DEBOECKFOODS SA / ILIS

What DEBOECKFOODS SA / ILIS does

I.L.I.S SA, operating commercially as ILIS and De Boeck Foods, is a Belgian privately-held food distribution group founded in 1993 by Donato Izzarelli, Roberto Izzarelli, and Jean Claude Lozano. The company specializes in HORECA distribution, supplying fresh, ultra-fresh, and frozen food products to approximately 2,000 points of sale across Wallonia, northern France, Luxembourg, and select international markets. Its core customer verticals are friteries, snack establishments, brasseries and restaurants, with a secondary institutional segment covering collective catering such as hospitals, care homes, schools, and prisons.

The group operates through three wholly-owned operating subsidiaries (De Boeck Foods Services for Belgium/international, De Boeck Foods Lux for Luxembourg, and Gastro Services) anchored by four purchasing centrals located in Châtelet, Alleur, Menin, and Arlon, plus nine Cash & Carry retail stores distributed along the Walloon corridor. The distribution infrastructure covers 50,000 m² and stocks more than 8,000 product references spanning fries, frit meats, sauces, snacks, and frozen goods, supplied via 250+ partner brands including an exclusive distribution arrangement with the SNAKY brand. Approximately 150 employees, including a field sales force of 10+ representatives, an inside televente team, and Cash & Carry retail staff, serve the customer base through a hybrid B2B/B2B2C go-to-market motion.

Revenue is generated primarily through transactional wholesale margins on B2B HORECA supply and retail markups through the Cash & Carry network. Procurement leverage comes from participation in the Resto-Frit purchasing group, while sales leverage comes from a regional super-wholesaler model with emergency walk-in availability and an online catalog (ilis.be) supplemented by the Shopilis e-commerce storefront launched in 2020. Leadership transitioned in recent years from founders to a second-generation management committee, with Francesco Lozano serving as General Director and an active digital reconversion program underway.

Name

DEBOECKFOODS SA / ILIS

Legal name

I.L.I.S SA

Website

https://ilis.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ILIS / De Boeck Foods is a Belgian HORECA food distributor serving ~2,000 points of sale in Wallonia, northern France, and Luxembourg via 4 purchasing centrals and 9 Cash & Carries, distributing 8,000+ SKUs across fresh and frozen categories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HORECA Food Distribution

NAICS

Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers (42445)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Confectionery, Snacks & Specialty Sweets Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAM)

Keywords

• HORECA food distribution
• Wholesale food supply
• Cash and carry retail
• Frozen fresh foods
• Restaurant supply services

Headquarters

HQ city

Châtelet

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution to HORECA: Primary B2B wholesale distribution of fresh, ultra-fresh, and frozen food products to professional HORECA establishments including friteries, brasseries, snacks, restaurants, and collective catering services. Products include fries, frit products, sauces, meats, and over 8,000 product references.
2. Cash & Carry Retail: Walk-in retail sales through 9 Cash & Carry stores open to both professionals and the public. Customers can purchase products directly without prior ordering, serving as a 'depanneur' (emergency supplier) alternative.
3. Exclusive Distribution - SNAKY Brand: Exclusive distribution rights for SNAKY brand frit products, differentiating the company from competitors in the market.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DEBOECKFOODS SA, operating under the ILIS brand, is a Belgian food distribution company specializing in HORECA (hotels, restaurants, cafés) supply, particularly for friteries, snacks, brasseries, and restaurants. The company operates 4 purchasing centrals and 9 Cash & Carries across Wallonia and northern France, distributing over 8,000 product references to approximately 2,000 points of sale through a team of 150 professionals.

Product overview

ILIS operates as a distribution operator serving HORECA professionals (fry shops, brasseries, snacks, restaurants, and collectives) across Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. The company manages 4 purchasing central warehouses located in Chatelineau (Charleroi), Alleur, Menin, and Arlon, alongside 9 Cash & Carries throughout Wallonia and northern France. ILIS stores and delivers over 8,000 product references spanning fresh, ultra-fresh, and frozen products including fry meats, fries, sauces, and other snack/hospitality necessities. The company operates through subsidiaries including De Boeck Foods (serving Belgium, France, and international markets), De Boeck Foods Lux (Luxembourg), and Gastro Services. ILIS holds exclusive distribution rights for the SNAKY brand and participates in the Resto-Frit purchasing group. Services include physical Cash & Carries open to professionals and individuals, an online catalog for ordering, and a network of sales representatives covering Wallonia, Luxembourg, and northern France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• De Boeck Foods Services: Operating entity for Belgium and international distribution of fresh, frozen, and ultra-fresh products
• De Boeck Foods Lux
• Gastro Services
• shopilis
• Resto-Frit

Products and services

• Wholesale HORECA Food Distribution
• Cash & Carry Retail Service
• Shopilis Online Catalog
• SNAKY Exclusive Brand Distribution

