How to Choose the Right AI Platform for Food & Drink Distributors
The food distribution industry runs on relationships, precision, and timing — but most systems weren’t built for the speed of today’s market. Chefs still text orders in the middle of service. Buyers still email spreadsheets. Reps still copy data between systems that don’t talk to each other.
Choco changes that.
It’s the industry’s first AI platform built to power every part of food and beverage distribution. It captures every order, connects every channel, and syncs it all directly into your ERP - automatically and in real time. That foundation of clean, connected data unites sales, marketing, and operations in one intelligent system, turning every interaction, from a chef’s text to a digital promotion, into insight that drives growth. The result: a self-learning network where every order makes the next one smarter, every team more connected, and every distributor stronger.
Why Distributors Are Turning to AI
Foodservice distribution has reached a breaking point. Rising costs, tighter margins, and staffing shortages mean that manual processes are no longer sustainable.
AI offers a new path forward, not by replacing people, but by eliminating repetitive work and giving teams the accuracy, insight, and speed they need to grow.
The right AI platform doesn’t just automate tasks, it connects the entire business around one source of truth. It should digitize every revenue stream so no order, call, or text ever slips through the cracks. It should integrate deeply with your ERP, syncing live prices, catalogs, and order guides so every transaction is accurate and up to date. And it should enhance, not replace, your people, freeing them from manual work while giving them the insight to sell smarter, serve faster, and plan with confidence.
Choco was built for exactly that: an AI-driven operating system that unites the flow of sales, marketing, and operations into one intelligent network that’s built for the speed and complexity of modern food distribution.
How Choco Compares to Other Platforms
Most digital ordering tools stop at the surface, an online store, a few integrations, maybe some automation. Choco goes deeper. It uses AI to unify every part of your business, from order capture to fulfillment to customer growth.
Full Revenue Coverage
Choco captures 100 % of orders — online and offline. Every call, text, email, and image becomes ERP-ready data through one invisible AI layer.
DeBragga saw 94 % perfect AI accuracy and 50 % faster order processing, after just two weeks of learning.
Handle webshop orders effectively and some AI inbox-style orders (text or voicemail), but accuracy and coverage vary, leaving offline gaps.
AI OrderAgent
Industry-trained AI with the largest training dataset in the food distribution. Pre-trained on real distributor data to understand SKUs, pack sizes & language nuances. Choco delivers near-perfect accuracy from day one and gets smarter with every order.
Reach Foods achieved 96 % accuracy and a 90 % reduction in order-processing labour.
AI inboxes exist but generally start learning from scratch for each customer. Accuracy builds through trial and manual review, delaying ROI.
Error Prevention & Control
Optional AI Autopilot — with humans in full control. Enable Autopilot for repeat orders you trust; Choco validates, corrects, and syncs them automatically. Your team reviews only flagged exceptions after AI correction.
Krystal Foods saved 15 hours a week with zero order issues across 150 clients.
AI tools often require teams to manually verify most orders until accuracy stabilizes. Review happens after errors, not before, slowing fulfillment.
ERP Integration Depth
Industry-leading, two-way ERP sync with 200+ ERPs with live catalogs, order guides, pricing & history. Choco Integrations are customized per ERP and tested for reliability by an experienced in-house team.
Many advertise broad ERP compatibility but rely on one-way imports or generic connectors that need manual upkeep.
Sales Enablement (Saleshub)
AI-powered CRM for distributors. Chooc Surfaces new prospects, churn risks, and upsell opportunities using live order data.
Sales features exist but are often bolt-ons without ERP or order-flow context.
Digital Buying Experience
Branded storefront powered by AI. Choco combines best-in-class UX, personalized upsells, and real-time stock visibility to boost basket size and loyalty.
FB Wholesaler achieved a 250% increase in dairy sales since they introduced Choco eCommerce
Standard webshops offer static catalogs with limited personalization or real-time pricing. Updates depend on manual sync cycles.
Customer Flexibility
AI + eCommerce hybrid. Customers can shop online or keep ordering their way: text, voice, photo, lists. While Choco digitizes every order automatically.
Web-first systems force customers to change habits. AI capture exists for some but typically learns slower and requires extra setup.
Operational Efficiency
Choco optimizes operations end-to-end. Automates repetitive tasks and cuts manual hours while keeping teams focused on customers.
DeBragga and Reach Foods each saved 15 + labour hours weekly.
Automation helps but still demands manual checking to maintain accuracy across order channels.
Growth & Retention Tools
Choco's built-in AI upsells and loyalty mechanics increase order frequency and strengthen retention.
Growth and loyalty depend on manual promotions or disconnected analytics.
Product Expansion
Choco Endless Aisle integration with Dot Foods. Instantly add 43,000 + products via drop-ship while keeping your customer relationship and brand intact.
Platforms in other markets typically lack fulfillment partners. Expanding catalogs requires new supplier contracts and manual SKU setup.
Promotions & Merchandising (PromoHub)
Choco centralized PromoHub lets teams launch and measure promos tied to live order data.
Promotions are managed in spreadsheets or external tools without unified analytics.
Support & Partnership
Choco dedicated Success Teams with deep industry experience. Based in the US, with in-person go-lives and hands-on support from a team that’s been on the ground since 2018. 100 % of Choco’s technology is built in-house by teams who work side by side in-office every day to deliver reliable, fast-moving innovation.
Support varies by vendor; many offer generic technical assistance with limited food-industry knowledge.
Trusted by leading distributors
AI adoption in food distribution is no longer an experiment, it’s a measurable advantage.
Across leading distributors using Choco’s platform, the numbers tell a clear story of how automation and human expertise work together. These aren’t isolated results, they’re the pattern that emerges when Choco truly understands how distributors operate and helps teams focus on what matters most.
97%
order accuracy achieved within 2-3 weeks of go-live
15+
labour hours saved weekly per sales rep
70%
reduction in manual work per order
Every distributor wants the same three outcomes: to run leaner, win more customers, and keep them longer.
Choco helps achieve all three by blending automation with control:
- Efficiency → process more orders in less time, without sacrificing accuracy.
- Acquisition → offer a faster, simpler buying experience that attracts operators.
- Retention → deliver consistency and reliability that builds lasting trust.
When distributors free their teams from manual processing, they just don’t get time back, they gain momentum. That’s the real measure of progress: not just digitized revenue, but smarter, stronger, more connected businesses.