Many consumers are more eager to support local farmers when they see that it is a social benefit to their community. Many possibilities can come from these scenarios: Farmers can demonstrate fair treatment of farm labor, anyone can collaborate with schools on educational programs or reach out to low-income and underserved groups. 

Local and regional food systems will continue to grow as consumers demand produce from their communities and establish stronger relationships with their local farmers. Producers, community members, consumers, educators and many others will continue to be involved in developing functioning local food systems. Buying local ensures that our farms and local businesses remain vibrant and productive and contribute to keeping up our scenic landscape and unique culture.

Supply Cannon continues to support local community providers for farm to table concepts and regional sourcing to build stronger communities. Launched in October 2020, Supply Cannon set forth to improve the way restaurateurs and food service providers source from their favorite distributors to help save time and money. 

To learn more about Supply Cannon, visit www.supplycannon.com to read more, create a free account and take an online interactive demo.

About Supply Cannon:

Supply Cannon has created an online platform to use modern technology and bring efficiency and cost savings to the dated wholesale sourcing and ordering process for the entire hospitality industry. Discover Supply Cannon’s new intuitive platform connecting distributors and restaurant owners across the USA.

The post Buying Local. How Farm To Fork & Regional Sourcing Builds A Stronger Community appeared first on Supply Cannon.

As vegan options continue to make their mark, plant-based dairy alternatives will boom more this year, moving the national diet away from dairy products such as cows milk. This includes favorites such as soy milk, coconut milk, and almond milk, as well as more niche choices. Pea milk… yes, really. Not only are pea milk as well as oat milk the latest cool and trendy additions to the endless list of dairy milk alternatives, but they’re nutritious and delicious. The dairy alternatives are no longer just for those with lactose intolerance, but for everyone.

According to Today.com, Microgreens aren’t exactly new, but consumer appetite for them is at an all-time high. These tiny shoots are the baby counterparts of plants like carrots and broccoli. You may have had microgreens atop a meal at a high-end restaurant in the past, but now you can find them at the grocery store in myriad varieties.

Low carb breakfast sandwiches and protein packed breakfast bowls will be a staple in 2021, especially as consumers return to their typical routines. In 2020, breakfast felt like it lacked meaning sometimes, with people eating anything from ice cream to mac and cheese in the morning. Now consumers are starting to refocus on eating and living a healthier lifestyle. 

Supply Cannon supports the increasing focus on vegan, organic and natural ingredients; especially locally grown in the USA. Launched in October 2020, Supply Cannon set forth to improve the way restaurateurs, hospitality and food service providers source from their favorite national and micro- distributors to help save time and money. 

To learn more about Supply Cannon, visit www.supplycannon.com to read more, take an online interactive demo and create a free account.

About Supply Cannon:

Supply Cannon has created an online platform to use modern technology and bring efficiency and cost savings to the dated wholesale sourcing and ordering process for the entire hospitality industry. Discover Supply Cannon’s new intuitive platform connecting distributors and restaurant owners across the USA.

The post Earth Month’s Natural, Vegan & Organic Trends For 2021 appeared first on Supply Cannon.

In an effort to survive the pandemic, many restaurants have pivoted their business models, whether that means they are only offering carryout and delivery services or serving as community kitchens. 

Restaurateurs, like Call Your Mother Deli owner Andrew Dana, temporarily closed in order to give themselves time to come up with a plan of action. But Dana, who has since reopened his restaurants, managed to keep all 144 of his employees on payroll, despite the closure, by relying on the restaurant’s rainy day fund and a few creative pivots as well. Dana launched an online experience store, where people could pay for the right to name a sandwich ($1,500), skip the line for a year ($2,000) or buy a dozen bagels to be delivered to a friend ($100). The experience shop garnered nearly $75,000 in revenue. 

Not only has Dana reopened most of his existing restaurants, but he expanded Call Your Mother to a second location. 

