Wholesalers & ingredients
Good ingredients at the right price, delivered to your door. Here is how the wholesalers work and how to push prices down.
Swedish pizzerias often buy from wholesalers like Menigo, Martin & Servera and Svensk Cater. They deliver everything from flour and cheese to vegetables and boxes. Open accounts with two wholesalers, compare prices on your key items and negotiate once you know what you buy most of.
How to get started with a wholesaler
All the major wholesalers take on new restaurants. You only need a registered company. After that, the process is simple:
- Apply for a customer account on the wholesaler's website. It takes a few days.
- New customers often pay upfront at first. After a few months you may get invoicing terms.
- Order online the night before and get delivery in the morning
- Ask for a sales rep. A name and a number are gold when something goes wrong
The items that decide your pizza
Do not cut corners on what people can taste. Save money on what the guest will not notice.
- Flour: tipo 00 for pizza. Buy full 25 kg sacks.
- Cheese: pizza cheese in blocks is cheapest. Mozzarella for specialty pizzas.
- Tomatoes: crushed Italian tomatoes in large tins
- Kebab meat: choose a supplier you trust. It is Sweden's top-selling topping.
- Boxes: buy by the pallet and the unit price drops by half
How to get better prices
Wholesale prices are rarely fully fixed. The businesses that ask usually get a discount.
- Compare the same ten items at two wholesalers every three months
- Show the competitor's price and ask them to match it
- Buy bulk packs of what you use every day
- Team up with nearby restaurants and negotiate together
The big wholesalers in Sweden
All three deliver across almost the whole country:
Menigo
Full rangeOne of Sweden's biggest restaurant wholesalers. Strong on pizza ingredients and with their own lower-cost brands.
Go to pageMartin & Servera
BiggestSweden's largest restaurant wholesaler. Broad range, dependable deliveries and good digital tools.
Go to pageSvensk Cater
Local feelAvailable in many towns and often more personal with small restaurants. Easy to get a dedicated contact.
Go to pageMany pizzerias also use local meat and produce suppliers. Ask other owners in your town who they use.
Common questions
Can I buy from Ica or Willys instead?
In an emergency, yes. But wholesale prices are often 20 to 40 percent lower and they deliver. The supermarket is a backup when you run out of cheese on a Saturday, not your normal supply chain.
How much stock should I buy for the launch?
Less than you think. Order one week at a time for the first months. It is better to buy more often than to throw away old food.
What do I do if the delivery does not show up?
Always keep a small reserve of the essentials: flour, cheese and tomatoes. And keep accounts with two wholesalers. Then the other one can save the weekend.
Ingredients in place? Build the menu.
Fewer dishes and the right prices. The menu decides how much you earn.