Two of the Baltimore area’s oldest food companies are joining forces. Last month, Saval Foods LLC announced it has acquired Pastore’s Italian Wholesale Distributor.
Both family-owned companies can trace their roots to Lombard Street in Baltimore where Pastore’s (founded in 1898) operated a grocery store and Saval was processing corned beef and other meat products at its plant on the same historic street.
Pastore’s ultimately evolved into an Italian food products distributor focusing on its own Sun of Italy brand while Saval expanded its offerings and is now one of the biggest local foodservice distributors in the Baltimore-Washington market. The Elkridge, MD-based firm also serves the retail trade, and the addition of the Sun of Italy brand will enhance Saval’s retail presence.
“I grew up on Lombard Street – Corned Beef Row – where my family ran a grocery store. Just down the block was Saval Foods, making corned beef, roast beef, and pastrami. We all knew each other back then, and that connection is what led me to reach out to Paul and Brian (Saval),” said Mike Pastore Sr. “I’m very proud of the Sun of Italy label, and keeping the tradition going in the family, so I’m very proud that Saval Foods is interested [in] building on the label and making it bigger than what it is today.”
Brian Saval, president of the company’s 1932 Specialty Produce & Meat division and executive VP of Saval Foodservice, added, “We are proud to carry on the Pastore family’s remarkable 127-year legacy. Their dedication to quality and service aligns closely with our own values, and we are excited to introduce the Sun of Italy brand to our customers while expanding our support of Italian restaurants throughout the region. I’m grateful to Mike Pastore Sr. for choosing us to carry the business forward, and I look forward to having his team and Mike Pastore Jr. join the Saval family as we continue to grow the Sun of Italy legacy together.”
Paul Saval, president of Saval Foodservice, shared his perspective on the acquisition: “Sun of Italy is a brand we’ve admired for decades. It represents the kind of time-tested quality, community connection, and commitment to tradition that resonates not only with our customers, but also with the values we uphold at Saval. We’re committed to preserving what has made it special while helping it reach more kitchens, from homes to restaurants, across the region.”
As noted earlier, Mike Pastore Jr. will join Saval Foodservice as business development director for Sun of Italy, helping lead the brand’s continued growth while honoring its tradition of high-quality Italian products.