Zareen Khan is the owner of two popular eponymous restaurants in the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, with a third slated to open in August.

One of the biggest changes to her business model, however, has been the reintroduction of frozen meals, such as shaami kabab and samosas. These are entrees that are cooked and then packed in plastic bags and frozen to be sold in addition to the regular menu items. It hasn’t been easy keeping them in stock, but they’ve kept Khan’s employees busy—and hired; cooking-averse customers are happy they can stash these items away and not have to worry about meals down the line.

The pandemic has been devastating to the restaurant industry over all. According to the National Restaurant Association, an estimated 110,000 restaurants have closed since cities and states across the country imposed restrictions on indoor dining last March. Buffets, French bistros, and soup and salad spots being among the hardest hit. But 11,000 restaurants opened during the pandemic. Pizzerias led the way, with nearly 2,000 openings. 

Supply Cannon salutes these innovative entrepreneurs and the enduring restaurant industry. Launched in October 2020, Supply Cannon set forth to improve the way restaurateurs and food service providers source from their favorite distributors to help save time and money. 

To learn more about Supply Cannon, visit www.supplycannon.com to read more, take an online interactive demo and create a free account.

About Supply Cannon:

Supply Cannon has created an online platform to use modern technology and bring efficiency and cost savings to the dated wholesale sourcing and ordering process for the entire hospitality industry. Discover Supply Cannon’s new intuitive platform connecting distributors and restaurant owners across the USA.

The post Restaurant Heroes of the 2020 Pandemic & How They Survived appeared first on Supply Cannon.

Word of mouth has always been and continues to be the best way for people to hear about your restaurant – 86% of people say that they trust a review or recommendation from someone they know and 88% say they trust online reviews. That review component is crucial to reaching a new potential customer base and getting people to patronize your restaurant.

Thankfully for you, social media has expanded on that Word of Mouth Marketing by giving customers a space to see ratings, reviews, and great food pictures before entering your establishment or ordering to-go. Setting up a Facebook page where you can post updates in real-time and incorporate the review component will allow you to easily reach a new audience that trusts the good word about your place. It’s also never a bad idea to start an Instagram account – it was basically made for pictures of food. 

Updating Social Media (vs. Your Website) Allows You to be Quick and Agile

Compared to changing the language and pictures on your website all the time, many successful establishments will change hours, add pictures, and post specials on their Facebook and Instagram accounts. It doesn’t take long to make those changes and many customers look here for the most up-to-date information. If you give them guidelines, your staff can be involved by helping create content and actually posting or updating for you. 

Happy Customers Can Easily Tell Your Story

43% of customers say they are willing to leave a good review if they have a positive experience at your restaurant. That is significantly more than other industries and goes to show that if people like you, they will tell their network. There are many groups in cities designed specifically for this purpose (like RVA Dine & Drink) where restaurants will often get tagged in posts extolling the virtues of their cuisine. Having that online presence makes it so that people can easily end up on your pages and accounts, drooling over reviews with pictures that other satisfied customers have left.

Larger Potential Audience = More Potential Customers

In times past, people might stumble upon your restaurant while out walking or driving around and look up reviews on their smartphones. In our current day and age, people are venturing out far less often and are relying much more on digital recommendations when choosing their next nightly meal. Someone may be willing to drive 13 miles for mouth-watering wings if they see amazing online reviews, whereas before they wouldn’t have happened upon your establishment. Tapping into your whole city and surrounding area could introduce your brand to many more people vs. those that live in your neighborhood. This is great for new business and can also help you replace any business you may have lost during pandemic mitigation efforts. 

About Supply Cannon:

Supply Cannon has created an online platform to use modern technology and bring efficiency and cost savings to the dated wholesale sourcing and ordering process for the entire hospitality industry. Discover Supply Cannon’s new intuitive platform connecting distributors and restaurant owners across the USA.

The post Why Your Restaurant Should Use Social Media (Particularly Facebook) appeared first on Supply Cannon.