_______________________________________________________________________________________________ Yumi
Ice Cream
observe operations firsthand. Nestlé dubbed the program“ Yumi University for Ice Cream,” and awarded Hoss an honorary doctorate for his contributions.
Diversification and new channels
As Yumi’ s reputation grew, so did its opportunities.“ We began building a presence within special events, including ten locations at the State Fair of Texas,” Hoss says. The company also launched a corporate Ice Cream Day program, bringing push carts to offices for monthly ice cream breaks. The concept quickly became a recurring event for many clients. Over time, Yumi expanded each route’ s value by adding complementary brands alongside its core Nestlé offerings.
As the frozen food industry evolved, so did Yumi. After 2010, Yumi began winning national accounts with clients requiring products from multiple suppliers simultaneously, including Nestlé, Unilever, Blue Bunny, and M & M Mars. Managing such a broad inventory required a fundamental shift.
Yumi transitioned from its traditional pack-and-pedal model to a pre-order system, enabling the business to source products from multiple manufacturers. This shift significantly improved inventory accuracy, increased in-stock performance, and enhanced operational efficiency by separating the sales process from product deliveries. As a result, Yumi was able to provide consistent, dependable deliveries at scale, positioning the business to successfully service large national retailers. This was a significant operational upgrade and one of the reasons Yumi was able to continue growing and become one of the largest independent frozen distribution companies in Texas.
“ My partner, Ali Khoshgowari, and I founded Yumi on a simple philosophy: family comes first, and great businesses are built on strong values,” Hoss shares.“ Over the years, the Yumi family has strengthened that culture by building a leadership team that continues to play a vital role in our success.
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