New Survey Findings Provide New Evidence as Independent Operators Urge
FTC Scrutiny of Proposed Acquisition of Restaurant Depot by Sysco
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 25, 2026) — The Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) is releasing new findings showing widespread reliance among independent restaurant owners and operators on Restaurant Depot as a competitive check on broadline food distributors, as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reviews Sysco Corporation's $29.1 billion proposed acquisition of Jetro Holdings, parent company of Restaurant Depot. Between April and June, the IRC collected firsthand evidence from independent operators across the country regarding supplier behavior, pricing dynamics, and the role of Restaurant Depot as a competitive alternative to broadline distribution.
Three in four independent operators who shop at both Sysco and Restaurant Depot use one against the other to negotiate better pricing, and 70% said doing so has gotten them a price cut, credit, or service improvement. For operators who split their purchases between Sysco and Restaurant Depot, that leverage is worth real money: the median reported savings is $15,000 a year, with some operators reporting savings as high as $400,000. Seventy-five percent of all respondents currently purchase from Restaurant Depot, and 26% purchase from both Restaurant Depot and Sysco directly, the two companies this merger would combine.
"Independent restaurant operators are already squeezed by rising prices, shifting surcharges, inconsistent inventory, and rigid purchasing terms," said Erika Polmar, Executive Director of the IRC. "What this survey makes clear is that Restaurant Depot is often the only leverage these businesses have left. Take it away and there’s nothing between independent restaurants and whatever price Sysco decides to charge.”
For decades, independent restaurants have relied on two channels for essential goods like cooking oil, flour, cleaning supplies, packaging, and other staples: broadline distributors such as Sysco and cash-and-carry wholesalers like Restaurant Depot. Respondents to this survey describe hat competition as a direct, practical safeguard against unchecked pricing power. Without it, independent operators will find themselves with far fewer options, limited negotiating leverage, and little recourse against rising costs.
"We used to order all of our beef from Buckhead Beef before Sysco acquired them and the availability and quality went down while the price increased. One of the many reasons we left Sysco."— Full-service restaurant, Atlanta, GA.
Among the survey's findings:
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Restaurant Depot resolves real-time supply problems. 98% of Restaurant Depot users said the ability to walk in and buy without minimums or delivery windows has saved them from a supply shortage or last-minute emergency.
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Competitive leverage produces real savings. Among operators who purchase from both Sysco and Restaurant Depot, median documented annual savings is $15,000, with some operators reporting savings as high as $400,000 a year.
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Operators actively use that leverage. Among operators who purchase from both Sysco and Restaurant Depot, 76% said they have used one company's pricing against the other to negotiate better terms.
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That leverage gets results. 70% of those same operators said doing so has gotten them a price cut, credit, or service improvement.
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Consolidation is already making this harder. 92% of all respondents said consolidation in food distribution has made negotiating prices and holding distributors accountable more difficult; less than 1% said it has gotten easier.
Together, Sysco and Restaurant Depot would generate approximately $98.5 billion in annual revenue, combining Sysco's network of more than 700,000 foodservice operators with Restaurant Depot's 725,000 customers across 167 warehouses in 35 states.
Independent restaurants aren't a footnote in the economy—they're local employers, community gathering places, and drivers of economic activity. If Sysco controls both the prices restaurants pay and their primary alternative, the competitive pressure that keeps costs in check will dissipate. Independent restaurants lose leverage, communities lose businesses, and consumers ultimately lose choice. That's why the Independent Restaurant Coalition is urging the FTC to block this transaction.
About the Independent Restaurant Coalition
The Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) is the national voice for independent restaurants and bars. Founded in March 2020, the IRC advocates for policies that protect independent operators from the economic forces that threaten their survival, including rising costs, consolidation, and an uneven regulatory playing field. The IRC ensures that the owners and operators who anchor their communities have a place in federal policy conversations that directly affect their businesses.