Making the Most of Distributors and Wholesalers to Foodservice

Get help from foodservice distributors when you plan your restaurant operations

If you own a small restaurant, café, bar, or other food and beverage service, full-scale menu planning and recipe development may be beyond your reach. However, working with your local distributors and wholesalers to foodservice establishments like yours may be the solution to your menu planning and development dilemmas.

Planning or changing your restaurant's menu can be tricky, but keeping an updated menu is key for keeping customers happy and coming back for more--and restaurant distributors can help you achieve that. For a sparkling new menu, you can:

1. Discuss your menu options with food distribution sales reps.
2. Turn to specialty food service wholesalers to add a new dimension to your menu.
3. Work with established food distribution services to ensure the highest quality and customer satisfaction.
   

 

Plan your menu with food distributors' knowledge and expertise

Many foodservice wholesalers offer complete lines of prepared food and beverages that you can highlight in your restaurant. In fact, they have sales reps and planners on hand to help you develop a menu around their products and services. This makes it easier for you to change or expand your menu, and it helps keep costs down, too.
Try: Sysco offers a variety of food and beverage options across the country. Become a member to talk to a sales rep about menu planning and development. Shamrock Foods offers a wide variety of recipes using their many restaurant wholesale products to help you develop the perfect food items for your menu.

Uncover specialty food service wholesalers to kick up your menu and give it pizzazz

You can look nationally for a food distributor, but some local and regional companies offer specialty foods that will perk up your customers' taste buds. Some national suppliers also offer their own unique mini-brands that help you put together interesting menu combinations that will enhance the items you already highlight in your operation.
Try: Specialty Foods offers fresh vegetables, herbs, and some prepared meals for your establishment. Bob Evans Foodservice offers a full line of their favorite restaurant products to restaurants around the country.

Seek out well known and established foodservice distributors and wholesalers in your area

Dealing with a large and established wholesale foodservice operation ensures you'll get high quality foods you're proud to serve in your restaurant. They usually have more distribution centers, which means you'll get your food quicker and it will be fresher, too, and they offer credit terms that can be easier on your bottom line. Look for a food service supply house that carries more of what you need, like paper products and kitchen equipment, too, so you can shop centrally and save even more.
Try: US Foodservice is one of the largest restaurant distributors in the nation. They offer a variety of their own brands, and a quick and easy locator to find the distribution center closest to you. Performance Food Group offers locations throughout the East and South representing several well known food brands.

 

• When you develop your menu, remember that you don't have to rely totally on your local food service distributor. Look around for small, local food producers who may sell wholesale in your area. Use fresh foods from your local wholesaler to develop your own unique recipes, and use your distributors' sales and marketing experts to be sure you're making the most of distributors and wholesalers to foodservice.

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