Maximize your profits by making the most of food and beverage distributors and wholesalers in Connecticut. These companies distribute food at wholesale prices to delis, caterers, grocery stores and restaurants.

Connecticut food distributors deliver foods within a specified delivery area and also may provide cash and carry services that allow you to pick up items directly from the warehouse.

Make the most of food and beverage distributors and wholesalers in Connecticut by doing the following:

1. Get frequent price checks from food distributors, especially on seasonal items. A distributor that has a surplus of perishables will be more willing to negotiate on the price. You than can use these price breaks to plan promotions or make advance replenishment orders.
2. Use food wholesalers in Connecticut that deal in specialty foods. Many wholesalers deal in a particular type of food such as pizza ingredients, snacks or desserts.
3. Select food wholesalers that provide reliable food delivery. This will allow you to minimize lost sales due to lack of stock and make it easier to determine your optimum re-order point.
   

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

Join a group for buying from a Connecticut food distributor

Many small business owners pool their buying power to maximize savings. A food service buying group can use its leverage to negotiate with distributors for the best possible prices.

I recommend: Urban Oaks Organic Farm is located in New Britain and publishes a blog on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Fort Hill Farm is in New Milford and offers regular newsletters with information on CSAs.

Purchase from a Connecticut food wholesaler through a broker

Foodservice brokers represent manufacturers of food, food equipment and food supplies. They can help you find the best prices for a wide range of food products.

I recommend: The Connecticut Food Association provides a newsletter on events in the foodservice industry within Connecticut. The Connecticut Restaurant Association publishes an e-newsletter for Connecticut's foodservice brokers.

Place orders with a local Connecticut beverage distribution company

A beverage distributor primarily sells water, soda, beer and sometimes wine. These beverages may not be available from a regular food distributor or wholesaler.

I recommend: America's Beer Distributors locates beer distributors by state and offers extensive resources including an overview of beer distribution. Connecticut Beverages News publishes information specific to the beverage industry in Connecticut.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Buy perishable foods from a CT food distributor. They can make deliveries faster and help you make a profit on these items. Prompt deliveries also make it easier to manage your inventory.
• •  Identify any particular buying habits of your customers. For example, if your store caters to a particular ethnic group, you will want to use food distributors in Connecticut that specialize in foods from that ethnic group.

Choosing the right food and beverage distributors and wholesalers in Connecticut is essential for convenience and grocery store owners. Buying food wholesale in Connecticut is a highly competitive business with high customer expectations and complex factors that affect product replenishment.

Food distributors in Connecticut must allow you to implement proper inventory management. This is especially important in maintaining profitability on low-margin items where knowledge of customer buying patterns is critical when choosing a food distributor in CT. Food and beverage distribution can be further complicated by promotions, seasonal availability and the large differences between wholesale and resale purchase units.

When selecting one of the food and beverage distributors and wholesalers in Connecticut, choose one that will increase your bottom line by allowing you to do the following:

1. Maintain your stock levels to prevent lost sales by minimizing the impact of excessive shrinkage and expiration. Reliable delivery, therefore, is crucial for determining the optimum order quantity and re-order point.

2. Save on shipping costs through advance replenishment, order consolidation and optimized price breaks. This will help you plan promotions and other sales-related events.

3. Increase customer retention and service levels.

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

Buy food and beverage from major Connecticut food wholesalers

Some food and beverage wholesalers cover most of the country and usually cater to grocery store chains. However, they also may be able to deliver to regional franchises and independent stores.

I recommend: US Foodservice provides food and related products primarily to restaurants. You can select a region of the United States on its website to display specific locations within that region. Sysco is a leading supplier of food, preparation and serving items. A clickable map on Sysco's website displays its locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Purchase food wholesale from regional Connecticut food distributors

Regional suppliers usually serve smaller businesses in second tier markets. They may also distribute gourmet and other specialty food items.

I recommend: Roma is a leading broadline foodservice distributor for New England states and specializes in Italian foods. Bozzuto's is a wholesale food distributor to retailers in New England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

Select local independent Connecticut beverage distribution companies

A local Connecticut beverage distribution company can provide more personalized service to smaller convenience and grocery store owners. This additional time and attention can create a business relationship not found with larger distributors.

I recommend: Wallingford-based G&G Beverage Distributors distributes a variety of beverages to New Haven County. Orange-based Dichello Distributors is an Anheuser-Busch wholesaler for Fairfield, Middlesex and New Haven.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Identify any particular buying habits of your customers. For example, if your store caters to a particular ethnic group, you will want to use a food wholesaler in CT that specializes in foods from that ethnic group. Many wholesalers also specialize in a particular type of food such as ice cream, cookies or chips.

Americans eat out — a lot. According to the U.S. government's last census of such things, more than a half-million eateries and bars posted more than $321.40 billion in sales, a bit more than $1,000 a year per man, woman and child in the country. How all of these small businesses get the food and drinks they need to keep those tables turning is an industry unto itself, and a fragmented one at that, considering it involves timely delivery of perishables. Figuring out where you'll get the best and freshest foods at the lowest price is a matter of understanding the market, in particular, understanding how the wholesale beverage and food distributors work. This primer on selecting a wholesale food distributors for your own restaurant covers:

1. The different types of food and beverage distributors available for any restaurant.
2. Your options for food distributor alternatives.
3. How to make the most of purchased wholesale foods, by combining the buying power of multiple restaurants.
4. Advice for ensuring you are getting the best price for your wholesale foods.

