Chicago: ‘My Kind’ of Produce Town

The city’s food scene fuels strong demand for fresh produce.

From the classic deep-dish, by way of long-established pizza and Italian food outlets, to Mexican and Latin influences and the more recent growth in French cuisine, Chicago’s dining industry has it all. Taken as a whole, the Windy City boasts close to 12,000 restaurants, according to Dataessential, with produce playing a key role across the industry.

Rated one of the top food cities in the U.S, Chicago, IL, residents spend more than $1,000 each month on dining out — putting it in fourth place in the country as a whole — with most willing to pay premium prices for quality, Current Backyard’s 2025 City Food Culture Study found.

Serving much of this demand is the 33-acre Chicago International Produce Market (CIPM), a state-of-the-art produce market home to more than 22 independent produce merchants and one of the few facilities of its kind left in the country.

Based at the CIPM, La Galera Produce, also known as Galera Fresh, opened for business in 2004, when its primary focus was on importing Mexican produce. The company evolved to focus on the U.S. market, adding Western vegetables, including potatoes and onions.

According to Galera’s chief communications officer, Francine Cossyleon, one of the key factors that most characterizes Chicago as a market for produce is its dynamism, “with competition at every corner.”

As such, she says it’s critical for businesses like Galera to stay competitive and humble. “We must make it easy for grocery stores to work with us,” she explains. “Sometimes, that means flexibility on payment terms or accepting unjustified returns.”

Over the past two years, Galera has further extended its range with U.S.-grown fruits and, most recently, Asian produce. “We’ve come a long way, and recognize that, given the changing markets and demographics in Chicago, our best bet is to provide for the masses,” says Cossyleon.

“The changing demographics and consumer trends keep us on our feet.”

A UNIQUE PRODUCE TOWN

Basciani Foods has grown mushrooms in Pennsylvania for 101 years and distributed them in Chicago for over 40 years from its own dedicated facility. Chief Executive Michael Basciani embraces the appeal of the city. “I love Chicago. I love the Midwestern people, I love this town. You go to Chicago, it’s some of the best food ever.”

“Chicago is the eating town. You’ve got deep-dish, and there are some great small restaurants out there. You go to Chicago, it’s some of the best food ever.”
— Michael Basciani, Basciani Foods, Avondale, PA

One of the first companies to do daily deliveries from Pennsylvania to Chicago, and redistribution across the city, Basciani Foods has achieved success by tailoring its mushroom offer to the needs of chefs and foodservice operators in the metropolis.

“Other mushroom companies are retail-oriented; I went strong into foodservice and almost did it like kitchen prep — how can I help your restaurant or office building or school, so there’s less laboring in kitchens to have more tables in your restaurants,” Basciani explains.

More recently, Basciani has focused on providing sliced mushrooms with a longer shelf life via freezable, 5-pound bags, as well as marinated mushrooms. Over the years, Basciani has also carefully added complementary items, such as shallots and onions.

Since its beginning 30 years ago, Midwest Foods, with locations in Chicago and Kenosha, WI, has focused on supplying specialty and seasonal produce to chefs, institutions and culinary professionals across Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. The company has grown into a full-service partner across the supply chain, with a strong emphasis on value-added solutions, according to Midwest President Erin Fitzgerald. More recently, it has added premium spices and signature blends following the acquisition of a spice company.

Another major area of growth has been in-house production, including the Edible Cuts line of pre-cut fruits and vegetables and grab-and-go offerings, designed to help operators address labor challenges, improve consistency, and increase efficiency.

Fitzgerald describes Chicago as being “one of the most demanding produce markets in the country,” driven by both its diversity and the level of expectation from operators.

“Across the board, there is very little tolerance for inconsistency. Operators expect reliability, quality, and access to unique or specialty items as a baseline, not a differentiator.”
— Erin Fitzgerald, Midwest Foods, Chicago, IL

“The dining scene spans Michelin-starred restaurants to high-volume neighborhood concepts, but that same expectation for quality and consistency extends across sectors including healthcare, education, and large-scale foodservice environments,” she says.

“Ultimately, our role is to help customers navigate a market that moves quickly and leaves little room for error,” Fitzgerald says. “We are built to match the pace and expectations of Chicago’s food scene.”

Headquartered in Chicago, but with additional distribution centers in Maryland, California and Texas, Sun Belle markets and ships fresh berries — blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and golden berries — nationwide and to Mexico, Canada, Europe and Asia. The company recently launched Craveabelles, a new, premium blackberry brand.

According to Taylor Hazelwood, Sun Belle’s vice president of sales, Chicago’s appeal as a produce market lies in its central location and iconic city architecture, “layered with vibrant culture and cuisine” from all over the world.

With an estimated 69 million people in the Midwest, making up around 20% of the U.S. population, Hazelwood says Chicago is also significant as a produce hub by sheer population density.

“With that, there is high demand for fresh produce for an array of needs,” she says.

