What HorecaLAB does

HorecaLAB is a privately held Dutch hospitality wholesale distributor headquartered in Zevenaar, Gelderland, Netherlands, founded in 1990. The company supplies restaurants, hotels, beach clubs, catering companies, and bistros/cafes across all twelve Dutch provinces with a horizontal product portfolio spanning printed napkins (servetten) in multiple materials (Soft-Bio, Airlaid, Celstof, Recycling, Pochettes), the ITAKA-branded leather menu card line, professional kitchen equipment sourced from top brands (Saro, Hendi, EMGA, Combisteel, Hoshizaki, Gramm), porcelain, cutlery, glassware, and hygiene accessories (wet wipes, greaseproof paper). Customization options, particularly custom-logo printing on napkins and menu cards, are a core differentiator alongside free customer inventory storage and a same-day ordering, next-day delivery service.

The business operates a direct regional sales model with dedicated account managers assigned to five territories: Gelderland/International/Key Accounts, South NL (Brabant/Limburg), North-East NL (Overijssel/Drenthe/Groningen/Friesland), South-West NL (South Holland/Zeeland), and North-West NL (North Holland/Utrecht/Flevoland). Revenue is generated through quote-based wholesale transactions with personalized offers; no public pricing, subscription, or e-commerce self-service model is disclosed. Marketing is conducted via trade show participation across six major Dutch horeca events and organic social media (Instagram, Facebook).

The company is owner-operated with prominent involvement from the Span and Blom families in key management and account management roles, and has no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent company. No revenue, headcount (firmographics lists 6; website shows approximately nine named team members), or financial performance data are publicly disclosed.

Name

HorecaLAB

Legal name

HorecaLAB

Website

https://horecalab.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HorecaLAB is a Dutch wholesale distributor serving restaurants, hotels, and cafes across the Netherlands. Founded over 30 years ago, it supplies printed napkins, ITAKA leather menu cards, and professional kitchen equipment from brands including Saro, Hendi, and Hoshizaki via regional account managers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Wholesale Supplies

NAICS

Industrial and Personal Service Paper Merchant Wholesalers (424130), Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740)

SIC

Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Paper-Based Packaging & Single-Use Paper Products (Paper Bags, Wraps, Cartons) (CRADALAL)

Keywords

• Hospitality wholesale supplies
• Printed napkins
• Menu cards
• Horeca equipment
• Tableware wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Zevenaar

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Horeca Supplies Wholesale: Wholesale distribution of horeca (hospitality) supplies including printed napkins, menu cards, horeca equipment, porcelain, cutlery, and glassware to restaurants, hotels, and cafes. Products sold include branded items with customization options (logo printing) and standard products from top brands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HorecaLAB is a Dutch hospitality wholesale distributor that supplies napkins (printed and stock, in materials such as Soft-Bio, Airlaid, cellulose, recycled, and pochettes), menu cards (including the ITAKA leather collection), placemats, accessories, professional kitchen equipment from brands such as Saro, Hendi, EMGA, Combisteel, Hoshizaki, and Gramm, plus porcelain, cutlery, glassware, wet wipes, and grease-proof paper to restaurants, hotels, cafes, beach clubs, and catering businesses across the Netherlands. The company offers custom logo printing, free inventory storage for customers, and next-day delivery on orders placed the same day.

Product overview

HorecaLAB is a Dutch hospitality wholesale company with over 30 years of experience, offering a comprehensive product portfolio for the horeca (hotel, restaurant, café) industry. The core offerings include printed napkins (servetten) in various materials (Soft-Bio, Airlaid, Celstof, Recycling, Pochettes), ITAKA leather menu cards with waterproof features, placemats and accessories, professional kitchen equipment from brands like Saro, Hendi, EMGA, Combisteel, Hoshizaki and Gramm, as well as porcelain, cutlery and glassware. The company also supplies wet wipes and grease-free paper. HorecaLAB positions itself as a one-stop shop for the professional hospitality sector, offering quality products with personalization options (custom logos and designs), free storage services, and next-day delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ITAKA: Leather menu card collection with luxury appearance, waterproof, easy to clean, available in various colors.

Products and services

• Printed Napkins (Servetten)
• ITAKA Leather Menu Cards
• Professional Kitchen Equipment
• Porcelain, Cutlery & Glassware
• Placemats & Table Accessories
• Wetwipes & Grease-Free Paper Wet wipes, grease-free paper in various sizes, glass covers, cheese or sandwich picks, and drip catchers for hygiene and presentation purposes in horeca settings. Custom logo options available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day ordering with next-day delivery service

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SarocoreOthersTop brand partner for horeca equipment including kitchen appliances. Saro products available through HorecaLAB for both large and small kitchen equipment needs.
• HendicoreOthersTop brand partner for horeca equipment. Hendi products included in HorecaLAB's professional equipment portfolio.
• EMGAcoreOthersTop brand partner for horeca equipment included in HorecaLAB's product offering.
• CombisteelcoreOthersTop brand partner for horeca equipment. Combisteel products available through HorecaLAB for professional kitchen needs.
• HoshizakicoreOthersTop brand partner for professional kitchen equipment including refrigeration units. Hoshizaki products offered through HorecaLAB.
• GrammcoreOthersTop brand partner for professional kitchen equipment. Gramm products available through HorecaLAB.
• ITAKAcoreOthersITAKA is a collection of leather menu cards distributed by HorecaLAB. These are premium, waterproof menu cards with luxury appearance and long durability, available in various colors with custom logo options.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Albron: Major Dutch hospitality and catering company that also provides supply services to hospitality businesses. Adjacent comparison given overlap in Dutch hospitality market exposure but different business model (operator vs. distributor).
• Hendi: Dutch horeca equipment manufacturer and brand partner of HorecaLAB. Adjacent comparison in the equipment supply chain; demonstrates partnership value but also vertical disintermediation risk.
• Hoshizaki: Japanese refrigeration equipment manufacturer and brand partner of HorecaLAB. Adjacent in cold chain kitchen equipment; partner relationship gives HorecaLAB access but also signals exposure to supplier shifts.
• Saro: German horeca equipment manufacturer and brand partner of HorecaLAB. Adjacent in professional kitchen equipment supply; represents both a sourcing partner and a potential direct competitor in distribution.

Direct peers

• Hanos: Major Dutch horeca (hotel, restaurant, café) wholesale distributor serving hospitality businesses across the Netherlands. Direct competitor to HorecaLAB in the same target market with a comparable broad product portfolio of food service supplies, equipment, and tableware.
• Maxxam: Dutch horeca wholesale distributor serving restaurants and hospitality with similar comprehensive product offerings including equipment, tableware, and supplies. Comparable mid-sized regional player.

Broad incumbents

• Bidfood Netherlands: Pan-European food service distributor with Dutch operations supplying horeca businesses. Competes in the broader horeca wholesale space with a wider food-led portfolio than HorecaLAB.
• Sligro Food Group: Large Dutch food service wholesaler with broad food and non-food offering for hospitality and food service. A larger incumbent with overlapping horeca supplies distribution across the same Dutch customer base.
• METRO Cash & Carry Netherlands: European cash & carry and food service distributor with significant Dutch presence. Competes in the horeca wholesale space with a broader assortment but less regional field-sales focus.

Emerging players

• CaterChef: Online horeca supplier in the Netherlands, providing e-commerce access to kitchen equipment and supplies. Emerging digital-native competitor that threatens the traditional regional distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/horecalab.nl
• Instagraminstagram.com/horecalab.nl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horecalab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 HorecaLAB