Saval Foods Acquires Pastore’s Italian Wholesale Distributor

June 25, 2025 Staff Report

Brian Saval, Michael F. Pastore and Paul Saval

Standing in front of Pastore's headquarters in East Baltimore is Michael F. Pastore, patriarch of Pastore's Italian Wholesale Distributor, flanked by Brian (left) and Paul Saval.

Charm City’s Jewish and Italian-American communities have long enjoyed a rich and proud tradition of collaboration and success in the regional food service industry.

“Growing up on Lombard Street, all the Italian vendors and Jewish vendors got along, worked hard, and several lived above [their] businesses,” writes Northwest Baltimore author Jeremy Diamond in his new book, “Tastemakers II: The Legacy of Jewish Entrepreneurs in the Mid-Atlantic Grocery Industry.” “Family, education, and working hard were common character traits that were and still are common in the Italian and Jewish communities.”

That close bond and common set of values were reinforced by the recent announcement that Saval Foods LLC has acquired Pastore’s Italian Wholesale Distributor.

Headquartered in Elkridge, the fourth-generation family-owned Saval Foods was founded in 1932 in East Baltimore as a delicatessen processor and distributor business by Jewish entrepreneurs Harry and Flora Saval. It is one of the largest independent food distributors in the region.

Saval Foods’ key divisions are Saval Foodservice, Deli Brands of America, and 1932 Specialty Produce & Meat, and the company has nearly 300 employees and actively supports industry and philanthropic organizations.

Started in 1898 as a grocery and produce store in Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood by Sicilian immigrants Vincenzo and Cira Garofalo, the fifth-generation family-owned Pastore’s operates throughout the region and is known for its Sun of Italy brand of food products.

“This move brings together two historic, family-owned Baltimore businesses and creates new opportunities to expand on the Sun of Italy brand while enhancing Saval’s existing portfolio of Italian offerings for foodservice customers,” Saval Foodservice said in a statement.

As part of the transition plan, Michael J. Pastore II will join Saval Foodservice as business development director for Sun of Italy.

“Sun of Italy is a brand we’ve admired for decades,” said Paul L. Saval, president of Saval Foodservice. “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.”

Said Brian Saval, president of 1932 Specialty Produce & Meat and executive vice president of Saval Foodservice: “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.”

In a statement, Pastore’s patriarch, Michael F. Pastore, praised the acquisition and new chapter in the life of his family business.

“I grew up on Lombard Street — Corned Beef Row — where my family ran a grocery store,” he said. “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. …

“I’m very proud of the Sun of Italy label and keeping the tradition going in the family,” Pastore said, “so I’m very proud that Saval Foods is interested [in] building on the label and making it bigger than what it is today.”