Gross Hotel and Restaurant Service arose by John Gross Sr.'s and John Gross Jr.'s determination to run their own business, benefiting directly from the fruits of their labors. The opportunity presented itself in the form of a regional Maxwell House coffee distributorship. In 1950, the Gross’s humble apartment in Harrisburg assumed the role of warehouse and headquarters for operations. Coffee sales and delivery quickly developed into equipment repairs and an ever growing list of other services. It was immediately apparent that success would hinge upon a basic business principle… which simply put, was a commitment to providing superior products and service.

In that respect, things have not changed. Today, as then, our customers desire quality products at fair pricing but recognize the added value that SERVICE brings to an operation. Our company has persevered under this business plan to where John Gross & Company now represents a full line of foodservice products including fresh meats, fresh seafood, fresh produce, dairy, dry goods, refrigerated items, frozen foods, chemical detergents, and an expanded line of beverages. Furthermore, six decades of experience servicing beverage equipment and the largest complimentary fleet of service technicians in Central Pennsylvania is now also applied to servicing warewashing and laundry systems for restaurants and the hospitality industry.

Today, the base of operations is located in more than 100,000 sq. ft. of facilities in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. While the size of our operation has changed greatly, our commitment to our customers has not. John Gross & Co. has strived to excel at being there at the customer’s hour of need, realizing that it is only through the success of our customers that we too can hope to achieve ours. A long-lasting affiliation with Unipro Foodservice, the largest foodservice distribution cooperative in the country, as well as the support of numerous other vendors has assisted in John Gross & Company's continued expansion into new and innovative products and services.

The 4th generation of Gross’s are now leading the business in today’s rapidly changing food service industry. The business’s commitment, however, is simple and unchanged. Today, we practice the “J.G. Signature” service commitment. Simply put, it means that when customers' requests seem difficult to accomplish, we need only ask “What would Dad do?”… Then do it.