Industry Speak: Best Approach to Supply Chain

Supply chain management process involves the supply and demand of commodity in your restaurant. In the current economic scenario, the suppliers are becoming hungry and this presents a rare opportunity for restaurants to drive costs and efficiencies in order to avoid passing rising costs to their customers. Describing the importance of supply chain in a restaurant, Mr. Doug Brooks, Chairman and CEO, Brinker International Inc, says, “Supply chain is a new and emerging area. It used to be known as ‘the purchasing guys,’ and not necessarily recognised as something at the forefront of a brand. But the fact is: supply chain is responsible for sourcing everything from raw materials to doing contract provisions. They handle everything you need for your restaurants and make sure you never run out or run long. Your supply chain is the key to a successful operation.”

Mr. Shyam Sunder, F&B Manager, Novotel Convention Center, Hyderabad says, “You should always look for a local supplier while dealing with supply chain management of the restaurant. We avoid imported stuff in our restaurant and try to be local because it not only saves the energy, but also keeps the food fresh. We get all our commodities and raw materials from metro-multiple solution stuff.”

The Indian restaurant chain Subway has a different way of managing supply chain and logistics facility. Talking about supply chain and logistics, their website details, “Pink Papaya Foods Pvt Ltd Franchisee owns vehicle to source from central warehouse and inter outlets; the orders are placed on Tuesdays and received on Fridays. Whereas the logistic for home delivery is done in such a way: orders are taken up by the centralised call centre, from where information is passed on to the nearest Subway outlet and the delivery is done by the staff members as there is no delivery boy. Each outlet has three delivery bikes.”

Mr Bruce, Owner, IMBISS, a small German Restaurant, Mumbai, says, “We get all the raw materials from the local suppliers, GUK- supplies French fries, Alframs-Sausages and all other food materials from the local market. Stocking the material from the local market not only saves the energy, but also keeps the food fresh.”