Who Can Join a Foodservice GPO?

Is Group Purchasing a Good Fit for Your Business?

It’s no secret that group purchasing organizations (GPOs) save their members money. Whether through pre-negotiated prices or rebate programs, operators can leverage the purchasing power of large groups to reduce their supplies and services spend.

However, some business owners and operators hesitate to reach out to these buying groups from fear that their operation isn’t within the scope of these groups. Whether they fear being too small or too niche, they can limit their access to better pricing and a suite of purchasing benefits.

When it comes to GPO partnership, no operation is too large, too small, or too specific to join. The experts at Foodbuy Foodservice share how many types of properties can benefit from partnership.

Independent Restaurants and Emerging Brands

A major challenge for independent eateries and smaller brands, is securing optimal pricing on ingredients, supplies, equipment, and services. Because your business is smaller or newer on the scene, you may not have enough buying power to negotiate with suppliers and distributors.

That’s where a group purchasing organization comes into play. You can take advantage of negotiated pricing based on combined spend with thousands of restaurants across the country. This helps you stay competitive with those larger brands with major spend.

Plus, GPOs can supplement your labor force through more efficient processes. You won’t need a huge procurement team when you leverage the expertise and technology of your GPO. You can analyze opportunities, identify potential savings, and monitor spend more easily with a partner.

Foodbuy Foodservice doesn’t have a minimum spend requirement. So, no matter how large or small your operation is, you can leverage our membership benefits.

Regional and National Chains

Chain restaurants of different sizes and specialties deal with a variety of needs. One of the key through lines for these foodservice operations, is a focus on consistency across locations. After all, your locations are what create your brand image.

Group purchasing organizations like Foodbuy Foodservice can support chain operations in creating a consistent brand image through several offerings:

• Streamlined purchasing at the national level: when you optimize national spend, you can make better decisions across your locations.
• Order guide support: GPOs can help you develop and uphold order guides that encourage your location leadership to stick to your preferred products.
• Culinary support: Foodbuy Foodservice’s Culinary Solutions Team works directly with location chefs to optimize purchasing, pricing, and operations.

These benefits can help you create and uphold a brand image that sticks with consumers across the country.

Catering, Ghost Kitchen, and Delivery Businesses

Maybe your concern with joining a GPO is more about the way you reach diners. From catering businesses to ghost kitchens and delivery companies, non-brick-and-mortar operations have much to gain from group purchasing membership.

While you may not have a consumer-facing location, your business likely has many of the same facility and equipment needs. Group purchasing operations offer pre-negotiated contracts for a variety of products and services, including:

• Ovens, dishwashers, and ranges
• Landscaping and lawncare
• Contract cleaning

This is all in additional to competitive food and beverage programs – a key element in any catering or food delivery business. You can find the right suppliers and SKUs for your recipes for the best pricing. Groups like Foodbuy Foodservice even cover regional and local routes to market, allowing you to find all of the ingredients you need.

Find Your Niche Within Your GPO

Whether you’re running a single neighborhood café, a growing regional chain, or a delivery-focused concept, there’s a place for you within a group purchasing organization. With Foodbuy Foodservice, you don’t need to worry about being too small, too specialized, or too unique to benefit. Our programs are designed to scale with your needs, helping you save money, streamline operations, and focus on serving your customers.

Ready to see what a GPO membership can do for your business? Join Foodbuy Foodservice today and start leveraging the power of smarter purchasing.