International specialty and gourmet foods are prized by customers longing for exotic food and exotic food recipes. International gourmet food can also be difficult to find in the United States, especially in certain regions. As a restaurant or food business owner, you can gain loyal customers by catering to those who long for foreign gourmet foods. You can create such foods in your own kitchen, or you may buy ready-made foods to make your job easier. Specialty foods can be time-consuming to make, and purchasing them ready-made allows you and your employees to focus on other food areas where you excel, saving time and energy in the long run.

Although it's not always easy to find food and beverage distribution companies specializing in international gourmet foods, as you can imagine, the products such distributors carry can be vast and varied. When buying international specialty food, follow these steps:

1. Determine which international specialty foods your customers most crave.

2. Research sources for exotic gourmet foods that specialize in the types of products you wish to carry.

3. Purchase international specialty and gourmet foods, and feature them prominently at your restaurant or other food business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Embrace exotic foods

After deciding what types of international foods you wish you carry in your restaurant or other food business, the next step is to find distributors who can supply those specialty foods. Many distributors carry only foods from particular regions of the world, while a handful can supply you with food from several regions.

I recommend: Prima Foods sells Greek foods at wholesale prices. Eurofoodmart.com is an international gourmet specialties company offering food products from Romania, Norway, Sweden, Russia and other countries.

Choose organic international gourmet specialties

If your customers appreciate organic products, you'll definitely want to consider stocking organic international specialty and gourmet food. Bear in mind that European and American standards for organic products are similar, and food marked 'organic' and sold in the United States must pass our government's standards.

I recommend: OBE Beef offers quality organic Australian beef, while King Soba carries organic grains, such as beans and noodles; click on "Products" in the left-hand menu to learn more.

Supply international gourmet beverage specialties

Your stock of exotic gourmet food won't be complete without exploring foreign beverages. Many companies supplying you with international food will also be able to help you with beverages.

I recommend: Il Mercato offers Italian beverages such as espresso, mineral water, Italian soda and more. Best Food of Mediterranean sells Turkish hot and cold drinks, juices and alcoholic beverages.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep careful track of which international specialty food sells best (and what sells poorly) so you can alter your future orders accordingly.