The Food Capitals

What The Food Capitals does

The Food Capitals is a non-profit international network of cities founded in 2007 by Lyon, France, and operating under the legal entity Délice Network. The organization connects over 25 city governments worldwide that use food and gastronomy as tools for economic and sustainable urban development, cultural identity, urban well-being, and city attractiveness. Member cities — including Lyon (founding member), Tucson (America's first UNESCO City of Gastronomy), and Pittsburgh — engage through annual gatherings, study tours, collaborative projects, and ongoing knowledge exchanges. The primary customer segment is city governments segmented vertically by geography.

The organization's product surface is a content-driven web platform at thefoodcapitals.com rather than a software product. Core components include a Member City Portal (directory of 25+ cities), an Events Platform featuring flagship gatherings like Bon Appétit America! 2026, an Activities Hub showcasing collaborative projects, a news section ('What's On Our Plate'), a Podcast, and a Join the Network membership pathway. The technology is informational — no proprietary software, APIs, AI capabilities, or integrations are evident. Marketing channels span the website, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn with branded hashtags), a podcast, and event-driven engagement.

Revenue is generated through recurring city membership fees, with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers or fee structure. The go-to-market is community-led: cities are recruited through the website's 'Join the network' pathway, and engagement is reinforced through flagship events and ongoing member exchanges. The network operates globally with no geographic restrictions disclosed, and the organization maintains a minimal disclosed infrastructure (a single French phone contact line, no published headcount or management team).

Name

The Food Capitals

Legal name

Délice Network

Website

https://delice-network.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Food Capitals is a non-profit international network, founded by Lyon in 2007, that connects over 25 city governments using food and gastronomy as tools for urban development, knowledge exchange, and collaborative city projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Food and Gastronomy Networks

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led) (MPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups) (THAJAGAL)

Keywords

• City network membership
• Food gastronomy networks
• Urban food development
• Culinary cultural exchange
• City member programs

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. City Membership Fees: Cities pay membership fees to join The Food Capitals network. As a non-profit organization, membership fees likely fund the network's operations, annual gatherings, study tours, and collaborative projects. The specific fee structure is not publicly disclosed on the website.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Food Capitals is a non-profit international network of over 25 cities, founded by Lyon in 2007, that helps member cities use food and gastronomy as tools for economic and sustainable urban development, cultural identity, urban well-being, and city attractiveness. It sells recurring city memberships that grant access to annual gatherings, study tours, collaborative projects, and ongoing knowledge-exchange activities.

Product overview

The Food Capitals by Délice Network is a single unified platform—a non-profit international network organization rather than a software product. It operates through interconnected content features: the core Network connects over 25 member cities; the What's On Our Plate news section shares stories and events; the Events Platform promotes gatherings like Bon Appétit America; the Activities Hub showcases collaborative projects and ongoing initiatives; the Podcast provides audio content; the Member City Portal serves as a directory; and the Join the Network Program invites new cities to participate. These components collectively enable cities to learn from each other, share best practices, and shape the future of food and gastronomy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Food Capitals Network Membership
• Annual Gatherings and Member Events
• Study Tours
• Collaborative Projects

Named customers3 records

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and founding/flagship.

• PittsburghcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Pittsburgh is a member city hosting Picklesburgh 2026, a major food event in Downtown Pittsburgh from July 16-19, 2026. The city actively participates in network activities and events.
• TucsoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Tucson is America's first UNESCO City of Gastronomy and an active member of the network. Co-hosted the 'Bon Appétit America!' event with Lyon in 2026, celebrating 250 years of French-American culinary connections.
• Lyonfounding/flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Lyon is the founding city of The Food Capitals network, established in 2007. As France's gastronomic capital and the origin of the network, Lyon serves as the primary strategic anchor and co-developer of the network's mission, vision, and programs.
• Délice Networkfounding/flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Food Capitals is branded as 'The Food Capitals by Délice Network', indicating Délice Network as the parent organization. Délice Network is the overarching international network that encompasses The Food Capitals initiative.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Global network of nearly 100 major cities committed to addressing climate change. Broader and larger incumbent city network operating with a similar model of membership, commitments, and knowledge exchange, though focused on climate rather than food.
• Resilient Cities Network: Global city network focused on urban resilience, including food system resilience. Comparable membership-city-network model with knowledge-sharing and collaborative project offerings.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Comparable membership-based local government network structure, with overlapping sustainability focus.

Regional players

• Eurocities: European network of over 200 major cities working together on common urban issues including culture and food policy. Comparable inter-city cooperation model, though geographically limited to Europe.

Direct peers

• UNESCO Creative Cities Network: UNESCO's international network of cities designated for creativity, with a specific 'City of Gastronomy' designation. Multiple Food Capitals members (Lyon, Tucson) are dual-hatted as UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy, making it the most directly comparable and overlapping network.
• Milan Urban Food Policy Pact: International inter-city agreement signed in 2015 by 200+ cities committed to developing sustainable food systems. Directly comparable as an international city network focused on urban food policy, and increasingly a competitor for city attention and funding.
• Slow Food International: Global movement focused on preserving food traditions, biodiversity, and local food cultures. Comparable mission orientation around food heritage and city/community engagement, though it operates as a membership NGO rather than a city network.
• Cittaslow (Slow Food Cities): International network of cities committed to slow living principles, including food culture, traditions, and sustainability. Highly comparable membership-based city network model with overlapping food-and-culture focus.

Others

• Global Parliament of Mayors: Global governance network of city leaders committed to addressing major urban challenges. Comparable international city leadership network model, though focused on broader governance rather than food specifically.

Emerging players

• Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future - Food Policy Networks: Project supporting food policy councils across U.S. cities with networking, resources, and peer learning. Comparable knowledge-sharing network model for food-focused city-level collaboration, though U.S.-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thefoodcapitals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Food Capitals