How Restaurant Food Suppliers Are Important To A Business

Restaurant food suppliers are part of the Supply Chain selling products directly to restaurants. The main function of a restaurant food supplier is to offering lower purchase points to restaurant owners which will help to increase their profit margins. Choosing a restaurant food supplier will come down to cost, delivery schedule, minimum order requirements, and quality of products.

Most restaurant owners rely on different vendors to keep a steady stream of supplies moving to their restaurants. The type of food you serve, sales, size, and storage facilities will also have an impact on the supplier you choose. Follow the guide below to find the best fit for your restaurant.

There are four steps to the standard restaurant supply chain-

• production
• processing
• distribution
• retail

Most farm products, like meat, will go to a processor. There they will be portioned into various cuts or further processed with smoking, drying, or curing. Items like milk are bottle or processed into cheese or other types of dairy products. Eggs are packaged, and produce is wrapped, canned, dried, or frozen.


Food is inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products that go through the traditional supply chain are packaged to prolong shelf life.


Some restaurants will buy their products from local farms rather than going through the standard supply chain. buy many of their products directly from local farms rather than go through the standard supply chain. This strategy allows restaurants to serve foods at the height of freshness.

Before agreeing to sign on with a restaurant supplier, there are a few things to consider. Specifically, you'll want to follow these steps to find food suppliers-

1. List Your Menu
2. Group Items Into Categories
3. Note Storage Availability
4. Consider Your Expected Sales Volume
5. Look for Prospective Vendors
6. Meet With Sales Representatives
7. Compare Vendors

Take the time to contact the supplier and set up a meeting. Let them know your needs up front and that you're weighing several different options. This will be a long-term business relationship, so be clear about your needs.

Not all suppliers are created equal. However, the ones that are recommended usually have the same pros and cons to them. Most are either very large or local which can mean smaller. There are pros and cons to each.

Pros of Restaurant Suppliers

• Working with a large
  
• Consistency of product
• Huge variety
• Many options for substitution
• Lots of training resources

It's important to know the limitations of a supplier before going into business with them. They are as follows-

• Small restaurants can get lost in the shuffle
  
• Less regular deliveries
• Impersonal- less likely to build a relationship
• More generic, less specialized
• Ingredients are typically not as fresh

Food ServiceRestaurant CoffeeCleaning ChemicalsFresh ProduceTransportation Management

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace these days. Innovations in the restaurant industry are impacting every area including suppliers. As this happens at such a rapid pace, tech starts to become standard issue. Meaning, if your restaurant isn't using the latest tech, it won't transition easily with businesses that are.

The food processing and service sector is always adapting to the technological changes. Today, if restaurants and food preparation facilities don't take advantage of these technological resources, they will quickly fall behind their competition. Those that can capitalize on them could see remarkable success in the coming years.

The restaurant industry works with highly perishable items creating a need for easy re-stocking of supplies. Make sure you have access to the supplies you need through the supplier by tracking orders, vendors, and inventory. Use a fully functioning POS system to assist with creating and processing vendor orders for easier tracking.

No matter which restaurant supplier you decide to work with, it's important to remember that sourcing suppliers is all about building relationships. Start off small, then build some relationships. It will be easier to scale up after you've made connections and know what your basic needs are.