Buying wholesale
Who can buy from a wholesale food distributor?
Any registered business that resells, serves or uses product commercially can buy from a wholesale food distributor — restaurants, cafés, grocers, retailers, caterers, delis and similar foodservice or retail operations. It isn't limited to large chains or long-established accounts; a single-location café is treated the same way as a multi-site grocer, though the two will naturally see different case counts on their quotations. What matters is that the buying is for the business, not for personal use. This mirrors how the wider Levantine and Middle Eastern food trade generally treats wholesale buyers — the category is built around commercial use, not a specific business size or years in operation.
At Levant Direct that means the same inquiry process is open to any of these buyer types — you don't need an existing trade relationship or a minimum size to start; you need a business and a list of what you want priced.
The buyer types wholesale is built for
Wholesale distribution exists to serve businesses that move product onward — by cooking it, plating it, reselling it, or putting it on a shelf. That covers a wide range of operations: restaurants and shawarma shops, cafés and bakeries, independent grocers and specialty retailers, caterers, delis and sandwich shops, and hotels running a breakfast or food program. This range of buyer types reflects how demand for Levantine pantry goods has grown across the GTA — restaurants and grocers are joined increasingly by cafés, caterers and specialty retailers, all sourcing from the same eight supplier houses across Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Türkiye and Egypt.
Size isn't the gate. A small café buying a handful of cases a month and a grocery chain buying dozens of cases weekly are both wholesale buyers — the volume simply shapes the case counts and pricing on their respective quotations, not whether they can buy at all.
The same applies across categories. A grocer stocking Aleppo soap for retail, a café pouring Arabic coffee, and a caterer building a bulk order of natural oils are all ordinary wholesale buyers — the category, not the business type, determines what's available to quote.
How this differs from personal or one-off buying
Wholesale is priced and packed for businesses buying by the case, not individuals buying a single jar for home use. That's the practical dividing line — not a licence check or a formal vetting step, but the fact that formats, case sizes and quoting are all built around commercial quantities and commercial use.
If you're unsure whether your business fits, the simplest approach is to send an inquiry describing what you do and what you're looking for — see how the process works — and let the quotation confirm the fit.
There's also no separate 'wholesale membership' to apply for beyond sending that first inquiry. A business doesn't need to prove trading history or provide references before pricing is available — the inquiry itself, with your business details, is the starting point.
What to include so your inquiry is treated correctly
- Name your business type — restaurant, café, grocer, caterer, retailer — so the quote reflects realistic formats for how you'll use the product.
- Give a contact and business name, covered in full in what documents a wholesale buyer needs.
- List products and quantities, browsing the full catalogue or a specific category to start.
- Mention your delivery location so pricing reflects how delivery works across the GTA.
- Ask if unsure — if your business model doesn't fit neatly into a familiar category, describe it in your inquiry message and let the quotation confirm the fit.
Related questions
Do I need to be a restaurant specifically?
No. Restaurants are one of many buyer types — cafés, grocers, retailers and caterers all buy wholesale in the same way. Naming your business type in your inquiry simply helps the quote fit your format.
What if I'm a caterer without a storefront?
That's fine — caterers are a normal wholesale buyer type. Delivery and quantities are confirmed the same way, based on what your inquiry describes.
Can an individual buy at wholesale for personal use?
Wholesale is built around commercial buyers and case-based formats rather than single-unit personal purchases. If you're a business, send an inquiry — this catalogue isn't structured for one-off personal orders.
Does a new business need trading history to buy wholesale?
No — a new business can send an inquiry the same as an established one. Quotations are based on what you're ordering, not how long you've been operating.