Salad dressing is a staple in any restaurant, employee cafeteria or school kitchen. There are more uses for it than just putting it over lettuce, making it even more of a hot commodity. Salad dressing can add extra flavor to meats, casseroles and pasta dishes and is a relatively affordable addition.

When buying in bulk, cases of certain salad dressing brands run around $55 for a case of four 1-gallon containers. A case of twelve 8-ounce bottles costs around $25. Whether you are purchasing in large containers or small, it is important to have extra on hand to make sure your kitchen is always stocked. Consider the following when evaluating the pricing and costs of salad dressing:

1. Buying in bulk will save you money in the long run and prevent you from having to submit several orders.

2. Providing salad dressing from a gourmet salad dressing manufacturer may cost more upfront but may gain you more business.

3. Carrying a variety of salad dressing choices from salad dressing companies will satisfy your customers and your bottom line.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy salad dressing in bulk

Like anything, buying in large quantities saves you money in the long run. For example, you may pay around $15 per gallon of Greek salad dressing, but if you order in bulk you can end up paying closer to $13 per gallon. At many salad dressing distributors, you are required to purchase a case minimum per order. Plan ahead before each order and take into consideration the expiration date before ordering more than you may need at a time.

I recommend: At FoodServiceDirect.com, you can select from numerous quantities that will best suit your business. Big box stores like Costco offer discounts to restaurants that buy in large quantities. At stores like this you can purchase as much or as little as you would like without having to go through the salad dressing manufacturer. The trick there, though, is you have to pick it up yourself.

Purchase gourmet salad dressing from salad dressing manufacturers to stand out

If you have a particularly booming salad bar or speciality salads, consider stocking gourmet salad dressings in your pantry. Although they are up to $3 or $4 more per 11-ounce container, you are likely to see the return profit. Having specialty dressings may be what sets you apart from the restaurant down the street. No need to have all gourmet dressings; perhaps just add a few to the everyday dressings you stock regularly. Something to remember, though, is that although you can often buy gourmet dressings by the case, they aren't likely to be sold in the larger container sizes.

I recommend: Common brands like Wish-Bone are coming out with their own lines of gourmet dressings. Businesses like Wild Thymes only carries its product in 11-ounce bottles.

Offer many salad dressing varieties to your customers

The more traditional salad dressings like ranch and Italian salad dressings run on the less expensive side of the scale. Salad dressings like thousand island and blue cheese cost about $4 more per gallon container. These types of dressings have more ingredients, which contribute to the higher cost. Consider not only mixing up the types of salad dressings you offer but also ordering more than one salad dressing brand to help save you some money. Alternating between less expensive brands and less expensive dressings can even out to a nice budget.

I recommend: Hidden Valley is one salad dressing manufacturer to consider. Or you could order through a salad dressing distributor like Gordon Food Service.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider using salad dressing for dips and condiments as well as on salads and in dishes.

No matter what business you're in, you already know that a salad is nothing without salad dressing. Whether you manage a salad bar or other leafy enterprise, you need to keep in mind that the salad dressing is a major reason why most customers come back for more.

You can find all kinds of deals on food, including salad dressing, online. Business managers might seek out a salad dressing company to strike a deal in the following situations:

1. For any kind of food service management process, where buyers act on behalf of restaurants or commercial cafeterias in deals with salad dressing companies who can "bring the sauce."

2. For supplying a business kitchen like that of a camp, school or other similar organization that goes through a lot of salad dressing.

3. To supply a staff room where management outfits workers with their daily salad.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get bulk deals on salad dressing

So you're ordering up a full pantry for a continuing business? Customers go through a lot of salad dressing. Any salad bar manager will tell you that. Go to established wholesalers to get real bulk deals on your dressings, whether it's creamy ranch, honey Dijon or Catalina.

I recommend: Salad dressing supplier Conway Import Co. Inc. serves up multi-gallon deals on a wide variety of salad dressing flavors, supplying hotels, airlines and other business clients. Choose from creamy bacon dressings, Asian ginger, light Italian blends, vinaigrettes, mayo-based dressings or other salad dressing brands and flavor choices. For a windfall on dollar-saving salad dressing closeouts and more, try a search at DollarDays, a wholesaler of bulk supplies for business clients.