To the north of the Chicago urban center, Heartland Produce Company works to serve retailers and foodservice providers throughout the upper Midwest from its base in Kenosha, principally through its Organic Indeed- and Fresh Indeed-branded packaged fresh produce.

According to Heartland president Ryan Dietz, the company’s focus on locally sourced, in-season organic produce has been key to helping retailers and other partners drive sales, while supporting local growers.

“Local produce grown in the Midwest in season is some of the best product available anywhere.”
— Ryan Dietz, Heartland Produce, Kenosha, WI

Dietz says Chicago represents a diverse retail landscape in which stores do an excellent job of catering to the ethnic neighborhoods in which they reside. “Heartland works to make sure the right balance of quality and value of product is offered to these stores, allowing value to be passed along to the consumer.”

A CENTRAL HUB

According to Fitzgerald, Chicago is one of the most strategic markets in the country for produce distribution, primarily because of its central location and infrastructure.

“It serves as a major transportation hub, with access to national trucking lanes and air freight, which allows for efficient inbound and outbound movement of product,” she says. “That positioning gives us the ability to source from multiple growing regions and maintain consistent supply across seasons.”

Another advantage is the diversity of the market, Fitzgerald adds, with Chicago able to support a wide range of customers, from chef-driven restaurants to large institutional operators.

However, that complexity is also a challenge. “It is an extremely competitive market with tight margins and high expectations around quality, consistency, and service,” Fitzgerald explains. “Customers are sophisticated and price-aware, and there is very little room for error.

A produce marketer/shipper, Sun Belle uses its Chicago hub as a central gateway for both domestic and imported berries. It’s a streamlined model that enables the company to ensure a consistent supply of berries, while maintaining rigorous quality control standards, says Mike Dixon, Sun Belle’s senior sales account manager and a Chicago native.

“Chicago has long been a central hub of the nation,” adds fellow Chicagoan and senior sales account manager, Troy Elliott. “From the early days of railroad and shipping to modern times of trucking and air, many items come through Chicago before their final destination. Chicago was built on transportation. This allows us to have more flexibility when procuring produce.”

A GROWING NETWORK

“Being centrally located in the Midwest gives us the flexibility to leverage all growing areas and ports of entry in the USA,” says Dietz at Heartland. “This allows us a tremendous amount of flexibility to take advantage of opportunities as they arise and pass them along to our partners.”

Fitzgerald says the company’s proximity to key growing regions is a core advantage in how it sources and moves product. “Being based in Chicago and Wisconsin puts us within immediate reach of strong regional supply, including Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, while also positioning us as a central hub for national distribution.”

As an urban center, Fitzgerald says Chicago benefits from a unique geographic advantage with a proximity to Michigan — the second most agriculturally diverse state in the U.S. — as well as other Midwest producers that support seasonal and regional sourcing.

That proximity, Fitzgerald continues, enables Midwest’s buyers to maintain direct relationships with growers and stay closely connected to what is happening in the field. “Because we are integrated across the supply chain, from grower relationships through distribution, we have greater visibility into crop conditions, tighter quality control, and the ability to make faster, more informed sourcing decisions as markets shift.”

From a logistics standpoint, Fitzgerald describes Chicago as one of the most efficient distribution points in the country, with major trucking lanes running through the region and access to air freight via O’Hare International Airport. Thanks to this infrastructure, she says Midwest is able to source from multiple regions simultaneously and pivot quickly in response to weather events, seasonality, or supply disruptions.

AN IDEAL PLATFORM

But in this age of retail consolidation, the question surely has to be asked: How are wholesale markets managing to survive and thrive? And what part do independent retailers play?

For Dietz, wholesale markets and wholesalers in general do an excellent job of helping smooth out the swings in supply and demand. “They work extremely hard to market product in excess supply situations, partnering with retailers that are able to push product in volume at a huge value to the consumer.”

Galera’s Cossyleon says it’s clear consumers are holding all grocery stores to a higher standard. “Grocery stores need to draw customers with both prices and good quality, so that’s where we come in.
“We partner with great farms to ensure we provide the best products; even with slight price fluctuations, our grocery store partners stick with us. I think our farm and grocery partnerships really help us see through the rough patches, and vice versa. Galera Fresh supports them with their weekly ads when possible to help draw in our customers.”

Sun Belle’s Hazelwood argues the key to continuing to thrive in today’s dynamic marketplace is a combination of exceptional customer service, superior quality and freshness, expert product handling, and continuous innovation.

“Amid ongoing market consolidation, the produce and berry sector continues to evolve and thrive by moving beyond its traditional role as a commodity supplier,” she says, adding Sun Belle is leaning into advanced technology, sustainability initiatives, and the specialized needs of retailers and consumers.

Dixon views independent retailers as playing a vital role as strategic partners, providing an ideal platform to test new products and varieties. “These partnerships deliver immediate, real-world feedback on shopper preferences, allowing Sun Belle to refine offerings and stay ahead of market trends,” he says. “Independent retailers provide a critical, community-focused, and highly adaptable sales channel that keeps the market vibrant and responsive.”