You’ve probably seen the trucks. If you’ve spent any significant time dining out in South Florida—maybe at a high-end steakhouse in Boca or a resort in the Keys—you have almost certainly eaten their steak. Larry Kline Wholesale Meats has been the quiet engine behind the "center of the plate" for some of the most prestigious tables in the region for decades.
But things aren't exactly how they used to be back in the 70s.
Honestly, the story of Larry Kline Meats is a classic American arc. It’s got the family-run grit, the tragic loss of a leader, and the eventual corporate absorption that happens to almost every successful independent purveyor. People still search for "Larry Kline" because the name carries a specific kind of old-school weight. It’s synonymous with USDA Prime beef and a level of hand-cut precision that’s getting harder to find.
The Deerfield Beach Roots
Founded in 1976 by Larry and Lois Kline, the business started with a pretty simple mission: provide the highest quality protein and don't mess up the service. It’s a basic mantra, but in the volatile world of wholesale meat, it’s actually incredibly hard to pull off. They set up shop in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and basically grew into a local powerhouse.
By the time the second and third generations were running the show, they were operating out of a state-of-the-art facility at 350 Goolsby Blvd. It wasn't just a warehouse. It was a 24/7 USDA-inspected hub.
If you were a chef at a top-tier country club in 2010, Larry Kline was your first call.
The company specialized in:
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- USDA Prime and Choice Beef
- Premium Veal and Lamb
- High-end Poultry and Pork
- Custom portion control (the stuff that makes every steak on a banquet table look identical)
They weren't just moving boxes. They were artisans. The facility became HACCP certified, meaning they had rigorous safety protocols that went way beyond the bare minimum requirements. They even had their own in-house lab for microbiological testing. That level of nerdiness about meat safety is exactly why the big resorts trusted them.
A Change in the Guard
In 2015, the company faced a massive blow. Steven Caine, who was the CEO and essentially the face of the company at the time, was tragically killed in a cycling accident in Weston. He was a beloved figure in the local food scene. When something like that happens to a family-owned business, it rattles the foundation.
Shortly after, the landscape changed.
In late 2016, a massive national player, Performance Food Group (PFG), stepped in and acquired Larry Kline Wholesale Meats. This is where a lot of people get confused. If you look at a truck today, you might see the PFG logo, but the "Larry Kline" heritage is still tucked inside.
PFG didn't just buy the name; they bought the expertise. They integrated it into their "Specialty Meat" division. Today, when people talk about Larry Kline, they’re often talking about a specific division of a multi-billion dollar corporation, rather than the standalone family business of the 80s.
Why the Name Still Matters in 2026
You might wonder why a chef would care if their meat comes from "Larry Kline" or just "the big distributor."
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It comes down to the cut.
Wholesale meat is a commodity, but custom wholesale meat is an art form. Most big distributors just drop off pre-packaged "cryovac" bags of meat. The Larry Kline legacy was built on "portion control." That means if a chef needs 400 identical 8-ounce filets for a wedding, the Kline facility produces 400 steaks that are virtually indistinguishable.
That requires human hands.
Even under the PFG umbrella, that Deerfield Beach facility has maintained its reputation for being a "specialty" shop. They still serve:
- Exclusive South Florida resorts.
- High-volume, high-end steakhouses.
- Luxury cruise lines and Caribbean exports.
- Private country clubs where the members can tell the difference between "good" and "exceptional."
What Most People Get Wrong
A common misconception is that you can just walk into Larry Kline Wholesale Meats and buy a ribeye for your Friday night BBQ.
Nope.
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They are strictly B2B (business-to-business). Unless you’re ordering for a restaurant or a hotel, you aren't getting through the front door. They operate on a scale that isn't built for individual retail sales. We’re talking about massive volume—hundreds of thousands of pounds of protein moving through that facility.
Another thing: people often think that when a small company gets bought by a giant like PFG, the quality immediately tanks. In this specific case, PFG actually needed Larry Kline's high-end reputation to compete in the "white tablecloth" sector of the market. They basically kept the specialty cutters and the high standards because that was the whole point of the acquisition.
How to Work with Them (If You’re in the Industry)
If you are a chef or a restaurant owner looking to source from this lineage, you’re basically looking to partner with PFG Florida. You’re looking for their specialty meat division.
Here is what you actually need to know if you're evaluating them:
- Inspections: They are still under constant USDA oversight.
- Speed: Because they run 24/7, they can often handle "emergency" orders that smaller shops can't.
- Consistency: This is their "moat." Their ability to deliver the same marbling and trim week after week is why they survived for 50 years.
The Bottom Line
Larry Kline Wholesale Meats isn't just a name on a building in Deerfield Beach; it’s a piece of Florida’s culinary history. While it’s moved from a family-run shop to a corporate specialty division, the DNA of the brand—high-end, custom-cut protein—remains the standard for the region's top chefs.
If you want to ensure your restaurant’s beef program is up to par, your next step should be reaching out to a PFG representative specifically requesting their Specialty Meat and Provisions catalog. Ask about their custom-cut program and verify the current USDA grading they have in stock, as "Prime" availability can fluctuate with the market.
Check their current delivery schedules for the South Florida corridor, as they typically offer daily routes to accommodate the fast-paced needs of the hospitality industry.