants and institutions across the US and Canada. Comparable wholesale foodservice model to Cara Donna, with broadline categories and foodservice focus, though at much larger scale and broader geography.
• Performance Food Group: Large broadline foodservice distributor serving restaurants and institutional customers across the US through Vistar and Performance Foodservice. Competes with Cara Donna for independent restaurant accounts but with substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• C&S Wholesale Grocers: Largest grocery wholesale distributor in the US, supplying independent retailers and foodservice operators. While primarily retail-grocery focused, C&S's foodservice business competes with regional distributors like Cara Donna for wholesale grocery accounts.

Direct peers

• Mivil Foods: Regional foodservice distributor serving restaurants and foodservice operators in the Northeast. Direct comparable to Cara Donna as a specialty broadline distributor with refrigerated delivery and focus on Italian/Mediterranean categories.
• Shetakis Wholesale: Family-owned broadline foodservice distributor serving restaurants and institutions in New England. Closest direct comparable to Cara Donna given similar family ownership, regional New England focus, broadline foodservice model, and independent restaurant customer base.
• Baldor Specialty Foods: Specialty foodservice distributor focused on produce, proteins, and specialty ingredients serving restaurants in the Northeast. Direct peer to Cara Donna as a Northeast specialty foodservice distributor emphasizing fresh and premium ingredients with owned refrigerated distribution.

Emerging players

• Allen Brothers: Specialty foodservice distributor of premium meats, cheeses, and provisions serving fine-dining restaurants. Comparable to Cara Donna's specialty positioning around Italian cured meats and cheeses for restaurant customers, though focused more on premium fine-dining accounts.
• Restaurant Depot / Jetro: Cash-and-carry foodservice warehouse club serving independent restaurants and small foodservice operators. Competes with Cara Donna's restaurant customers on price through a different channel (cash-and-carry retail), particularly impacting smaller accounts that may self-warehouse.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cara-donna-provision-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Cara Donna Provision Inc