This Philly-Based Business Helps Chefs Create Magic
Julius Silvert, Inc. is a specialty food distributor serving chefs, restaurants and culinary institutions across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic for 110 years. We spoke with CIO Steve Singer about this fourth-generation, family-owned business.
What is your business and how did it get started?
Our story starts with one man—Julius Silvert, a Russian immigrant with big dreams and a deep love for food. After studying agriculture in New Jersey, he opened a small storefront on Lancaster Avenue, selling butter and eggs. That storefront became something more: a trusted source for local restaurants, where Julius began breaking down bulk ingredients into usable portions. Before long, he was supplying some of the biggest names in Philly’s wholesale scene.
That same entrepreneurial spirit has carried us through four generations. We’ve supplied military bases during WWII, introduced specialty imports to the region in the ’70s and ’80s, and built long-standing partnerships with some of the area’s most respected chefs.
Today, we’re still family-run with the Sorkin Family leading the business. I joined as Chief Information Officer to help bring that legacy into the digital age. In 2025, we launched our B2B e-commerce platform to make ordering faster and smarter, because service is what this company was founded on, and it’s what still drives us.
Now in our 110th year, we’re proud to keep evolving while staying true to what matters most: helping chefs do what they do best.
Why develop your business in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is the unsung hero of the American food world. This city doesn’t chase the spotlight—it builds it, plate by plate, chef by chef. We’ve been rooted here for over a century because Philly has always embraced food with grit, soul, and authenticity. It’s where cultures blend, old-world techniques meet new-school hustle, and neighborhood kitchens turn out flavors that rival fine dining.
From our early days on Lancaster Avenue to our facility in Hunting Park, this city has shaped how we operate and who we serve. We’ve grown up alongside Philly’s chefs and restaurateurs, supplying everything from microgreens to marrow bones, with urgency, consistency, and a deep sense of partnership. When a chef calls us at 11 p.m. to get something on the morning truck, we find a way.
Yes, we serve NYC, D.C., and other cities. But Philly is different. The talent runs deep, the expectations are high, and the appreciation for great product is baked into every kitchen. This city has edge and heart, and that’s why we’ve stayed, expanded, and continue to invest in the people and plates that make Philly a true food city.
What is one thing Philadelphians would be surprised to know about your business?
Even though we’re a major supplier to top restaurants across the East Coast, we’re still proudly independent—not a corporate distributor. We’ve quietly helped fuel some of the most celebrated menus on the East Coast. Also: our delivery drivers might know more chefs on a first-name basis than anyone in the city.
What goals have you set moving forward?
As we celebrate our 110th year, our goal is to stay rooted in what’s made us successful—while building for what’s next. I’m incredibly proud of how this company shows up every single day—with urgency, care, and a deep sense of accountability. In food distribution, there’s no margin for error. A missed case can throw off an entire service. That reality drives everything we do.
We recently launched our B2B e-commerce portal to give chefs more flexibility—especially after hours. It wasn’t built for buzz; it was built to solve real challenges: ordering late, tracking invoices on the fly, staying in control without losing personal support.
Behind the scenes, we’re modernizing systems to improve forecasting, streamline inventory, and keep our teams better connected in real time. We’re also expanding our in-house portioning program, Carved, offering custom-cut proteins that deliver consistency, reduce prep time, and meet the exacting standards of today’s kitchens.
But even as we grow smarter, we’re staying true to our values. We’re training longtime employees on new tools, promoting from within, and hiring people who respect the legacy but push it forward. We’re not reinventing Julius Silvert—we’re reinforcing what works: service, accuracy, and trust.
