Operator story
James Whitford
Chef-Owner, The Iron Whisk
Atlanta, GA · New American Bistro · HF customer since 2023
The reason I switched is that one of the giants started treating me like a vending machine. HF treats me like a restaurant.
We're a 60-seat bistro doing a tasting menu plus a regular service. That kind of operation needs a distributor who gets it. Tight delivery windows. Specialty produce that actually shows up in the box looking like the photo. The right pack sizes for a small kitchen.
I was with one of the big national distributors for the first two years. They were fine. But fine isn't the relationship I wanted. The week I tried to get a specialty mushroom for a Thursday menu launch and it took six emails to a customer service center to get an answer, I started looking.
HF was straight with me about what they could and couldn't get. The price was competitive. The rep showed up to the restaurant. And when I have a question now, I have an answer same day — not three business days. That's the whole pitch.
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