Rhee Bros
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food distribution, Wholesale |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Founder | Syng Man Rhee and brothers |
| Headquarters | Columbia, Maryland , United States |
Area served | United States, International (via distribution partners) |
| Products | Asian food products (Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino), dry goods, refrigerated and frozen products, household essentials |
| Revenue | Close to $300 million (2004) |
| Website | www |
Rhee Bros, Inc. () operates as a distributor and wholesaler specializing in Asian food products, encompassing Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino culinary items. Their assortment features dry goods, refrigerated and frozen products, along with household essentials. The company caters to both retail and foodservice sectors throughout the United States and internationally via distribution partners. Its main office is located in Columbia, Maryland. In 2004, Rhee Bros reported revenue close to $300 million USD.
Established in 1976 by Syng Man Rhee and his three brothers in Silver Spring, Maryland, the company grew by forming retail alliances beginning in 1989 with Lotte Plaza, an Asian supermarket chain serving the Baltimore–Washington region. Subsequently, Rhee Bros partnered with Assi Plaza, which operated upwards of 40 stores nationwide by 2004. However, by September 2023, Assi Plaza had decreased to just two remaining outlets.
In 2001, Rhee Bros issued a recall for approximately 2,400 boxes of imported "Lotte Margaret" cookies due to the presence of undeclared peanuts and eggs. More recently, in 2020, the company faced legal action in California alleging violations of Proposition 65 for marketing seafood products containing elevated levels of lead and cadmium without appropriate warnings. The lawsuit also included accusations of unfair competition and deceptive business practices.