Quantifiable outcome

• Supplies approximately 2,000 points of sale daily
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AndacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnda is a sauce manufacturer founded by Lea De Boeck who invented Andalouse sauce in the 1960s. Today Anda produces Andalouse sauce according to the original recipe. The company maintains an artisanal approach with quality spices and authentic sauces, exclusively distributed in HORECA.
• BeckerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeckers began with the invention of the frikandel and has become a complete snack offering. For over 60 years, they have been the reference for the best 'meal of the week' snacks in the Netherlands.
• BickycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBicky is a Belgian snack brand known for three legendary sauces and crispy Bicky Onions. Popular among adventurous consumers who don't take themselves too seriously but care about good food.
• Ciers CookingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCiers Cooking is led by Dirk Ciers with 35 years of HORECA industry experience in the frying and professional kitchen equipment sector. Second generation ready to continue the business.
• DeliziocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelizio leads the snack market since 2022 with unique packaging, product quality, and persistent marketing. Catalog of 70 references with growing demand for halal beef fat. De Boeck Foods is described as a strategic partner for differentiation.
• Fribel (Pauwels)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFribel offers professional frying oils. Pauwels distributes both the Fribel brand and their own Wouters label, carefully composed to meet professional needs.
• La WilliamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily business since 1963, La William prepares delicious artisanal sauces. Their Andalouse and Brasil sauces are sure values in every friterie, recognized for top-tier flavor.
• LutosacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLutosa has over 40 years of history and expertise in the potato sector, founded by the Van den Broeke family. Present in 136 countries worldwide, preserving family character while sharing potato delicacies globally.
• MannaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSince 1935, Manna produces delicious hot and cold sauces for everyone. As a pragmatic family business, they guarantee fast service and flexibility.
• MexicanocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexicano is the seasoning among snacks since 1984, recognizable by its unique shape, taste, and size. Available in classic, halal, civil, and xxl variants.
• MoracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMora began in a small neighborhood butcher shop in Maastricht where Marcel Mourmans delivered croquettes and loempias to local friteries. The name comes from 'Mo' (Mourmans) and 'Ra' (Ramaekers).
• PauwelscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPauwels Sauzen is a major player in the sauce market with distribution brands, their own brand in HORECA, co-packing for multinationals, and export production. Two factories in Oelegem and Herent with specialized R&D departments and agencies in London and Paris.
• SnakycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSnaky is the reference for Belgian frit products. Offers quality 'A' products at competitive prices with marketing activation plans in stores to encourage interaction between friturists and customers. Exclusive distribution by ILIS/De Boeck Foods.
• TekercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Teker family began selling poultry in a small Brussels butcher shop, specializing in chicken fillets. After 20 years, they continue investing in staff and machines to guarantee delicious quality products.
• VanreuselcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVanreusel offers exclusive HORECA-only assortment with quality products, promotional materials, and advantageous sales contracts. Range includes fricadelles, meatballs, cervelas, and diversified hamburger lines with Classics, XXL, Mix, Prohalal, and Veggie ranges.
• Resto-FritcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResto-Frit is a purchasing group in which De Boeck Foods/ILIS participates. Collaborates with partner structures having similar or complementary activities to guarantee controlled and competitive purchase and sale prices.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hanos: Dutch family-owned HORECA cash & carry and wholesale distributor with stores in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Closely comparable to ILIS on family ownership, cash & carry plus delivery model, and Benelux geographic overlap.
• Sligro Food Group: Dutch foodservice wholesale group operating cash & carries and delivery services for HORECA and foodservice operators in the Benelux region. Comparable to ILIS on model (cash & carry plus B2B delivery), product breadth, and Benelux geographic adjacency.
• Pomona (Episaveurs): France's leading specialized fresh-produce foodservice distributor serving restaurants and collective catering. Comparable to ILIS on HORECA/collective catering customer base and fresh/ultra-fresh product specialization in the French market.
• Pro à Pro: French foodservice distribution subsidiary of METRO AG delivering fresh, frozen and dry products to HORECA and collective catering across France. Directly comparable to ILIS's De Boeck Foods Services operations in northern France and shares the same cash-and-carry-adjacent HORECA wholesale model.
• Brakes Group: Sysco-owned UK and European foodservice distributor serving pubs, restaurants, hotels, schools and care homes. Comparable on broad HORECA and collective catering segments, multi-temperature product handling, and B2B ordering platforms similar to ILIS's online catalog and telesales.
• METRO AG: Global cash & carry and foodservice wholesale group operating METRO/MAKRO stores across Europe and beyond. Closest direct peer to ILIS given its combined cash & carry retail and HORECA wholesale model, broad product assortment, and multi-country footprint overlapping with ILIS's Belgian/French/Luxembourg markets.
• Bidfood (formerly Bidvest) UK & Ireland: UK and Ireland foodservice distributor supplying fresh, frozen and ambient products to HORECA and care/education sectors. Comparable on broad-line HORECA distribution model, multi-channel service (catalog, telesales, online) and exclusive brand partnerships analogous to ILIS's SNAKY exclusivity.
• Transgourmet: European foodservice wholesale subsidiary of Coop Group operating cash & carries and B2B delivery across Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria and Poland. Directly comparable on multi-country HORECA cash & carry and foodservice distribution model overlapping with ILIS's Belgian/French footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Colruyt Group: Major Belgian retail and wholesale group (Colruyt, OKay, Cru, etc.) with foodservice and HORECA-adjacent activities. Comparable as a Belgian incumbent with overlapping geographic footprint, broad food assortment and logistics infrastructure, though primarily retail rather than HORECA wholesale.
• Sysco Corporation: Global market leader in foodservice distribution serving restaurants, healthcare and education. Comparable business model (broad-line HORECA wholesale with multi-temperature logistics) but operates at vastly larger scale and includes Brakes in Europe; relevant as a strategic/competitive reference point for ILIS's regional model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ilis-deboeckfoods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 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 DEBOECKFOODS SA / ILIS