Our Story
Like so many New Orleans businesses, our story starts with family. In 1925 Nicholas Lalla, an immigrant from Italy, saw an opportunity to provide for his family as a butcher. His butchery then evolved into a staple of New Orleans, National Meat Provisions. In 1968, Leonard Lalla, Nicholas’s son took on the family business with the same hopes of providing a better life for his family. In 1994, Leonard turned the company over to four of his twelve children, Anne, John, Earline, and Thomas, who grew National Meats into what it is known as today as NATCO.
Our Facility
NATCO is an ever evolving food service company that is driven by the needs of their community. Since opening, NATCO has expanded its product line to hundreds of dry goods, milk, dairy, eggs, and specialty items on top of the center of plate proteins they are known for. NATCO’s family oriented beginning has allowed them to continue to bring their family service to more communities across the Gulf South.
NATCO Food Service, now entering its fourth generation of family involvement, has grown over the last 95 years from its local foundation as a meat cart in old New Orleans to a regional institution; commanding respect from restaurants, chefs and diners, alike.
Our Team
Nicholas Lalla laid the foundations for our company in 1925, but these days the Lalla family has been joined by incredible talent from all over the world. Together, we work hard to provide restaurants and food service providers with the very best meats and products available.
