[LOGO]



FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
DAVID MARGULIES/JIM LAWRENCE
(214) 368-0909 (800) 710-5292 (PAGER)


                    THOMAS COCHILL NAMED TO AMERISERVE BOARD

     Addison, Texas (July 24, 2000) - Ameriserve Food Distribution, Inc., today
announced the appointment of Thomas R. Cochill to its board of directors,
effective July 15, 2000. "We are pleased to welcome Tom Cochill to our
management team," said John V. Holten, chairman of the board. "His presence
represents an excellent strategic fit, and we look forward to the benefits
AmeriServe will gain from his experience and leadership capabilities."

     Cochill, of Scottsdale, Ariz., is a founding partner of Ingenium, LLC, an
advisory group specializing in transition management.

     Since October 1999, Cochill has served on a three-member executive
committee with top management responsibilities for The Grand Union Company, an
operator of supermarkets, based in Wayne, N.J. He previously served as vice
chairman of American Rice, Inc., of Houston, Texas, and as chairman of Quantegy,
Inc., of Peachtree City, Ga.

     Previously, Cochill was president, CEO and chairman of Webcraft
Technologies, Inc. and held management positions with a number of other
companies including Dow Chemical and Procter & Gamble.




2


     A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Cochill did finance-related
graduate work at Temple University.

     In addition to Holten and Cochill, directors include Ronald A. Rittenmeyer,
AmeriServe president and chief executive officer; Gunnar E. Klintberg, Leif F.
Onarheim, and Tom Vidar Rygh.

     AmeriServe, headquartered in Addison, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, is one of
the nation's largest distributors specializing in chain restaurants, serving
leading quick service systems such as KFC, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut and
Taco Bell.

                                       ###