Nearly 125 years of outstanding customer service and tailored solutions propel Wasserstrom to new heights in the food service industry
Founded in 1902, the Wasserstrom Company (Wasserstrom) has been in business for almost 125 years and is now the world’s leading restaurant supplier and distributor of foodservice supplies and equipment. Executive Vice President of Sales, Cathy King, describes how its customized distribution strategy has been integral to Wasserstrom’s success: “We’ve based our company on good service for our customers, by understanding what they need and then tailoring our solutions to those needs. Every customer is unique, and they all have different requirements and challenges. We try to look at those challenges and create a solution that will work best for that customer.
“We have separate solutions for all the various verticals that we serve – grocery, convenience stores, hotels, restaurants, healthcare and senior living chains. Each of these sectors has different challenges and they are all trying to accomplish different things. For example, a hospital experience will be hugely dissimilar to a hotel experience, so we’ve tried to create solutions and product offerings that mimic what our customers need.”
Wasserstrom provides a variety of products, from large equipment to smallwares such as tableware and cookware. It also sells a wide range of specialty items to its customers, including first aid products, grocery items and decor.
“We aim to make our customers’ lives easier by bringing in an inventory and reducing their supplier list, which means we sell a lot of products outside the traditional foodservice space,” explains Cathy. “From a service standpoint, we help our customers open new locations, so we have a lot of large chain clients who we partner with on opening and ensure the product is on site for when they train their staff.
“Wasserman also specializes in Limited Time Offers (LTOs), as some of the big chains have LTOs based on their current promotions. This means we need to deliver the product to those locations in time for the launch of their marketing campaigns.”
Alongside offering customized distribution and specialized services, Wasserstrom has recently launched its Business Accelerator Tools platform, which was created to provide an inside perspective, issue insights and share teachable moments within the restaurant industry. Cathy says: “Our desire is to be a full-service supplier to our customers, which is what drove us to design these Business Accelerator Tools. Essentially, our mission is to be a strategic partner, but these are a great extension of our thought leadership and experience in helping our customers, by taking their business challenges and providing solutions and insights so they can be more successful.”
Cathy also illustrates the background story of Wasserstrom, beginning with Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas approaching the company and asking for help. “Dave came into our retail store and asked my boss’ dad, Rodney Wasserstrom, if he would extend credit, as he wanted to open a burger joint. That’s how we became a national distributor – we helped open the first Wendy’s, in Columbus, Ohio. My boss is the fourth generation in Wasserstrom, which is amazing. And Wendy’s is now a gigantic chain, so we basically grew with them. We still work very closely with them today.”
With its 125th anniversary on the horizon, Cathy credits the company’s impressive ability to adapt as a catalyst to its longevity. “I think Wasserstrom has a very entrepreneurial culture because it was previously a wine distributor, but when prohibition hit, they had to pivot and move into foodservice,” she relays. “During the Covid pandemic, we pivoted in a similar way and began selling sanitizer and PPE products. As events have occurred throughout the company’s history, that entrepreneurial spirit has really taken us through.
“Additionally, our employees have a great deal of experience, and we have some wonderful leaders, so it’s the people who are really at the core of our success. I attended a conference a couple of weeks ago and about 15 different customers stopped to share some fantastic feedback about various members of my team, so I’m just incredibly proud of the wonderful people that we employ.”
Entering 2026, Cathy says Wasserstrom has the same primary focus as always: “One of the priorities that we have every year is growth. To ensure the longevity of the company, you want to make sure that you’re growing, and, with the introduction of AI, we’re focused on understanding how to use technology in a very targeted manner while keeping the company safe. Moreover, customer experience is invariably important for us to remain at the forefront.
“Looking further ahead, our goals remain consistent over the next three to five years. Primarily, it’s always about growth and taking care of our people. We have invested in some new verticals and have started following new customer demographics, and we continue to do a lot of business outside the United States. Our plan is to continue with the same growth mindset that allowed us to flourish in those other countries and enabled us to grow with our customers.
“Wasserstrom has already achieved great things, and we will keep building on this with the support and expertise of our great people, tending to our current customer base and making sure we hold on to the same wonderful customers that we’ve had for many, many years.”