Featured Family Business of the Month: Ragozzino Foods

10.12.2013
Small Business

Where does a restaurant or supermarket turn when it wants a vendor who will provide its customers with high-quality prepared frozen meals? More and more these days, the answer is Ragozzino Foods.

Started in 1952 in Joe and Anna Ragozzino’s Meriden grocery store, this family business has grown into a company with a national reputation, producing entrees for some of the largest restaurants and supermarket chains in the country. Now managed by a third generation of Ragozzinos, the company is probably best known for its delicious pasta and sauces, but its gourmet entrees, side dishes, and desserts also leave diners with smiles on their faces.

The business is run by mom and CEO Gloria Ragozzino and her four children: Nancy (president), Susan (VP of research and development), Ellen (VP of purchasing and distribution), and John (VP of finance and operations). John has been quoted saying that it is not always easy being the lone brother with three of his four sisters involved in the business, but they quickly remind him that their sparkling personalities and hard work are what keep customers coming back.

Ragozzino Foods is one of the few family-owned-and-operated businesses of its size in the food industry, a source of deep pride for family members. They strongly believe that by maintaining family control of the company, they ensure the utmost quality and service for their customers. This level of quality and customer service is also made possible by their state-of-the-art facility, which currently covers 65,000 sq. feet. Perhaps the biggest reason for their success, however, is that they can be more agile than their larger competitors, enabling them to bend over backwards to accommodate their customer’s rush orders while still meeting or exceeding their customers’ expectations.

In recognition of their commitment to quality and service, Ragozzino Foods has received numerous vendor-of-the-year awards from international and national corporations such as Darden, Fazolis, and Schwan’s. But the Ragozzinos aren’t about to rest on their laurels. The family projects that their business will double in size within the next five years as they carry on the tradition started by their grandparents more than six decades ago.

See what the Ragozzinos have cooking.

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