The Paparella family has been providing distribution to the Italian and Pizza segment of the Food Service Industry in the Southeast for over 35 years, as Bari Italian Foods. Lisa Paparella-Lee, husband Jeff Lee, mother Dolly Paparella, and brother Louis Paparella are proud to announce the next chapter in their family run distribution business. Beginning February, 2008 Bari Italian Foods-Atlanta will become its own entity and begin doing business as Paparella Food Service Corporation (PFS).
Over 21 years ago Jeff and Lisa Lee introduced Bari Italian Foods to Atlanta and eventually 10 States in the Southeast. Jeff and Lisa started with one customer and a 10,000 square foot warehouse. Today, the Atlanta facility spans over 160,000 square feet; and services over 1,100 customers weekly. Through these years, and multiple expansions, the Atlanta facility has always existed as a subsidiary of Bari Importing – Orlando. For several years there have been many family discussions on how and when to make this change for the future. The time has finally arrived. February, 2008 Paparella Food Service Corporation (PFS) was established. In the past, it made economic sense to have the Atlanta facility maintain a relationship with the parent company in Orlando. Over time, the Atlanta facility has become three times the size of the Orlando facility and the synergies that were once enjoyed no longer produce the same efficiencies. The Atlanta facility is strategically positioned to take advantage of the continual growth in the Southeast. The city of Atlanta has become a major hub for commerce and the ports of Savannah and Charleston have become more economical for importing. Â
The Vision of Paparella Food Service (PFS) is to create an environment that will allow our company to bring the best quality products, service, and pricing to the Italian and Pizza industry. Our purpose is to provide a competitive advantage for those companies that choose to partner with PFS. Our goal is to become the best distribution company in the South east by improving all facets of our business. We are committed to investing in our infrastructure. By moving all purchasing responsibilities to Atlanta, we will be able to utilize our purchasing power, manufacturer/vender relationships, product availabilities (both domestic and import) and the economies of scale that our partnership with Bellissimo, a national network of Italian food specialists, has to offer.Â
For those of you that are currently being serviced by Bari Italian Foods-Atlanta, this transition will be seamless. Our business processes will not change. Our phone numbers will be the same. Your Customer numbers, order guides, and the trucks the product arrives on will not change. Over time, our new logos will appear and we will continue to update you on future benefits as they roll out. Please feel free to call us at any time to answer any questions or concerns that you have regarding this transition. Just as with your business, the only way we can compete effectively in this industry is to provide the best quality products and service to our customers. Your feed back is essential for our company to achieve excellence.
These are exciting times for Paparella Food Service and all of the employees that make this organization great. We are a family run business, and will work hard to bring this personal touch to you and your family business.
Thank you for the privilege of being a part of your organization!
Lisa Paparella-Lee
Jeff Lee                     Â
Louis A. Paparella                  Â
Dolly Paparella
