As someone who deals professionally in bulk and volume discount purchasing, I'm partial towards wholesale places. As the name suggests, they are geared towards restaurants and sell many items that commercial kitchens would need only in bulk. Since it is a wholesaler, you do need to have business documents to acquire a membership card and make purchases. But unlike Sam's Club and other wholesale dealers, enrolling to shop here is free. Also, unlike Sam's Club, they also take all major credit cards.
On my first trip there, I snagged a pile of some of the more durable groceries I use: A 25lb pound bag of Thai Jasmine rice for around $18, a 3 liter metal canister of imported Katamala extra virgin olive oil for around $10.00. A 1lb container of dried majoram leaves (I make a lot of curries) for around $5.00. These prices represented immense savings over prices charged at grocery stores and savings of at least 20% over what I've paid at other wholesale locations.
Then I donned a complimentary cold storage coat, entered the HUGE cold food section, and discovered the REAL gem of this place. Tons of meats, veggies, and seafood at REALLY GREAT prices. If you are flexible with your needs, this is a great place to pick up highly discounted meats, vegetables, dairy, and seafood. Talking to the seafood guy, he explained to me that they only stock fresh seafood for four days. This gives buyers ample time to resell the products. On day four, they do price reductions of around 50% off. I landed some really fresh, sushi grade tuna that would have easily cost $15-$20 per pound at a grocery for $5.50 a pound (the smallest portion for sale was three pounds). On another trip, I picked up some HUGE shrimp for about $2.00 per pound (again, in a 3 pound portion). On another trip, I picked up a 3lb crate of really fresh portobello mushrooms for $5.50.
Over all, because of its target, this place has an incredible food selection for a wholesaler. If you can't use 7lbs of strip steak or a whole sack of onions, then maybe coop shopping here with friends or other family members would be your best strategy. General pricing is hit or miss, with many prices being better than other wholesalers and some not. The real gem is that good shoppers with flexible needs who pay attention to the orange price reduction details can walk away with amazing, delicious deals! read more