It all began back in May of 1975 when Norman "Gus" Gustafson and his son Paul bought the company and moved into a small building on the corner of South Flores and Durango Street in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The inventory consisted of some bar stools, tables and chairs, a few ranges and some used equipment. The first year's receipts were $180,000. Quite a contrast from today, when we now have 14 physical stores across Texas, an 85,000 square foot main campus facility, a robust e-commerce web site reaching customers throughout the United States and many foreign countries, approximately 6,500 in-stock items, over 300 full time associates company-wide, with annual sales well over $75 million.

What led to this phenomenal growth?

Gus saw an opportunity to provide customer service to small "mom and pop" restaurants that the foodservice equipment distributors and food houses did not typically deal with. At the time, most restaurant supply dealers sold from catalogs, but Gus wanted to have the items in stock that foodservice operators needed constantly, clearly and competitively priced. Gus also decided that since he could not afford to carry both inventory and Accounts Receivable, he would focus on inventory, operating as "cash and carry". The proceeds from the sale of the inventory were constantly reinvested in more products and a broader line of inventory. Over 30 years later, this idea remains the same, while Ace Mart has expanded account services to many national chains and institutions.

The 1980's launched a remarkable period of growth for the company statewide. Norma Gustafson, Gus' daughter, joined her father and brother in 1980. Four years later, Ace Mart opened a second store located in Austin as well as a Distribution Center in San Antonio. A few years later, two more stores were opened, in Houston and Dallas.

Ace Mart's steady growth continued to increase, and in 1991 the third Gustafson sibling, Carl Gustafson, joined the family business. By now, all of the major cities in Texas had an Ace Mart location, and the entire state was being covered with the Ace Mart monthly sales flyer.

Along with a growing staff of Ace Mart professionals, from 1993 to 2000 eight new stores were opened throughout Texas. During this time, the corporate office and main distribution center were moved to northeast San Antonio, a facility that includes the Austin Highway store, the Corporate Office, and a 55,000 square foot state-of-the-art Distribution Center. Ace Mart continues to care about customer service first. The "Ace Mart Way" coincides with Ace Mart's Mission Statement "Ace Mart seeks to be an innovative leader in the distribution of foodservice equipment and supplies, and is committed to surpassing the expectations of our customers, employees and suppliers."

Today, the family business is operated under the co-ownership of Paul, Norma, and Carl Gustafson. Over 13 million dollars of inventory is maintained in over 400,000 square feet of showroom space throughout our 14 store locations in Texas. Distribution Centers in Dallas and San Antonio ensure that new inventory arrives weekly to keep shelves well-stocked with restaurant supplies and equipment.

The future of Ace Mart looks promising indeed. With the continued growth and added features of our online web store, and additional store locations in Texas and neighboring states now in the planning stages, Ace Mart will strive to continue serving our current customers, as well as new customers, in new and exciting ways.

Our mission statement:

Ace Mart seeks to be an innovative leader in the distribution of foodservice equipment and supplies and is committed to surpassing the expectations of our customers, associates, and suppliers.