Jonny Hunter, co-founder of the Underground Food Collective, talks about his company’s horizontally integrated business model. A horizontally integrated local food company is a company that reaches financial sustainability in a local market by developing a series of interrelated food businesses that share common a common brand, administrative services and marketing.
The multiple business entities of horizontally integrated local food business models achieve economies of scale and operating efficiency through shared ownership, experienced management, administration and marketing. In addition, they are able to learn about food consumers from the retail, catering, restaurant and national wholesale brand perspectives.