Partnership Launches LaFrieda's First Full Regional Rollout Atlanta-based specialty food distributor Inland Foods has partnered with Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors to distribute premium beef across the Southeast. The arrangement marks PLMP's first full-scale distribution expansion in the region and pairs the New York butcher's century-old expertise with Inland's nearly five decades of established relationships and market infrastructure. "We know this market, and we spend a lot of time listening to what chefs, operators and independent retailers need," said Chris Rosenberger, President of Inland Foods. "Our strength is connecting those dots for our customers. Pat LaFrieda & his company bring a level of expertise, quality, and reputation that we believe chefs and culinary professionals across the Southeast should have access to, and this partnership allows us to bring that directly to them."
Curated Product Assortment Designed for Regional Market The partnership includes a curated collection developed specifically for the Southeast, spanning portion-controlled filets, ribeyes, New York strips, porterhouses, specialty bone-in cuts, dry-aged selections, and the Original LaFrieda Burger. All offerings are 100% Black Angus, with Upper Choice and USDA Prime options plus a Prime 850 Club Porterhouse. Products are intentionally packed in smaller case sizes to support inventory management and flexibility for restaurants, independent markets, and butcher shops. The three-generation LaFrieda company, founded in 1922, operates two USDA-inspected facilities totaling more than 150,000 square feet and supplies approximately 2,000 restaurants nationwide. "We've spent more than a century building our reputation one cut, one restaurant and one relationship at a time," said Patrick LaFrieda, fourth-generation butcher and CEO. "As we looked at expanding our presence in the Southeast, we wanted a partner that had built its business the same way."
Inland's Strategic Refocus on Southeast Market Inland, founded in Atlanta in 1977 as a seafood distributor, has evolved to include premium meats and artisan provisions. Following a strategic realignment of its distribution footprint earlier this year, the company is concentrating resources in the Southeast, where it maintains deep customer relationships and operational infrastructure. Todd Ginsberg, Chef/Partner at Rye Restaurants, noted the value of regional access: "There's a level of quality and craftsmanship behind the product that you can see in the cuts and, ultimately, taste on the plate. Having access to that kind of program here in the Southeast — through a distributor we already know and trust — is something I think a lot of chefs are going to be excited about."
Why It Matters
For Southeast foodservice operators and retailers, this partnership expands access to a proven premium beef supplier without requiring direct relationships with a New York-based vendor. Inland's regional logistics and existing kitchen relationships create an on-ramp for chefs and independent retailers to trial LaFrieda products at lower commitment thresholds via smaller case sizes—a practical consideration for operators managing tight margins and storage constraints.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
