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re: Food service distributors for restaurants in Baton Rouge?

Posted on 1/14/19 at 11:31 am to
Posted by GynoSandberg
Bay St Louis, MS
Member since Jan 2006
73966 posts
Posted on 1/14/19 at 11:31 am to
quote:

A great business lesson in, "never put all your eggs in one basket."



Also, "dont start a restaurant off advice from F&D board on tigerdroppings"
Posted by pdubya76
Sw Ms
Member since Mar 2012
6478 posts
Posted on 1/14/19 at 12:15 pm to
I’ve used Merchants when I was cooking pork shoulders and ribs for a school fundraiser. The meat was good quality and a fair price. It was delivered on time as promised.
Posted by keks tadpole
Yellow Leaf Creek
Member since Feb 2017
8473 posts
Posted on 1/14/19 at 3:04 pm to
quote:

Sysco


Be very careful. They are the first ones to find you, they are your buddy, they'll "cut you some good deals" on your primary products and jack you on the secondary products (ie mayo, paper products)
Each saleman is a profit center and the home-office expects the margins.
We do use Sysco, but split orders between them, PFG and Wood-Fruittcer (FWIW they sell mostly institutional and a few really good items that we use).
Hint:
Make a shopping list with three columns, get three prices on every item you are going to buy down to the salt. Check.
Get samples of primary product for each item from each vednor, taste. That jam-up turkey price could be prison food. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right price and product that fits. If PFG has the right ham for the right price, find a match from Merchants or BEK.
Find a local produce company, check against the big three. Then go to Sams or Costco. They have the best fruit.
Try to split orders between (2) primary vendors, we have three. They'll piss and moan about minimum item numbers, etc. Too bad. Order an extra case of straws, because if you don't keep them on their toes, they'll screw you.
Also-watch pricing like a hawk. Prices of commodities will jump and drop on a dime. Treat bacon like gold. Chicken always spikes around the Super Bowl.


This post was edited on 1/14/19 at 3:08 pm
Posted by Tyga Woods
South Central Jupiter Island, FL
Member since Sep 2016
41575 posts
Posted on 1/15/19 at 7:28 pm to
US Foods is another.
What kind of restaurant?
Posted by JBM210
Member since Dec 2010
3192 posts
Posted on 1/15/19 at 8:05 pm to
I know the people at Lyons Specialty personally. Great family owned and run company. I can get you in contact with those people. They are in Port Allen so they are close. If you are interested, contact me at pmac012@cox.net.
Posted by Ljcoonass
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2013
141 posts
Posted on 1/15/19 at 9:31 pm to
Perrone and sons have provide me well over years. Not the cheapest but good service and product quality. Check out Restaurant Depot, I like the option of picking my own product off the shelf rather than accepting what ever the driver brings me.
This post was edited on 1/15/19 at 9:37 pm
Posted by browl
North of BR
Member since Nov 2017
1571 posts
Posted on 1/15/19 at 9:32 pm to
You should talk with as many purveyors as you can meet with. I'd suggest forecasting your sales so you can have real numbers for negotiating. Remember lowest price isn't always best. I'll take a great sales rep who costs me a few % more, but looks out for me... makes sure my deliveries are scheduled when I need them, and will go the extra mile when its needed. You want consistency, so you can execute consistently. Sysco does not suck. Used them for years and served thousands and thousands of people great meals with sysco groceries. Some of their people may suck, but that doesn't make them different from any other game in town.

Maybe you won't get this advice anywhere else...inspect all of your groceries, weigh as necessary, refuse as required, and have salesman who want to be accountable.
This post was edited on 1/15/19 at 9:33 pm
Posted by Caplewood
Atlanta
Member since Jun 2010
39421 posts
Posted on 1/15/19 at 9:40 pm to
Foods in season is the best in the biz imo
Posted by burgeman
Member since Jun 2008
10520 posts
Posted on 1/16/19 at 7:06 am to
Pon Food in Ponchatoula, worked there through college.
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