Distributor Dispatch

Grouper: The Florida Favorite That Became a Foodservice Staple

Spend enough time around restaurants in Florida and eventually somebody is going to ask about grouper. Grouper sandwich. Blackened grouper. Fried grouper. Grouper tacos. Grouper Oscar. It shows up everywhere from beach bars and seafood shacks to white-tablecloth restaurants, and for good reason. Grouper has a mild flavor, firm texture, and enough versatility to…
National Waffle Day: The Business Behind One of Breakfast’s Most Versatile Menu Items

August 24 is National Waffle Day. And while most people probably aren’t waking up this morning thinking about the economics of waffles, we here like to look at food a little differently. Spend enough time working in restaurants and food distribution and eventually you stop seeing just the food on the plate, food just…
Barramundi: The Fish More Restaurants Should Know About

There are certain fish that almost everyone recognizes when they see them on a restaurant menu. Salmon. Cod. Grouper. Mahi. Snapper. Then there are species that make people stop for a second and ask, “What exactly is that?” Barramundi is one of those fish. But while barramundi may not have the same name recognition…
The Hidden Economics of Restaurants

Walk into a busy restaurant on a Friday night and everything can look pretty simple or pretty messy from the outside. The dining room is full. Drinks are flowing. Servers are running around. Food is flying out of the kitchen. There might even be a line at the door. You look around and think,…
Understanding Foodservice Distribution

When most people think about buying food, they think about grocery stores. Publix, Walmart, Costco Restaurants think differently though. A restaurant can’t simply drive down to the supermarket every morning to buy enough food to serve hundreds of customers. At least most of them can’t. They need thousands of pounds of fresh, frozen, and…
Why Independent Restaurants Matter

When people think about the restaurant industry, they often picture the big names. McDonald’s. Chick-fil-A. Olive Garden. Texas Roadhouse. Those companies deserve credit for what they’ve built. They employ hundreds of thousands of people, serve millions of customers, and have become household names. But the heart of the restaurant industry has always been the…
Taylor Farms: The Company Helping Keep America’s Kitchens Stocked

Walk into almost any restaurant kitchen, hospital cafeteria, school, grocery store, or convenience store, and there’s a good chance you’re looking at products from Taylor Farms—even if you don’t realize it. And while consumers often recognize brands like Coca-Cola, Tyson, or Heinz, Taylor Farms operates largely behind the scenes. Yet it has become one…
Why Are Food Prices Going Up?

If you’ve been grocery shopping lately or eating at your favorite restaurant, you’ve probably noticed something frustrating: Food costs more than it did just a few years ago. Consumers often blame restaurants for raising menu prices, while restaurant owners blame distributors, and distributors point toward manufacturers or suppliers. The reality is far more complicated.…
National Fried Chicken Day: The Business Behind Every Basket

Every year on July 6, Americans celebrate National Fried Chicken Day. For most people, it’s simply another excuse to order a bucket of chicken, a crispy sandwich, or a basket of tenders. But behind every piece of fried chicken is one of the largest and most sophisticated supply chains in the food industry. Fried…
How Food Gets From Farm to Fork

Most people have a general idea of where food comes from. It starts on a farm—either in the ground or from an animal. Eventually, it ends up on a plate in a restaurant, school, hospital, grocery store, or around the dinner table at home. What many people don’t realize is how much has to…