How to Open a Wholesale Account with Sysco, US Foods, or Any Food Distributor

Quick Answer

• Gather an EIN, business license, resale/tax-exempt certificate, and business bank account before applying.
• Contact a sales rep to apply with Sysco or US Foods; apply directly online with most regional distributors.
• Submit a credit application — approval typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks.
• New businesses with no credit history may need to prepay initial orders before qualifying for credit terms.
• Minimum order requirements are usually lower with regional distributors than with national ones.
• If you’re new to this, our guide on how to calculate restaurant food cost walks through the formula and what percentage to target for your restaurant type.

Introduction

Suppose you’re opening a new restaurant, taking over a kitchen, or tired of paying retail prices for the broth, stock, and staples you buy in bulk; you need a wholesale account with a food distributor. It sounds like a simple phone call, but the process trips up a lot of first-time operators, mostly because nobody tells you what to have ready before you call.

This guide walks through exactly what a wholesale account is, what you need to apply, and how the process differs between the big national distributors (Sysco, US Foods) and smaller regional suppliers.

Note: Not sure which one is right for you? See our comparison of Sysco, US Foods, and regional distributors first.

What Is a Wholesale Food Account?

A wholesale account is a business-only purchasing relationship with a food distributor. Unlike a retail account, where anyone can walk in and buy at consumer prices, a wholesale account gives you:

• Bulk pricing significantly below retail, since you’re buying in case quantities rather than single units, and once you have accounts with multiple distributors, a vendor price comparison tool helps you make sure you’re always getting the best rate across all of them
• Tax-exempt purchasing on items you’re reselling or using in food you sell (this varies by state, but is standard for resale purposes)
• Access to foodservice-only products — bulk broth, stock, and other ingredients packaged for commercial kitchens, not grocery shelves
• Credit terms (with many distributors, once approved) instead of paying cash or card at time of order

In short: it’s the difference between running a real restaurant supply chain and shopping at a warehouse club.

What You Need Before You Apply

Distributors need to verify you’re a legitimate business before extending wholesale pricing or credit. Have these ready:

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number) — your federal tax ID, required for any business account
2. Business license — proof your restaurant or foodservice operation is legally registered
3. Resale or tax-exempt certificate — required in most states if you want to avoid paying sales tax on ingredients you’re reselling as prepared food
4. Business bank account — personal accounts typically won’t qualify you for a business wholesale relationship
5. Estimated order volume — distributors often ask how much you expect to order weekly or monthly; this affects pricing tiers and whether you meet minimum order requirements

Having these documents scanned and ready before you make first contact will speed up approval significantly; incomplete paperwork is the single biggest reason applications stall.

Opening an Account with Sysco or US Foods

The major national distributors have more structure (and more red tape) than smaller suppliers, but the process generally follows the same steps:

1. Contact a sales representative. Both Sysco and US Foods assign accounts to local reps based on your delivery area. You can typically request a rep through their website or by calling a regional office directly.
2. Complete a credit application. This is where your EIN, business license, and financial information come in. Larger distributors often run a credit check, especially if you’re requesting net-30 or similar payment terms rather than paying upfront.
3. Meet minimum order requirements. National distributors usually have minimum order sizes or minimum delivery thresholds, since their logistics are built around full-truck efficiency. Ask your rep directly — this varies by region and route density.
4. Get set up on their ordering platform. Once approved, you’ll typically get access to an online ordering portal or app, plus a printed or digital catalog specific to your account and pricing tier.

Approval timelines vary; some operators are set up within days, others wait a couple of weeks depending on credit review and rep availability. If you need product immediately, ask about prepaid or cash-on-delivery options while your credit application is pending.

Opening an Account with Regional or Independent Distributors

Smaller, regional distributors are often a better starting point for new or independent restaurants, for a few reasons:

• Lower minimum order requirements — useful if your volume isn’t yet high enough to justify a national distributor’s minimums
• Faster, less formal approval — many regional distributors can set up an account with less paperwork and a shorter credit review
• More flexibility on specialty or local products — if you need specific broth, stock, or ingredient brands not carried nationally, a regional supplier is more likely to carry or source them

The tradeoff is typically less aggressive volume pricing than what a national distributor can offer once you’re ordering at scale. Many operators end up using a mix of both — a national distributor for high-volume staples, and a regional supplier for specialty items or as backup during shortages.

Common Reasons Applications Get Delayed or Rejected

If your application stalls, it’s almost always one of these:

• Incomplete documentation — missing EIN, expired business license, or no resale certificate on file
• No established business address — distributors are cautious about delivering to residential addresses or unverified locations
• Insufficient projected volume — some distributors (particularly nationals) may deprioritize very small accounts that don’t meet minimum order thresholds
• New business with no credit history — if you’re a brand-new LLC with no track record, you may be asked to prepay for the first several orders before credit terms are extended

Getting approved is just the starting line. Once orders are flowing through multiple vendors, cost control becomes the ongoing discipline that protects your margins as prices shift week to week.

Managing Multiple Distributor Accounts Once You’re Set Up

Most restaurants don’t stick to a single distributor for long. Once you’re buying from Sysco, US Foods, and a regional supplier or two, a new problem shows up: keeping track of who’s cheapest on which item, this week, without manually comparing invoices line by line.

This is where a lot of independent operators start losing money without realizing it; the same case of broth might be $4 cheaper through your regional distributor one week and cheaper through Sysco the next, and nobody has time to check every order against every vendor.

That’s the exact problem vendor management software is built to solve: comparing prices across every distributor you work with automatically, so you’re always ordering at the best price without doing the math yourself.

FAQs

Do I need a business license to open a wholesale food account?

Yes. Most distributors require proof of a valid business license before they’ll approve a wholesale account, since it confirms you’re a legitimate, registered business rather than a consumer.

Can I open a wholesale account without an EIN?

Generally, no. An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the standard way distributors verify your business for tax and credit purposes. Sole proprietors without an EIN may be able to use a Social Security Number in some cases, but an EIN is strongly recommended and often required.

How long does it take to get approved for a wholesale account?

It varies by distributor. Regional and independent suppliers can sometimes approve accounts within a day or two. National distributors like Sysco and US Foods typically take longer, anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, due to credit review.

Can a brand-new restaurant with no credit history open a wholesale account?

Yes, but likely without credit terms at first. Many distributors will still set up an account for a new business, but require prepayment or cash-on-delivery for initial orders until a payment history is established.

Do I have to choose between Sysco, US Foods, and regional distributors?

No, most restaurants use more than one distributor. It’s common to use a national distributor for high-volume staples and a regional supplier for specialty items, better regional pricing, or as backup during shortages.

Is there a minimum order size for wholesale accounts?

Usually, yes. National distributors tend to have higher minimums due to full-truck delivery logistics, while regional distributors often have lower or no strict minimums. Ask your rep directly, since this varies by delivery area.