Houchens Food Group
Houchens Food Group is a 100% employee-owned retail holding company operating over 400 grocery, convenience, hardware, and quick-service restaurant locations across 15 U.S. states under banners including IGA, Save A Lot, Food Giant, Ace Hardware, Crossroads, Slim Chickens, Subway, and Sonic.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersBowling Green, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Houchens Food Group does
Houchens Food Group, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned retail holding company (ESOP since 1988) and subsidiary of Houchens Industries, Inc., headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Founded in 1917 by Ervin G. Houchens, the company operates over 400 retail locations across 15 U.S. states through a diversified portfolio of grocery, convenience, hardware, and quick-service restaurant banners. Grocery brands include IGA, Price Less IGA (which uses a distinctive cost-plus pricing model at 10% over landed cost), Food Giant, and Save A Lot; convenience is operated under Crossroads and Crossroads Express; hardware is operated as an Ace Hardware franchisee; and quick-service restaurants include Slim Chickens, Subway, and Sonic franchise locations.
Houchens Food Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Houchens Food Group
- Legal name
- Houchens Food Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://hfginc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Houchens Food Group is a 100% employee-owned retail holding company operating over 400 grocery, convenience, hardware, and quick-service restaurant locations across 15 U.S. states under banners including IGA, Save A Lot, Food Giant, Ace Hardware, Crossroads, Slim Chickens, Subway, and Sonic.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Houchens Food Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Multi-Format Retail
- NAICS
- Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451), Convenience Retailers (445131), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Foodservice-Led Convenience Stores (QSR/Hot Food Focus) (CRAHABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Hot Hold & Ready-to-Eat Meals (Rotisserie, Hot Bar, Entrées) (CRAHAKAB)
Keywords
Where Houchens Food Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bowling Green
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Houchens Food Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Grocery Retail: Revenue generated from operating grocery stores under multiple banners including IGA, Price Less IGA, Food Giant, and Save A Lot across 15 states.
- Hardware Retail: Revenue from Ace Hardware franchise operations across multiple states.
- Convenience Store Operations: Revenue from Crossroads convenience stores offering fuel stations, quick-service restaurants, and fresh market products.
- Quick-Service Restaurant Franchises: Revenue from operating franchise locations including Sonic Drive-In, Subway, and Slim Chickens restaurants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cost-Plus Pricing Model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Houchens Food Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Houchens Food Group operates over 400 retail locations across 15 states under multiple grocery banners (IGA, Price Less IGA, Food Giant, Save A Lot), hardware stores (Ace Hardware), convenience stores (Crossroads, Crossroads Express), and quick-service restaurant brands (Slim Chickens, Subway, Sonic). The company functions as a diversified multi-format retail holding company and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Houchens Industries.
Product overview
Houchens Food Group operates as a diversified retail holding company managing multiple grocery, convenience, hardware, and restaurant brands across 15 states. The portfolio includes grocery brands (IGA, Price Less IGA, Food Giant, Save A Lot), convenience stores (Crossroads, Crossroads Express), hardware retail (Ace Hardware), and quick-service restaurant franchises (Slim Chickens, Subway, Sonic). The company utilizes an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) structure where over 13,000 employees become partial owners. Operations span over 400 locations, with the grocery brands offering fresh produce, meats, frozen foods, home essentials, and pet supplies, while restaurant franchises provide fast-casual dining options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Food Giant: Grocery store chain with over 100 locations in 8 states operating under Food Giant, Piggly Wiggly, Pic-N-Sav, and other banners.
- Piggly Wiggly
- Price Less IGA
- IGA
- Ace Hardware
- Crossroads
- Crossroads Express
- Sonic Drive-In
- Subway
- Slim Chickens
- Save A Lot
Products and services
- IGA Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) branded grocery stores offering fresh, frozen, and dry groceries, produce, meat, deli, and bakery items to household consumers in local communities.
- Price Less IGA Value-oriented IGA grocery banner offering groceries, household essentials, and fresh foods at approximately 10% over cost, targeting price-sensitive household shoppers.
- Food Giant Full-service supermarket banner operating grocery and general merchandise stores for community consumers seeking fresh food and everyday household items.
- Save A Lot Discount grocery banner offering a curated assortment of produce, meat, dairy, frozen, and dry goods at low prices, serving budget-conscious household shoppers.
- Ace Hardware Ace Hardware-affiliated home improvement and hardware retail stores selling tools, paint, plumbing, electrical, lawn and garden supplies to DIY homeowners, contractors, and tradespeople.
- Crossroads IGA Convenience store and fuel station banner combining grab-and-go food, beverages, snacks, and fuel for travelers and local on-the-go consumers.
- Crossroads Express Smaller-format convenience and fuel locations under the Crossroads banner, offering a focused assortment of snacks, beverages, prepared food, and fuel.
- Slim Chickens Quick-service restaurant chain serving chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, and sides to dine-in, takeout, and delivery customers.
- Subway Franchised Subway sandwich shop locations offering made-to-order submarine sandwiches, salads, and breakfast items for dine-in, takeout, and catering customers.
- Sonic Drive-In Franchised Sonic drive-in locations offering burgers, hot dogs, breakfast items, drinks, and frozen treats through drive-in and carhop service for individual consumers.
Companies that use Houchens Food Group
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Houchens Food Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Houchens Food Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Ace Hardware of ButlerminorHFG acquired Ace Hardware in Butler, Pennsylvania. The store was owned by local families Mary and Mike Waggoner, and Cameron and Amy Bodamer. Store has earned Pinnacle status for seven consecutive years and raised over $250,000 for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
- Auburn University's Hunger Solutions InstitutecoreHouchens Food Group partnered with Auburn University's Hunger Solutions Institute as part of the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive (HFMI) program. Through the 'Add Milk' initiative, SNAP participants receive 50% discounts on skim and 1% milk purchases at participating HFG grocery stores.
- Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG)coreGreg Rush, President of Houchens Food Group, was elected to AWG's Board of Directors. AWG is the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler serving 1,100 member companies and 3,400 locations across 33 states with $12.1 billion in consolidated sales for 2024.
- Ace Hardware CorporationcoreJimmy Nichols was elected to Ace Hardware Corporation's Board of Directors. Ace Hardware is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world with over 5,900 locally owned and operated hardware stores in approximately 60 countries. HFG operates Ace Hardware stores under franchise agreement.
- Ace Hardware (Franchise)coreHouchens Food Group operates Ace Hardware stores under franchise agreement. The company opened its first Ace Hardware in 2015 and now operates locations across 6 states including Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.
- Slim Chickens (Franchise)coreHouchens Food Group operates Slim Chickens franchise restaurants. The first HFG Slim Chickens opened in May 2021, and the company now operates 6 locations across Kentucky and Tennessee with 2 additional locations planned for early 2024.
- Subway (Franchise)coreHouchens Food Group owns and manages Subway restaurant franchises across Southern Kentucky. The company operates 12 Subway locations in Kentucky, found in Crossroads IGA and Shell Food & Convenience stores.
- Sonic Drive-In (Franchise)coreHouchens Food Group operates Sonic Drive-In franchises. The first Sonic was opened in 2007 in Dayton, OH, and the company now operates multiple Sonic locations throughout Kentucky and Tennessee markets.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Houchens Food Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kroger: Kroger is the largest pure-play US grocery operator with national scale, digital and loyalty investments, and private label depth. Operates broadly in the same industry but does not specialize in the small-format/independent banner model that anchors HFG's portfolio.
- Walmart: Walmart is the dominant US grocery and discount retailer with national scale, low price positioning, and growing digital and advertising businesses. Sets the price and traffic ceiling that HFG's Price Less IGA, Save A Lot, and Food Giant banners must compete against.
- Albertsons Companies: Albertsons operates a multi-banner grocery portfolio across the US. Comparable to HFG's multi-banner grocery strategy (Food Giant/IGA/Save A Lot) but at significantly larger national scale and with broader private label and digital capabilities.
Direct peers
- Publix Super Markets: Publix is a large, employee-owned supermarket chain in the US Southeast. Closely comparable to HFG on employee-ownership culture, grocery banner model, and Southeastern geographic overlap.
- Hy-Vee: Hy-Vee is a large, employee-oriented Midwestern grocery and convenience retailer operating supermarkets, c-stores, and foodservice across multiple states. Highly comparable to HFG in multi-format grocery, regional Midwest/Southwest footprint, and employee-focused culture, though Hy-Vee is privately held by employees rather than via ESOP.
- Murphy USA: Murphy USA operates convenience stores and fuel stations concentrated in the Southeast and Midwest near Walmart stores. Comparable to HFG's Crossroads chain on convenience-store format, fuel-and-food mix, and regional footprint.
- SpartanNash: SpartanNash operates a network of corporate-owned grocery stores in addition to wholesale food distribution to independent grocers. Comparable to HFG in serving independent and corporate grocery banners and in mid-market regional concentration.
- Casey's General Stores: Casey's is one of the largest US convenience store chains, with a Midwest and Southeast footprint, prepared-foods focus, and active store acquisition strategy. Comparable to HFG's Crossroads convenience banner and its M&A-driven growth model.
- Save A Lot (Corporate): Save A Lot is a discount grocery banner operated largely through licensed independent retailers. HFG is one of the largest operators of Save A Lot stores, so the parent corporate entity is a direct peer on banner economics, supply, and merchandising.
Regional players
- GPM Investments: GPM Investments operates a large network of convenience stores and ARCO fueling stations across the Eastern and Midwestern US. Comparable to HFG's Crossroads convenience banner in format and geographic footprint, though more fuel-skewed.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Houchens Food Group social profiles
Digital presenceHouchens Food Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Houchens Food Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Houchens Food Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Houchens Food Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Houchens Food Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Houchens Food Group
What does Houchens Food Group do?
Houchens Food Group operates over 400 retail locations across 15 states under multiple grocery banners (IGA, Price Less IGA, Food Giant, Save A Lot), hardware stores (Ace Hardware), convenience stores (Crossroads, Crossroads Express), and quick-service restaurant brands (Slim Chickens, Subway, Sonic). The company functions as a diversified multi-format retail holding company and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Houchens Industries.
Is Houchens Food Group a public or private company?
Houchens Food Group is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Houchens Food Group founded?
Houchens Food Group was founded in 1917. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Houchens Food Group based?
Houchens Food Group is headquartered in Bowling Green, United States, in the North America region.
How does Houchens Food Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Grocery Retail is the primary driver. The others are hardware Retail, convenience Store Operations and quick-Service Restaurant Franchises.
Who are Houchens Food Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kroger, Walmart and Albertsons Companies. Direct peers are Publix Super Markets, Hy-Vee, Murphy USA, SpartanNash, Casey's General Stores and Save A Lot (Corporate). GPM Investments is listed as a regional player.
Does Houchens Food Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Houchens Food Group.
What industry is Houchens Food Group in?
Houchens Food Group's product category is Multi-Format Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHABAH, Foodservice-Led Convenience Stores (QSR/Hot Food Focus), with a secondary code of CRAHAKAB, Hot Hold & Ready-to-Eat Meals (Rotisserie, Hot Bar, Entrées). Its NAICS code is 4451 and its SIC code is 5411.