How do you collaborate with your food suppliers to create innovative and profitable menu items?

1 Build long-term partnerships

The first step to collaborating with your food suppliers is to establish a long-term relationship based on trust and mutual benefit. This means communicating your needs and expectations clearly, paying on time, and giving feedback on their products and services. It also means showing appreciation and loyalty, and avoiding unnecessary changes or cancellations. By building a strong partnership, you can gain access to better prices, quality, and availability, as well as exclusive offers and opportunities.

2 Involve them in your menu development

The next step is to involve your food suppliers in your menu development process. This means sharing your vision, goals, and challenges with them, and asking for their input, suggestions, and expertise. They can help you source new or seasonal ingredients, find alternatives or substitutes, and optimize your portion sizes and waste reduction. They can also introduce you to new trends, cuisines, and techniques that can inspire your creativity and innovation.

3 Negotiate win-win deals

The third step is to negotiate win-win deals with your food suppliers that benefit both parties. This means finding ways to reduce your costs without compromising your quality or standards, and offering incentives or rewards for their performance or loyalty. For example, you can ask for discounts or rebates for bulk orders, long-term contracts, or referrals. You can also offer to feature their brand or products on your menu, website, or social media, or to participate in their marketing or promotional campaigns.

4 Test and evaluate new products

The fourth step is to test and evaluate new products that your food suppliers offer or recommend. This means being open-minded and curious about trying new things, and giving honest and constructive feedback on their taste, appearance, and performance. You can also involve your staff and customers in the testing and evaluation process, and ask for their opinions and preferences. This can help you gauge the demand and potential of new menu items, and improve your quality and consistency.

5 Showcase your collaboration

The fifth step is to showcase your collaboration with your food suppliers to your customers and the public. This means highlighting the origin, story, and value of the ingredients and products that you use, and how they reflect your brand identity and mission. You can also share the process and results of your collaboration on your menu, website, or social media, and invite your customers to join the conversation and give feedback. This can help you build trust and loyalty, and differentiate yourself from the competition.

6 Review and improve your collaboration

The final step is to review and improve your collaboration with your food suppliers on a regular basis. This means tracking and measuring the performance and impact of your menu items, and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your collaboration. It also means seeking feedback and suggestions from your food suppliers, staff, and customers, and implementing changes or improvements as needed. By doing this, you can ensure that your collaboration is effective, efficient, and profitable.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?