CHEF

Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc.

A distributor of specialty foods and premium proteins that supplies more than 55,000 restaurants, hotels, and country clubs with everything from artisan cheeses to center-of-the-plate cuts. The company grew out of a family butter-and-egg business started in New York in 1956, and its pivot to high-end ingredients came after co-founder Chris Pappas played professional basketball in Europe and discovered specialty foods American chefs couldn't easily find. Its name reflects that mission: a warehouse built for chefs.