cooperativa italiana catering

What cooperativa italiana catering does

Cooperativa Italiana Catering (CIC) is an Italian cooperative founded in 1999, headquartered in Pioltello (Milan), that selects and distributes food products and accessories to the Ho.Re.Ca. (Hotel, Restaurant, Catering) channel. Rather than operating its own logistics network, CIC functions as a coordinating and purchasing umbrella for a group of independent distributors who are each rooted in their local Italian territories; the cooperative aggregates their purchasing power, brands the offering collectively, and extends their combined reach across Italy, broader Europe, and the United States. The product surface is primarily distribution — fresh, frozen, ambient, meat, fish/seafood, and non-food categories — supplemented by Qualitaly, a curated proprietary sub-brand launched around 2019 that represents CIC-selected products for the foodservice market.

CIC's business model is a B2B transaction-fee distribution model executed through member distributors. Revenue flows from the cooperative's role as a centralized buyer and brand platform; pricing is negotiated directly with Ho.Re.Ca. customers rather than published in tiers. The go-to-market motion is channel-partner-led: CIC enables independent territorial distributors to serve hospitality customers collectively, combining each member's local market knowledge with the cooperative's nationwide scope and shared back-office functions. The team is lean — only nine individuals are named on the website, spanning commercial, category buying (fresh, meat/frozen, ambient, fish, non-food), secretarial, and administrative roles — and there is no disclosed technology platform, AI/ML capability, or proprietary software stack beyond a standard WordPress website. No funding rounds, M&A, patents, certifications, or external investors are disclosed, and ownership sits with the cooperative's member companies rather than any institutional shareholder.

Name

cooperativa italiana catering

Legal name

Cooperativa Italiana Catering

Website

https://coopitcatering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cooperativa Italiana Catering, founded in 1999 in Pioltello (Milan), is an Italian cooperative that selects and distributes food and accessories to the Ho.Re.Ca. channel through a network of independent territorial distributors across Italy, Europe, and the USA, complemented by its Qualitaly proprietary sub-brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pioltello

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and accessories distribution to Ho.Re.Ca. CIC generates revenue through selecting and distributing food products and accessories to the Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering (Ho.Re.Ca.) channel through its network of member distributors. The cooperative model allows aggregated purchasing power and shared distribution capabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cooperativa Italiana Catering (CIC) is a cooperative of distributors that selects and distributes food products and accessories to the Ho.Re.Ca. (Hotel, Restaurant, Catering) channel. Founded in 1999 in Pioltello (Milan), it aggregates independent territorial distributors so they can collectively serve customers throughout Italy and internationally in Europe and the USA. CIC operates the Qualitaly sub-brand as a curated, qualified product offering for Ho.Re.Ca. buyers.

Product overview

Cooperativa Italiana Catering (CIC) operates as a food and accessories distribution cooperative serving the Ho.Re.Ca. (Hotel, Restaurant, Catering) channel throughout Italy and internationally. The company functions as a unified cooperative platform that aggregates member distributors who are rooted in their local territories while collectively enabling nationwide and international distribution. CIC's portfolio includes a proprietary sub-brand called Qualitaly, which represents products selected and curated by CIC for quality and authenticity in the foodservice sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Qualitaly: Selected products branded under Qualitaly, the product selection by CIC for foodservice

Products and services

• Food and accessories distribution to Ho.Re.Ca. Cooperative distribution service that aggregates independent territorial distributors to collectively select and deliver food products and accessories to Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering (Ho.Re.Ca.) operators across Italy, Europe, and the USA.
• Qualitaly Proprietary sub-brand of Cooperativa Italiana Catering offering a curated and qualified selection of food and non-food products for the Ho.Re.Ca. channel, distributed through the cooperative's member-distributor network.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• QualitalycoreOthersQualitaly is a proprietary brand project developed by CIC. It represents selected products curated specifically for the foodservice market. While Qualitaly is an internal initiative of the cooperative rather than an external partnership, it represents a key product selection and branding strategy that differentiates CIC's offerings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo Italia: Italian subsidiary of Sodexo, a global foodservice and facility management group. Overlaps with CIC in serving Ho.Re.Ca. customers but operates across a much wider service portfolio and geographic footprint.
• METRO Italia: Italian arm of METRO AG, the cash & carry / wholesale group serving Ho.Re.Ca. professionals. Overlaps strongly in target customers and product range, but operates a much broader physical/digital footprint.
• Compass Group Italia: Italian operations of Compass Group, one of the world's largest contract foodservice and support services companies. Overlaps in Ho.Re.Ca. supply but with global scale, procurement power, and digital tooling.
• Elior Italia: Italian foodservice arm of Elior Group, serving contract catering, Ho.Re.Ca., and corporate accounts. Comparable customer base; competes as a broader incumbent with significantly more resources.
• Dussmann Italy: Italian subsidiary of Dussmann Group, providing facility services including foodservice distribution and catering. Comparable in serving institutional and hospitality clients, though broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Camst: Italian cooperative providing foodservice, catering, and facility services. Shares the cooperative ownership model and Italian Ho.Re.Ca. customer base, with similar distributed territorial structure.
• Bidfood Italia: Italian foodservice distribution subsidiary of Bidcorp, focused on Ho.Re.Ca. supply. Directly comparable core activity (B2B foodservice distribution) with substantially greater scale and international backing.
• CIR Food: Italian cooperative active in foodservice and catering. Closest structural peer to CIC: similar cooperative organization, Italian base, and Ho.Re.Ca. focus, making it the most directly comparable business model.
• MARR: Italy's largest publicly listed foodservice distributor serving the Ho.Re.Ca. channel nationwide. Directly comparable product/customer overlap; contrasts with CIC as a public, balance-sheet-driven competitor versus a member cooperative.

Regional players

• ItalMarket / Cateringross: Italian foodservice and Ho.Re.Ca. distributor with similar product breadth and target customers. Comparable mid-market B2B foodservice distribution in Italy, though structurally a private wholesaler rather than a cooperative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooperativa-italiana-catering
• Instagraminstagram.com/cooperativa_italiana_catering

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 cooperativa italiana catering