NEWS RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT:

Doughtie's Foods, Inc.:                          SYSCO:
Marion S. Whitfield, Jr.                         Toni R. Spigelmyer
Senior Vice President                            Assistant Vice President
757/399-2451                                     Investor and Media Relations
                                                 281/584-1458


                    SYSCO AND DOUGHTIE'S FOODS, INC. ANNOUNCE

                           DEFINITIVE MERGER AGREEMENT

         HOUSTON,  May, 6, 1999 -- SYSCO  Corporation  (NYSE:  SYY), the leading
foodservice  marketing  and  distribution  organization  in North  America,  and
Doughtie's Foods,  Inc. (NASDAQ:  DOBQ) announced today that they have signed an
Agreement  and Plan of Merger with respect to the  acquisition  of Doughtie's by
SYSCO, pursuant to a letter of intent which was signed and announced on February
17, 1999.  In exchange for each share of  Doughtie's  common  stock,  Doughtie's
shareholders  will receive $17.00 per share in cash and/or stock.  Approximately
$14.00  per  share  will  be  paid  at   closing,   with  $3.00  held  back  for
indemnification and other purposes,  including expense reimbursement,  for up to
three years after closing.
         The  purchase  is subject to  approval by  regulatory  authorities  and
Doughtie's stockholders. Closing is expected to be in July or August.
         Doughtie's Foods, Inc., founded in 1952,  generates over $87 million in
annual  revenues and distributes a full line of  institutional  food products to
more than 1,800 customers in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Delaware.
         In a separate  release,  Doughtie's  today announced sales and earnings
for the quarter ended March 27, 1999.
         SYSCO,  listed  on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange,   is  the  largest
foodservice marketing and distribution organization in North America. Generating
annualized  sales in excess of $16  billion,  SYSCO  provides  its  products and
services to about 300,000 customers.  The SYSCO  distribution  network currently
extends  throughout the entire  contiguous  United States as well as portions of
Alaska and Canada.
                                     - more -

         Safe Harbor statement under the Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform
Act of 1995:
The statements  which are not historical  facts  contained in this press release
are  intended  to be  "forward-looking  statements"  within  the  meaning of the
Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended.
Such statements  reflect the current views of SYSCO and Doughtie's,  but involve
certain risks and  uncertainties  including  but not limited to the  possibility
that  delay in  obtaining  required  government  and  other  approvals  or other
unforeseen  occurrences  could postpone the closing of the merger,  or result in
the termination of the merger  agreement,  the possibility that the net worth of
Doughtie's at closing could result in a reduction in per share amount to be paid
to Doughtie's  shareholders at closing,  the possibility that  environmental and
other  contingencies  contained  in the merger  agreement  will not be  resolved
satisfactorily and will result in the termination of the merger agreement, risks
associated with the uncertainty of future financial results, government approval
processes,  the effect of economic conditions and other uncertainties  regarding
Doughtie's  and  SYSCO's  business,  the price of  SYSCO's  common  stock in the
trading markets,  the price of Doughtie's  final definitive  agreement and other
matters, including uncertainties detailed in Doughtie's and SYSCO's filings with
the Securities & Exchange  Commission.  The companies undertake no obligation to
publicly update or revise any  forward-looking  statement whether as a result of
new information, future events or otherwise.
                                      # # #