Quality ingredients are key to bold, innovative, and distinguished flavors in a restaurant. That’s why QSR leaders and foodservice brand owners need to have strong connections with food suppliers—businesses and vendors that sell their food directly to the restaurant—to succeed.
Even seasoned owners who have worked with the same suppliers for years may need to reevaluate their partnerships to improve product quality. Goals for your restaurants and your supplier’s output may change over time, so reevaluating regularly ensures the best quality and consistency for your restaurant’s food supply.
How do you find an ingredient supplier, food supplier, or manufacturer that gives you access to not only the best ingredients, but delivers on that quality consistently? Let’s break down how to find the right supplier and the qualities you should consider when exploring future partnerships.
How To Find a Food Supplier
Before you commit to any partnership, it’s essential to assess your business’s specific needs to determine which supplier type best aligns with your goals. Here is a simple, three-step process that can help point you to the right ingredient or food supplier.
Identify the Type of Supplier You Need
The needs and demands of different restaurants require diverse supply chains of all shapes and sizes. Assess the demands of your business, particularly your business plan, labor costs, and menu requirements, to identify the best type of food supplier for your goals. Some of the most common types of suppliers include:
National Wholesale
National suppliers typically provide everything needed for your menus, offering a variety of premium ingredients and ready-to-serve dishes. However, ingredients may not be as fresh due to shipping times, and offerings are usually generic products.
Consider this type of supplier if you’re looking for a wide variety of ingredients for a cost-effective price.
Farmers
Working with local farmers offers fresh ingredients and a personal relationship with your supplier. It’s also a fantastic way to introduce seasonal products to your menu. However, you are limited to higher prices and local and seasonal ingredients.
Consider this type of supplier if you’re looking for fresh, local ingredients, want to avoid long-distance shipping, or wish to appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers. This option is most likely to appeal to local restaurants and franchises.
Product Development Partners
Product development partners collaborate closely with foodservice businesses to create custom ingredient solutions and menu items tailored to your brand. These suppliers offer expertise in culinary trends, formulation, and scaling recipes for commercial kitchens. Their goal is to co-create innovative, proprietary products that help differentiate your offerings in the marketplace.
Consider this type of supplier if you’re aiming to develop unique menu items, improve operational efficiency, or need support translating culinary ideas into scalable, consistent products.
Specialty Suppliers
Butchers, breweries, vineyards—specialists can be a terrific way to get top-quality ingredients and beverages for your restaurant. These suppliers also often carry unique products, which stand out from the general offerings of national wholesalers. But you may run into supply shortages and higher prices if demand for their products increases.
Consider this type of supplier if you’d like to offer unique, artisan products on your menu or wish to build rapport with an individual supplier.
Network and Research Options Online
Research suppliers that interest you before you make initial contact. Beyond looking at their product offerings, research their achievements, backgrounds, and business values. Also look for customer reviews of their products online. You may find a star-rating on Google or comments on their social media channels that can give you an idea of what the supplier is like to work with.
Leverage your existing foodservice connections to discover which suppliers your network trusts. Even if you have a lot of connections in the space, it’s always insightful to network with other successful foodservice business owners.
Evaluate Potential Partners
Reach out to a few suppliers that stuck out the most after completing your preliminary research. Ask intentional questions that clearly outline whether the partnership would be a good fit, such as:
- How do they fit into your current supply chain?
- Alternatively, how might they alleviate the current strains of your supply chain?
- What is their delivery schedule? Does it align with your kitchen’s prep times?
- Do they have any minimum or maximum order quantities?
- Do they offer discounts or reductions on bulk orders?
- How do they manage their supply chain to ensure product availability?
4 Considerations When Picking Your Food Supplier
Not sure what benchmarks are most important for evaluating ingredient and food supply companies? Below are four considerations to help gauge how well-suited your potential suppliers are for your business.
Product Quality and Consistency
Most suppliers should offer a sample of their products so you can test their quality for yourself. You should also ensure that their sample isn’t a fluke—you need food supply services that deliver consistent quality.
Touring a supplier’s facilities can shed some light on their consistency standards. By reviewing quality control processes, storage and transportation methods, and the stability of their supply chain, you can get a clear picture of the likelihood that their products will remain consistent.
Reviewing data about their food supply services may also help with your evaluation. Look for customer complaints on third-party review websites, compare their prices with competitors, and search for any information on product recalls or defects.
Customer Service
The best practices of customer service remain true for ingredient and food suppliers—you want a partner that understands your needs, communicates clearly and proactively, and handles complaints efficiently. Order tracking services, timely delivery, return policies, and clear communication surrounding delays or other issues should also be included in any restaurant food supply partnerships by default.
Customer service touches virtually every interaction you have with the supplier, so take note of how responsive they are to you and any public policies or procedures they have on their website. You may also consider asking the supplier for references. The following are some questions you can consider when calling these references:
- Were concerns or questions resolved in a timely manner?
- Were their orders delivered on time?
- Did they have a good relationship with their customer service representatives?
Local vs Global Supply Chain
Products from a food supplier often take a long journey before landing in your kitchen. While some food suppliers rely on a local supply chain, others globalize their manufacturing and product development process.
A local food product supplier can give you access to incredibly fresh ingredients and tap into local flavors, but may be limited to the ingredients they can access. Global food suppliers, meanwhile, can take advantage of premium products from around the globe.
Griffith Foods balances a global supply chain with a local feel with MarketLink, offering improved availability to ingredients worldwide while lowering costs. Thanks to modern technology and shipping standards, restaurants can effectively source their products from across the globe and still create fresh, innovative, and delicious dishes.
Consider which ingredients your product or menu demands. Does the supplier offer simple, affordable access to these ingredients? Consider the supplier’s delivery times, frequency, and any order minimums or maximums to ensure they don’t conflict with your processes.
Carbon Footprint
Sustainable business practices appeal to your customers—a recent study found that 80 percent of consumers across the globe are willing to pay more for sustainability in their consumption practices. Finding a supplier that supports sustainability can help you appease customers who identify with this rising trend.
Look for goals that indicate your food supplier strives for sustainability. Things like zero waste initiatives, reduced water use, and prioritizing sustainable packaging highlight a food supplier’s commitment to renewing the environment.
Secure Your Ingredients with the Right Supplier
A successful restaurant thrives on strong partnerships with reliable food suppliers, ensuring top-quality ingredients and consistent delivery. That’s why Griffith Foods approaches every supplier-restaurant partnership with a collaborative mindset, ensuring our global network delivers unwavering support and premium ingredients to restaurants and their customers so you can continue to develop your culinary artistry.
By regularly aligning your changing needs with strategic supplier choices, you can create a resilient supply chain, enhance operational efficiency, and spend more time on what matters most—serving your customers.
