Sysco Announces Plan to Buy Restaurant Depot

The country's top food distributor is planning to purchase a foodservice supplier that is used by independent restaurants--and which has several locations in the Greater Boston area.

According to an article from CNBC, Sysco has struck a deal to buy Restaurant Depot for $29 billion (including debt), with Sysco CEO Kevin Hourican saying "Sysco and Jetro Restaurant Depot will enhance value for small independent restaurants and the consumers they serve by expanding access to more affordable, fresh food products and delivering more choice and convenience." Restaurant Depot, whose wholesale cash‑and‑carry model allows customers to pay upfront for food, drink, and other products, has warehouse outlets locally in Andover, Avon, Everett, Milford, and Needham.

It appears that if the deal is approved by regulators, Restaurant Depot would continue to operate independently, according to Hoodline.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Several Wholesale Distributors Now Offering Food to the Public in the Greater Boston Area

It is no secret that the coronavirus has affected how Boston-area residents get their food, but now there is another option for people in the region, and it comes from what would have been seen as an unlikely source before this crisis began.

According to an article from boston.com, some wholesalers are now offering products to the general public in the local area, with the distributors offering food items via delivery service. A few names mentioned as doing this include New York-based Baldor Specialty Foods, J.W. Lopes in Chelsea, Wulf's Fish in Boston's Seaport District, T.F. Kinnealey & Co in Brockton, and Tyler Akabane, who sells mushrooms to Boston-area dining spots. The post mentions that one benefit of ordering from wholesalers is that it can help farms who supply the companies and that have found themselves struggling due to the dropoff in restaurant business that stems from the coronavirus outbreak.

As boston.com says, ordering from distributors can be seen as potential alternative to shopping at grocery stores, though options from a given wholesaler are generally more specialized and limited than that of a supermarket (Baldor does offer a wide variety of food items, however).

[April 1 update: According to posters within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, at least two other wholesale distributors are offering delivery to the general public as well, including Sunny's Seafood in Boston's Seaport District and the Woburn-based Dole & Bailey. (These were both confirmed by the social media pages for the businesses and the people involved with them.)]

[April 17 update: A poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page mentions that Imported Foods in South Boston is now offering food items to the public as well, with the wholesaler apparently selling produce along with options such as candy, snacks, canned foods, sauces, breakfast items, and more.]

[April 24 update: A message sent to us indicates that The Chef's Warehouse is now offering home delivery to the public as well, including high-end meat, seafood, and produce. The company, which is based in Connecticut, recently acquired Cambridge Packing in South Boston and supplies food items to a number of restaurants in the Boston area.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Aurum Closes in Jamaica Plain; Owner to Focus on Catering, Wholesale and Pop-Ups

A Jamaica Plain restaurant that offered hand pies has shut down, but the business itself is not going away.

Boston Magazine is reporting that Aurum in Hyde Square is closed, with owner Matthew Virzi deciding to shift the focus to catering, wholesale, and pop-up events across New England. The article mentions that Virzi's Syrian hand pies could soon find their way into stores--though the main focus will apparently be on catering--and the pop-ups could get going sometime this spring.

Aurum first opened in JP in January of 2014 in the space where Kennedy's Fried Chicken had once been.

The address for the now-closed Aurum restaurant was 377A Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. The website for Aurum can be found at http://www.aurumjp.com/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Sandwiches from Restaurants in the Boston Area and Elsewhere in New England]

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Lewis Mills & Co. Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

It looks like the future of a seafood wholesaler on the North Shore is very much in doubt.

According to a Twitter post from Boston Herald writer @DGoodison, Lewis Mills & Co. has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection with an approximate debt of $2.26 million. A check on the inforuptcy.com site confirms the bankruptcy, with a search result shown within a cached file saying that the filing took place on April 11.

Lewis Mills & Co., which has a listed address of Main Street in Gloucester, supplies both fresh and frozen fish such as salmon, haddock, arctic char, cod, halibut, Atlantic sea bass, and trout.

The website for Lewis Mills & Co. can be found at http://lewismills.com/

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Quinzani's Bakery in Boston's South End Is Closing, Selling Building

A commercial bakery in Boston that has been supplying local businesses for nearly 100 years is shutting down forever, with the family behind the place selling the building as well.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Quinzani's Bakery in the city's South End is closing next week and that its Harrison Avenue building is being purchased by an undisclosed buyer. In the article, co-owner Rob-Roy Quinzani says "It's been a long time coming....There's presently no one in the fourth generation to hand it down to," while a statement put out by the business mentions that they are working with the state office of Labor and Workforce Development to help their employees find new jobs. Quinzani's business will be taken over by Calise & Sons Bakery in Lincoln, RI, which will work with Piantedosi Baking Co. in Malden on most of the products.

[August 14 update: A Facebook post from The Sausage Guy indicates that Quinzani's Bakery closes its doors for good on Sunday at 2:00 PM.]

[October 21 update: Based on a Twitter post from last night, it appears that the building housing Quinzani's Bakery is in the process of being demolished.]

Quinzani's Bakery first started out as a pastry shop in 1919 in the old Combat Zone, eventually moving to its present-day location approximately 50 years ago, according to the Globe. The company supplies dinner rolls, sandwich rolls, French and Italian bread, and more to about 800 dining spots, caterers, and food service companies.

The address for the soon-to-close Quinzani's Bakery is 380 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118.

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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Samira's Homemade Is Opening in Belmont

A new takeout spot featuring Egyptian and Lebanese cuisine is on its way to Belmont, and its name may be familiar to some.

According to their website, Samira's Homemade is planning to open on Belmont Street, apparently doubling as both a retail (takeout) and wholesale spot. The husband and wife who are behind the place have been selling their products (including hummus, stuffed grape leaves, baba gannoush, and tabouli) at farmers' markets in the Boston area, as well as at a number of food purveyors (Russo's in Watertown, Pemberton Farms in Cambridge, City Feed & Supply in Jamaica Plain, South End Formaggio in Boston, etc.).

According to an article in Edible Boston, Samira Hamdoun basically started the business while she was working at Formaggio Kitchen in 2007, as she began to sell her homemade hummus and tabouli at the shop. Soon, Samira and her husband Ragab were wholesaling these and other products throughout the Boston area.

[September 6 update: According to the folks behind the new spot, it appears that Samira's Homemade may be opening on Belmont Street sometime in October. (Check back here for more updates later this month.)]

[November 28 update: According to their website, Samira's Homemade is now open.]

The address for this new spot in Belmont is: Samira's Homemade, 203 Belmont Street, Belmont, MA, 02478. Their website can be found at http://samirashomemade.com/

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