6 Tips To Find The Best Food Distributor For Your Business

As a restaurant owner or inventory buyer for a restaurant, café or catering business, you might be wondering how to find a local wholesale food supplier that your business can rely on. Since your business’s success highly depends on the quality of ingredients your wholesale distributor offer, it is crucial that you take time finding the best wholesale food distributor in Michigan for your restaurant.

Here are a few tips on how to choose the best food supplier:

1. They should have an extensive product range that carry your kitchen’s requirements

Finding the right supplier for your food business requires knowing what you want. Make a list of all your kitchen’s requirements and check which from your selected food suppliers are you are able to get in bulk of what you need in every order. They should have an extensive product range to keep costs low.

2. They should offer competitive wholesale prices for the best ingredients.

The second important variable when looking for idea local food distributor for your business is to make sure that the prices match your business's budget. For example, aim to invest no more than 30% of a dish's final price in raw ingredients. You can also set prices on a seasonal basis with some local wholesale meat distributors. With other constantly fluctuating prices; like those of seafood, fruits, and vegetables; you must choose good suppliers according to the prices that best suit you.

3. They should do quality control checks

A wholesale food delivery service is only beneficial if it saves you time, money and hassle. You don’t want to the burden of performing quality control checks on your ordered produce once you receive it. Your prospective wholesale food supplier should have set processes in place to ensure that the food they send out is high-quality.

4. They should be close to your business as possible

One of the first few things to find out is how your wholesale supplier’s products will get to your premises. Do they deliver or will you have to send someone to collect them? Shortlist suppliers that is close to your business. The less distance the food travels lessens the chance of spoilage during delivery and also lowers the delivery costs.

5. They should be reliable and consistent

Before making any final decision, ask for your supplier’s current client list. This can tell you about their philosophy and how they work. If you’re feeling curious, there’s no harm in contacting an existing client of a prospective supplier to do a little detective work.

Also inquire your with potential wholesale food supplier about minimum order requirements, delivery prices and delivery time before signing up

Here are a few things to ask:

What are your ordering options and do you accept phone or online orders?

• Do you accept rush orders or orders during a specific time window?
• Are there minimum order sizes for delivery, or free delivery over a certain amount?
• What is your standard delivery time? Can I request a standard delivery time of between two to three business days after placing my order?
• Do you deliver during the holidays?
• Are there any cancellation charges?

6. They should have industry accreditations or awards

Be sure to ask for evidence of all food safety certificates and industry accreditations. Ask if your food supplier HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) approved and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) inspected? Also ask if your supplier has won any awards for their produce. When a supplier does have awards, you can be reasonably sure you’re onto a good thing.

To summarize

When choosing the best food supplier for your business, you should consider if can fulfil your kitchen’s requirements, offer you the best wholesale prices for the best produce, they are within reach, they are reliable and are HACCP-approved and USDA-inspected.

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