Koha Foods

Name

Koha Foods

Legal name

Koha Foods

Website

https://kohafoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Koha Foods is a Honolulu-based, family-owned Asian food distributor and light manufacturer serving Oahu restaurants, supermarkets, military, and foodservice buyers with 2,500+ imported SKUs and its own signature Korean food line from a 90,000+ sq ft USDA-inspected facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Distribution and Wholesale

NAICS

Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (42442), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ethnic Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Asian food distribution
• Korean food manufacturing
• Food wholesale
• Imported specialty foods
• Kimchi production

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food Distribution and Wholesale: Distribution of over 2,500 Asian food products to local Oahu businesses including restaurants, supermarkets, and stores. Products include condiments, frozen seafood, noodles, snacks, meats, sweets, and accessories.
2. Proprietary Korean Food Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of signature Korean food items including kimchi and other side dishes for local restaurants, supermarkets, and individuals
3. Beverage Distribution: Distribution of beverages including C4, Lemon Perfect, and Electrolit to retailers, military, and foodservice customers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Koha Foods is an Asian food distributor and wholesaler that imports, manufactures, and distributes more than 2,500 food products to local Oahu businesses including restaurants, supermarkets, and stores. The company manufactures its own signature Korean food items (kimchi, side dishes, pancake mix) using authentic recipes at its USDA-inspected 90,000+ square foot Honolulu facility, and distributes imported branded items including Melona, Lotte, Buldak Ramen, and beverages to B2B and select consumer customers.

Product overview

Koha Foods is a food distribution company operating as a single unified business with three core service lines: importing Asian food products from international manufacturers, manufacturing its own signature Korean food items (kimchi, side dishes, pancake mix), and distributing over 2,500 products to local Oahu businesses including restaurants, supermarkets, and stores. The product portfolio includes imported branded items (Melona, Lotte Ice Cream, Buldak Ramen, Pangtoa Ice Cream Sandwich, Miso Butterfish, Coco Soul, Beika, Sesame Seeds, Boiled Peanuts, Firm Tofu) alongside house-manufactured signature Korean products (Radish Kimchi, Korean Pancake Mix). The company also distributes beverages including C4, Lemon Perfect, and Electrolit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Imported Asian Food Distribution Distribution of over 2,500 imported Asian food products including meats, seafood, sweets, snacks, noodles, condiments, sauces, beverages, and accessories to local Oahu restaurants, supermarkets, and stores.
• Signature Korean Food Manufacturing In-house manufacturing of proprietary Korean food items including kimchi and other side dishes, plus Korean pancake mix, using authentic recipes and the finest ingredients. Manufactured at USDA-inspected facilities and sold to local restaurants, supermarkets, and individuals.
• Beverage Distribution Distribution of beverages including C4, Lemon Perfect, and Electrolit to retailers, military, and foodservice customers in Hawaii.
• Binggrae Melona Distribution Distribution of Binggrae Melona, a popular South Korean gelato-on-a-stick ice cream dessert known for its unique texture and fresh fruit taste, available across Hawaii supermarkets and stores.
• Wholesale E-commerce Ordering Platform Online ordering platform at ecomm.kohafoods.net enabling wholesale customers to place product orders directly.
• USDA Meat Cutting and Processing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributes over 2,500 food products to local Oahu businesses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BinggraecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Partnership with South Korean company Binggrae for distribution of Melona ice cream, which became the best-selling ice cream dessert in Korea and gained popularity in Hawaii starting in 1995. Melona is a gelato-on-a-stick product known for its unique texture and fresh fruit taste.
• Local Suppliers, Farmers, and RanchersminorOthersPartnership with local sustainability experts, farmers, ranchers, and suppliers in Hawaii to source products alongside international manufacturers.
• International ManufacturerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with trusted international manufacturers to import a wide variety of Asian food products including meats, seafood, sweets, snacks, noodles, and accessories.
• Asian Source Spirits LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2014 from Koha International Wine Imports, this liquor company carries Soju, wines, and teas, expanding into alcoholic beverage distribution in Hawaii.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JFC International: Major U.S. distributor of Japanese and Asian food products, importing and wholesaling across categories Koha handles (meats, seafood, noodles, snacks). Similar Asian-ethnic food import-and-distribute model, just at a national scale.
• Y. Hata & Co. Hawaii's largest broadline foodservice distributor operating from Honolulu with broad restaurant and institutional accounts. Directly comparable to Koha in business model, customer base (Oahu foodservice), and logistics-driven distribution infrastructure.
• Mitsui Foods: Wholesale distributor of Japanese and Asian foods, beverages, and related products to foodservice and retail operators. Directly comparable as an Asian-food specialty wholesaler with similar supplier relationships.
• Armstrong Produce: Hawaii-based produce and broadline food distributor serving Oahu restaurants and retailers with an owned delivery fleet. Highly comparable distribution model and customer overlap with Koha Foods.

Broad incumbents

• 99 Ranch Market: Largest Asian-American supermarket chain in the U.S., carrying a broad assortment of imported Asian specialty foods. Comparable assortment and customer demographic to Koha's end consumer, though retail rather than wholesale.
• Uwajimaya: Pacific Northwest-based Asian supermarket and specialty foods retailer with its own import and wholesale arms. Comparable curated imported Asian assortment and downstream retail/reach overlap with Koha.
• H Mart: Largest U.S. Korean-American supermarket chain, vertically integrating Asian/Korean grocery retail with significant proprietary product lines. Overlaps with Koha's Korean-food manufacturing and distribution focus but operates at retail rather than wholesale.

Regional players

• Sunrise Mart: New York-based Asian grocery retailer known for Japanese specialty items, with its own sourcing relationships. Comparable Asian import-and-distribute model but anchored to the Northeast U.S. rather than Hawaii.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Koha Foods