The search for suppliers should begin before the grand opening of a restaurant. This is an issue that needs to be addressed early in the planning phase. We should know whether we can get quality supplies and ingredients to our restaurant on a regular basis. Restaurant food suppliers in Canada make it possible for restaurateurs to prepare consistently good food for their customers. Don’t forget about the cost of the ingredients that will influence the final price of the dishes served in your restaurant.
In the article, we will list a few tips on what future restaurateurs should begin with and what to pay attention to when looking for restaurant suppliers.
Having decided on the menu and planning the dishes out, you begin to create recipes. It is at this stage it would be a good idea to build a network of suppliers for the restaurant needs. Based on the list, you will be able to see exactly what ingredients will be necessary for your restaurant to function correctly.
It is also time to make a decision if you rely on fresh ingredients that you will process yourself (lower costs, more work, higher quality, and rareness) or on semi-finished products (higher cost, less work, often lower quality).
Where to find suppliers?
Ok, you know what you need best. Now it is time to find out who will deliver the supplies to you. Finding valuable business contacts and building a supplier database shouldn’t be a big problem for you. Remember not to leave it until the last minute, so you can test the products and have only the highest quality products in your restaurant.
You probably ask yourself where to find all these suppliers. Start with the local market. You probably know where to buy vegetables and meat. You can observe and learn from other restaurants as well. When visiting a restaurant, pay attention to labels on some of the products like sauces or coffee. You might be able to see the kind of French fries that are being used at a fast-food restaurant, or which fried chicken breading mix producer logo is on the bag of the mix.
A visit to food fairs might be beneficial. You will find many quality food suppliers there. Many of them offer samples, which is a significant advantage. You can taste the products of three known producers of sauces or fried chicken coating and be the judge of their quality.
A valuable knowledge base is often found in culinary magazines and Internet portals.
Terms of business cooperation – what to pay attention to
So, have you prepared the list of suppliers? It is time to make a decision! Making a decision involves not only looking into the offered products but also the terms of business cooperation. It is especially important to pay attention to:
- general terms of agreement (is it required to sign an exclusive rights agreement or to buy at a minimum sum, etc.)
- the product range offered by the supplier (the more you can buy at one stop lowers your logistical costs; the order placing process is quicker; the higher the volume of shopping, the higher the chance of discounts) and the consistency of the offered products,
- the prices of the offered products (in comparison with the competition) and the price stability (the guarantee the prices won’t change during business cooperation)
- how often and when do they deliver (the time to process the order is a crucial issue when making plans in your restaurant)
- the minimum delivery requirements (are they realistic for your company) and the minimum purchase requirements (do you need to buy products in bulk or not),
- additional advantages ( additional perks that stand out from the competition like training, marketing fund, etc.)
- Additional services offered by the supplier (additional packing, washing, portioning of the products)
Analyze the above points and meet the suppliers to make your final decision and begin fruitful cooperation! It is a good idea to have a list of ingredients with the chosen suppliers to make the ordering process quick and easy.
