Start by being clear about your needs and create a budget to suit. Then do some research on the suppliers and compare prices. When you contact a supplier, be specific about the quantities and quality of the ingredients you need, and the budget you're working with. You can also ask about any discounts or promotions they offer.

Research: Learn about the supplier's business, products, pricing, terms, and conditions. Make sure the supplier is reliable and credible. Define your needs: Create a list of your business's needs and expectations. Build relationships: Develop a collaborative relationship with the supplier based on trust and mutual respect. Communicate regularly and show an interest in their business. Develop a strategy: Have a clear negotiation strategy to help you achieve your goals. Negotiate: Before negotiating, state what you're happy with and what you want to discuss. Ask the supplier to do the same. Make sure both sides are satisfied. Offer higher deposits: Offering higher deposits, such as 50 to 70 percent of the total price.

One thing I’ve found helpful is building up those great relationships with the reps and vendors. Being able to have them bring in samples for you to compare and contrast from. Using standardized recipes and procedures helps with consistency and food cost. Portion control and repurposing food helps with the quality of food cost as well. Forecast production use sales history to determine production to reduce food waste and overproduction

Supplier negotiation isn't a transaction – it's strategic relationship engineering. We revolutionized procurement by developing what I call "value ecosystem mapping," where every negotiation creates mutual benefit. Game-changer was treating suppliers as collaborative partners, not just vendors. Our approach links their growth to our success, creating win-win scenarios that go beyond price. Result? 40% more favorable terms while strengthening supply chain resilience.

Negotiation Tactics: * Timing: Negotiate when your suppliers are most likely to be flexible, such as during slow periods or at the end of the fiscal year. * Volume Discounts: Negotiate for volume discounts by committing to larger orders. * Payment Terms: Ask for longer payment terms to improve your cash flow. * Bundling: Negotiate for bundled deals on multiple products to get better pricing. * Walk Away Power: Be prepared to walk away from a deal if it's not in your best interest. This can give you leverage during negotiations.

One way to have more purchase power is is with volume. Many operators cherry pick the best price item from a given supplier. At the same time, they don’t realize other items are inflated prices. The larger the order and more line items, gives one purchase power. Next, connect with your salesperson and discuss sub primal cuts of proteins. One may also ask for over run products, cancelled orders and close to date items. One must really know how to manage their business with these items. Lastly, I connect with each purveyor for buy products of each protein and fish items shown on hot sheets. For smaller operations, do your research with big box stores and restaurant depot. Great deals at both places. Always have that P&L in mind. 😉👍

▫️"Smart negotiation with suppliers is key to keeping costs low while maintaining quality in your culinary creations. ▫️ Start by researching market prices to strengthen your bargaining power. Build genuine relationships with suppliers, trust often leads to better deals and discounts. ▫️Explore options like bulk purchases or long-term contracts for significant savings.

Depende mucho del modelo de negocio en el que se trabaje. En grandes cadenas o restaurantes con grandes volúmenes con un poder importante de negociación se puede consensuar con los proveedores unos buenos precios, para ello contar con una adecuada planificación es fundamental. También hay que tener en cuenta: La estacionalidad de muchos productos es fundamental a la hora de elaborar los menús, buscando siempre la mejor calidad/precio de cada época del año. Considero que es importante contar con proveedores y productores locales, ésto suele abarata costes al ahorrar intermediarios y con el contacto directo con ellos podemos juntos y conseguir un mejor producto, además de hacernos crecer y mejorar mutuamente.