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Starting a new Business

Posted by mixays

Hi,

I will be starting a new cafe/restaurant business and interested in finding major food suppliers. For a start I am looking for the following suppliers

asian/thai grocery supplier
general goods
poultry
meat
milk
fruit and veges
packaging

I know there are alot of information on the web, however i am interested in ppl who are currently in business who can make recommendations for reliable suppliers to use.

Any help is much appreciated.

Posted: 1:00 am, November 3rd, 2010 in Miscellaneous
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5 Comments

  1. Steve

    Steve:

    wrong site. we are consumers, not restaurateurs.

    Nov 3rd 2010 at 9:35 am

  2. ESNY

    ESNY:

    Hope you open a deli that serves has a pay by the pound buffet, asian food, salads, boars head cold cuts and wraps. That is a vastly neglected restaurant type in this city.

    Nov 3rd 2010 at 11:00 am

  3. deanlo

    deanlo:

    CostCo or local farms for everything but the Asian stuff.

    Sourcing your veggies from the Brooklyn Grange would be a great idea. http://brooklyngrangefarm.com/
    only "problem" is you'd be tied to their seasonality, so if you can't change your menu, it could be a hurdle getting through the winter.

    For the Asian stuff, I'd go with Jetro. My uncle owned his own business (grocery store) for almost 2 decades. He still swears by Jetro for foodstuffs.

    If you can manage to go frequently (say twice a week), it will be well worth your time and effort. Low inventory, fresher products. Shipping/handling costs that fall upon you will be miniscule compared to entering entry-level contracts with mainstream suppliers. The overall cost is better for you, in my opinion, to be your own supplier.

    If you set up a system where you know exactly what you need to buy, it's only 2-4 hours of extra work per week depending on your commute and math skills.

    Nov 3rd 2010 at 2:49 pm

  4. mkim1206

    mkim1206:

    I think if you apply for Costco's business plan, you don't pay tax everything they sell.

    Jetro is great as they sell everything but in my opinion, they are not the cheapest but it is an excellent source.
    For both, you need to get a business tax ID in order to get the wholesale prices/tax free items.

    But i think it's best to make friends with a few merchants for insider info and other supplier info.

    Nov 3rd 2010 at 4:35 pm

  5. mixays:

    Thanks guys for the advice, much appreciated. Will contact Jetro and Costco to find out more info.
    @ESNY hahahah it's a specialty sandwich place.

    Nov 3rd 2010 at 11:42 pm

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