Get salad dressing variety packs

If you're ordering for a smaller restaurant, or just browsing salad dressings, you might want to try ordering variety packs from gourmet salad dressing distributors to do a 'taste test' and establish your favorite flavors for later shipments.

I recommend: A wholesaler and retailer of salad dressings, Ken's Foods, Inc. has lots of flavors available. choose from fat free, lite or regular variety packs and more options through the online shopping site. Get more variety deals on quality food products from Giammanco & Sons Produce in California.

Get full-scale condiment bulk buys including items from salad dressing manufacturers

If you're ordering more than just salad dressing, why not economize with a collective condiment purchase from wholesalers who specialize in the ketchup and mustard side of the business.

I recommend: Mamma Roma Ltd is a condiment wholesaler with a lot of options including salad dressings. Browse product lists with volume listed in grams or liters. At World Art Foods, you can choose from salad dressing buys or sauces, spreads or salsas, using a visual and informative website.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Get commodity estimates before you buy. Online buys are only cost effective and expedient if you know how much Italian salad dressing you'll need. Otherwise, you may end up with not place to store the Ranch.

When ordering salad dressing, there is more to consider than only the flavor of the dressing. You have to consider the form you want the salad dressing shipped to you from the salad dressing distributors. You also have to decide what brand of salad dressing you need.

Choosing the specific salad dressing to order depends largely on the space you have for product, the type of food you sell, and the preferences of your guests. Consider the following suggestions to help you choose the most appropriate salad dressing types and styles for your needs:

1. Save on shipping costs and space by ordering dry salad dressing mixes.

2. Ensure consistent quality by ordering pre-mixed salad dressings.

3. Make it easy to wait on customers who need orders to go by offering single serving packets of salad dressing.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider salad dressing mix

Salad dressing dry mixes take up very little space. You can make the dressing as needed. This minimizes food costs for the dressings. It also promotes food safety since it is made fresh in your establishment, which ensures that it wasn't subject to extreme temperature fluctuations in transit. These mixes are available from numerous salad dressing companies.

I recommend: Food Service Direct offers dry salad dressing mixes from prominent salad dressing manufacturers, including Kraft, Wishbone and Hidden Valley. This company offers a shopping list service to make reordering easy. Firehouse Pantry sells numerous specialty salad dressing mixes. Some varieties include Chipotle Ranch and Garlic Pepper Parmesan.

Purchase bottled salad dressing

There are two specific types of bottled salad dressing for you to consider. The first is gallon jugs. These are ideal if you put salad dressing on a salad bar or if your server's carry out dressing on the salad or in a bowl. Smaller bottles, much like those sold in stores, are the second type of bottled salad dressing. These are ideal if you plan to carry out the dressings out in bottles or place them on a dressing caddy that is brought out with each salad. A word of caution for this type: you must ensure that the dressings stay within acceptable food safety guidelines, which state the dressings shouldn't be unrefrigerated for more than two hours cumulative time once opened.

I recommend: WEBstaurant Store and Jimmy's both sell gallon jugs of popular salad dressings. BuytheCase.net sells bottled salad dressing by the case. It sells salad dressing brands including Emeril's, Hidden Valley and Ken's.

Offer single serving salad dressing

Although these are the most expensive per serving, they are also the most convenient and safe. Single serving salad dressings usually don't have to be refrigerated and no one has to handle the salad dressing, they only have to touch the package. This type of salad dressing is ideal if you serve salads to go or if you serve items such as hot wings or chicken strips.

I recommend: Ken's offers its signature salad dressings in single serving size packets by the case. Some of the flavors include creamy Caesar salad dressing, Greek salad dressing and Italian salad dressing. Kraft sells individual packets of its salad dressings, including its classic ranch salad dressing. Dollar Days sells private label salad dressing, including Wholesale Garden.