LA & SF Specialty is excited to be starting 2020 with a new company name, Vesta Foodservice. Vesta Foodservice is the new dba of LA Specialty Produce Co., which remains the corporate entity and has the same ownership and structure in place.

Understanding that a company name change can often signify other changes, Founder and President Michael Glick explained that it is only the dba that is changing and it was needed to match the company’s expansion over the last 35 years. “Our growth is a testament to our unwavering focus on taking care of our customers, suppliers, and employees," he said. "That continued focus was the impetus for taking a deep dive into our company brand and the decision to change the company name.”

“LA Specialty Produce started in 1985 in downtown Los Angeles and quickly grew," said Rick Fisher, vice president of sales and marketing. "As our customers opened new restaurants in other cities, we were asked to expand our distribution capabilities to continue to serve them. By 2001, we had distribution facilities in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. Vesta Foodservice includes all of our locations, employees, and expanded product lines. While Los Angeles and San Francisco are very important customer bases for us, we also have important customers and great teams working throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona.”

The company has not only grown in locations, but also in product lines. Produce is still a very important part of the business, but it now carries over 3,700 nonproduce SKUs that include dairy, cheese, charcuterie and many more specialty grocery items.

Vesta Foodservice believes the new name has not only unified its employees, it has energized them to find new ways to serve and add value to their customers. A new website, expanded facilities, and additional product lines are just a few of the projects they are planning for 2020. Explaining the new name, the company shared that Vesta is the Roman goddess of the hearth, home, and family, but more importantly, represents the eternal flame. The eternal flame is a symbol of the fire used in kitchens to transform simple ingredients into amazing meals and also represents the company’s commitment, dependability, and consistency as a foodservice distributor.