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

Most of the business is done by food wholesalers

Whether its tins of tomatoes or piles of pork ribs, chances are you will start with a major supplier of wholesale foods, where prices are driven down because of the high volumes they handle.

I recommend: The largest food wholesalers include Sysco, US Foodservice, Performance Food Group and Gordon Food Service.

Buy direct from the manufacturer

Many food and beverage producers maintain their own delivery systems if your account is large enough. Going this route allows you to cut out the middle man, and avoid markups added on by the food distributor.

I recommend: Go to the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association site and search the membership directory for free. Search by "industry category" to quickly turn up food or beverage distributors near you. The American Beverage Association has a list of its (non-alcoholic) beverage maker members and Bevnet lists both manufacturers and distributors. The International Beverage Network covers alcohol beverage distributors worldwide.

Find a local independent broker

A good portion of the food distributed in the United States goes through an agent or broker.

I recommend: Search thousands of food and equipment suppliers through the Thomas Food and Beverage Market Place guide. Free if you register, although full company data is pricier.

Lots of tables? Join an alliance and get volume discounts

Joining a cooperative could save you money if you buy enough food regularly to qualify. This is usually true for institutional dining operations like hospitals and schools, but a regional chain restaurant could easily muster the same volumes.

I recommend: Some cooperatives include UniPro and Progressive Group Alliance. Premier focuses on healthcare institutions.

Check specialty suppliers for deals

Over the years, regional suppliers have sprung up to serve smaller, mom-and-pop eateries in second-tier markets. There are also specialty gourmet food distributors.

I recommend: Smart & Final operates in six western U.S. states and northern Mexico. McClane serves 18 cities across the country. Cheney Brothers trucks are a common sight in the southern United States.

Shopping clubs are an alternative

Most warehouse shopping clubs offer wholesaler discounts and special ordering rules that get you in and out in a jiffy. If you have the time and inclination to go get the food, these can save you money.

I recommend: Check prices for membership against potential savings at Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club. Similarly, retailers Target and Wal-Mart (type ZIP code and choose "supercenter") both have opened gigantic grocery stores which can cut pretty close the warehouse prices without annual membership fees.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To get the best price on your wholesale foods, always run the numbers on your wholesale food distributors, the more often the better. Some will low-ball early on at a loss then try to raise prices later.
• •  If you don't do gigantic volumes, consider forming your own coop with other local restaurant owners. Deliver to your door then break the packages for savings.
• •  Never count out your local grocery store. Their loss leader might be your best margin of the week. If there's not enough on the shelf, talk to a manager about buying up the back stock, especially on non-perishables like wine and canned foods.
• •  Negotiate with your food distributor, always. The food is doing them no good on the warehouse floor, and they could easily have overbought in anticipation of demand. If you are a regular customer or a bigger customer, demand discounts.

When you are ready to begin purchasing from Connecticut food and beverage distributors and wholesalers, consider where you will buy your produce. Customers look for the freshest produce and meats, so finding Connecticut-based distributors and wholesalers not only means faster service, but perishable products will usually be fresher. Check into Community Supported Agriculture distributors for top-quality seasonal produce.

When you are dealing with food and beverage distributors and wholesalers in Connecticut, you need to be aware of state regulations to be sure you are operating within the law. Know what licenses and permits you need to operate your grocery, convenience store, or restaurant. Also be aware of professional organizations that support food industry professionals.

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

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Connecticut has many farms that participate in Community Supported Agriculture. The farms act as distributors to local customers, providing fresh produce in season. While many of the people who use CSAs are individual consumers, it can be a good source for wholesalers, distributors and restaurants who are looking for top-quality produce.

I recommend: Urban Oaks Organic Farm discusses the advantages of buying from Connecticut CSAs.

Bottle Bill

Connecticut has a Bottle Bill, a law that requires purchasers to pay a deposit for each beverage bottle they purchase. Retailers who buy beverages from a distributor owe $.05 a bottle. When the retailer returns the empty bottles, the distributor returns the deposit minus a handling fee--$.02 for soft drinks and .015 for beer. Distributors keep all unclaimed deposits.

I recommend: For more about the Bottle Bill, see the Container Recycling Institute website.

Connecticut Food Association (CFA)

The Connecticut Food Association (CFA) is a trade organization for food service professionals. Membership is open to anyone in the food industry, including manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. CFA lobbies for more favorable rules and regulations for the food industry and keeps its members informed of any changes to food legislation.

I recommend: Find out more about the Connecticut Food Association at their website, which has links to additional information.

Connecticut Restaurant Association

The Connecticut Restaurant Association, a state arm of the National Restaurant Association (NRA), offers food industry professionals a variety of educational and networking opportunities as well as specialized services, such as an electric co-op and access to insurance and legal services.

I recommend: The Connecticut Restaurant Association discusses some of the benefits to those in the food industry.

Connecticut Liquor Control Commission

The Connecticut Liquor Control Commission oversees liquor sales and licensing in the state. Both wholesalers and retailers are required to have liquor licenses. The Department of Consumer Protection handles liquor control investigations.

I recommend: The State of Connecticut provides information on the Connecticut Liquor Control Commission and the required licenses.

MOQ

Often when you order a product, the distributor or wholesaler may impose an MOQ, or minimum order quantity. For stores doing a small business or needing to restock only a few items, this can pose a problem. Ordering in bulk often cuts costs, but if you don't have the storage space or turnover to support large quantity orders, look for Connecticut distributors or wholesalers who do not require MOQs.

I recommend: For an explanation of MOQ, visit sticky-marketing.net.