Foster foodservices
Dependably Fresh
Foster’s freshness roots run deep. For over 120 years, we’ve been a trusted source of fresh produce, and have expanded our offerings to include dairy, specialities and more.
Specialized Distribution for Every Industry
Built on over 100 years of doing things right, Foster has the expertise to deliver a reliable, temperature-controlled logistics network that fits today's food industry perfectly. We take pride in serving businesses all over the southeastern US – and from North Carolina to South Carolina, our dedicated delivery routes ensure that your products get delivered on time, intact, and under strict temperature control. No matter where you are within our service area, our own fleet of vehicles takes care of getting your inventory to you – when you need it. Our services include:
Corporate multi-unit restaurants
Health care facilities
Fine dining
Fast casual
Retail
Educational institutions
Military and government installations
Hotels and resorts
Non-profit organizations
Cruise ships and casinos
Commercial Food Service
From the controlled chaos of a commercial kitchen to the ruthless competition of a grocery shelf, modern food service runs on consistency, speed, and margin discipline. Foster provides the logistics infrastructure and field-to-fork visibility to keep high-pressure operations running without a hitch — whether you’re expanding your regional footprint or tracking down the one specialty ingredient that defines your menu. Our distribution network is built to flex around your operation: your volume, your standards, your turnaround windows.
- Corporate Multi-Unit Restaurants: Keeping quality consistent across dozens of locations isn’t easy. We streamline regional supply chains with dependable delivery schedules, uniform produce standards, and cost controls that protect your margins — location by location.
- Fine Dining: When a menu lives or dies by its ingredients, sourcing can’t be an afterthought. We connect chefs to premium, specialty products and ultra-fresh produce that hold up to the exacting standards of high-end culinary programs.
- Fast Casual: Fast growth demands a supply chain that can keep pace. We deliver uniform, portion-controlled, prep-ready items on a schedule built for speed — so your expansion never outruns your supply.
- Retail: High-volume grocery fulfillment, backed by reliable cross-docking and cold-chain infrastructure that keeps product moving and shelves stocked.
Public and Institutional
Supplying public and institutional sectors is a different kind of challenge. It goes well beyond standard logistics — it requires navigating regulatory frameworks, security protocols, and food safety standards that leave no room for error. Foster holds the certifications and auditing credentials to handle complex institutional supply chains with the rigor they demand. We work directly with public and private administrators to ensure that patients, students, and service members receive fresh, nutritious food delivered safely, every time.
- Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals, care centers, and assisted living environments operate under strict requirements — and we take that seriously. We maintain the cold-chain precision, detailed tracking, and thorough safety audits these settings require, without exception.
- Educational Institutions: Students deserve fresh, safe food on a schedule they can depend on. As a trusted school foodservice distributor, we treat food safety and delivery reliability as non-negotiables — not benchmarks.
- Military and Government Installations: We’re fully equipped to meet secure-access delivery protocols, strict procurement guidelines, and defense-level quality standards — with the credentials and operational experience to back it up.
Hospitality and Community
Hospitality and community operations run on momentum — high volumes, shifting demands, and delivery windows that can’t slip. Whether you’re coordinating multi-point drop-offs across a major resort or stretching a tight budget to feed your community, you need a distribution partner that works around your schedule, not the other way around. Foster synchronizes deliveries with your operational rhythm, managing the complexity so you can stay focused on the people you’re there to serve.
- Hotels and Resorts: From catering halls to in-room dining, we support large-scale hospitality operations with flexible, high-volume fulfillment that adapts as your needs shift.
- Cruise Ships and Casinos: Massive venues with exacting delivery windows need a partner who gets it right every time. We’re built for the scale and precision that entertainment, maritime, and gaming operations demand.
- Non-Profit Organizations: Everyone deserves access to good food. We work with food banks, shelters, and community feeding programs to provide dependable, cost-effective bulk distribution where it’s needed most.up.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How does fresh produce distribution work?
Getting fresh produce from farm to our customers is a carefully coordinated process — and timing is everything. It starts with sourcing high-quality products from agricultural partners we know and trust. When inventory arrives at our SQF-certified facility, our team sorts it into the right temperature and humidity-controlled zones to preserve freshness and extend shelf life.
For produce that needs a little more attention — bananas, avocados, pears — we use dedicated ripening rooms equipped with advanced air-scrubbing and ethylene ionization systems. These allow us to manage the natural ripening process with real precision, so we can deliver fruit at exactly the color and firmness our customers need. From there, orders are picked, carefully packed, and loaded onto our refrigerated fleet, which maintains strict temperature parameters from our dock to our customers.
How do I place a wholesale order with Foster?
Getting started is straightforward. New commercial clients can reach our onboarding team through our online contact form or by calling us directly at 1-800-289-8344. Once your wholesale account is set up, you’ll receive secure access to our digital ordering platform — where you can browse your real-time inventory, place bulk orders for fresh produce and dairy, manage invoicing, and schedule recurring deliveries that fit your operation.
What types of products do you distribute?
We’re best known for our wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, but we’re a full-service foodservice partner. Beyond fresh produce, our distribution network covers a broad range of consumer dry goods — including paperware and beverages — as well as specialty shelf-stable ingredients to round out your program.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING
The Village Tavern has been partnering with Foster for many years. We buy only the highest quality, freshest products. The Village Tavern has a very large menu, every item is made from scratch daily in house. That being said, we are a very demanding customer. Foster over these many years has always exceeded our expectations with the quality of their produce and great service.
What stands out the most is the great people at Foster are true partners. That is hard to find these days.
As a Grower to Foster for 25 years – Foster understands the true meaning of Partnership. With Mother Nature playing a significant role – Foster’s Team is understanding and helps with creating solutions for our crops. Loyalty, Collaborative and Quality Oriented are significant Partnership Qualities Foster endures in our long term relationship.
What a game-changer.
I would definitely recommend Foster and will definitely be ordering again.
We can’t understand how we’ve been living without Foster. I can’t say enough good things. They’ve really helped our business.
EXCELLENT all around. Great communication. Great customer experience. Great for our business.
DOING BUSINESS WITH US.
Not all organizations operate the same. We embrace a customizable approach with each of our partners. We’re as high-tech or high-touch as you want to be. Whatever works best for you and your business, we’ve got your back. And, when it comes to the food supply chain, we’ve got the middle.
Let’s Kick Fresh Up A Notch
Foster holds strong relationships and shared successes in the highest regard. We are honest, committed, hardworking, and at our best when working with like-minded partners. An in-this-together mentality is foundational to who we are.
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