At Capriotti’s and Wing Zone, our brands are uniquely positioned to thrive in even the most volatile of markets due to our long-standing relationships with trusted vendors and our implementation of new technology. Amid ongoing supply chain disruptions impacting the restaurant industry, there exists a clear path to success with the right resources.
What’s Causing the Supply Chain Issues?
There are many factors contributing to the current wave of supply chain issues. Instability in the commodities market has created fluctuations in the cost of food. Meanwhile, on the distribution side, the supply chain has been impacted by labor shortages, wage inflation, and increases in fuel, transportation, and packaging materials. Despite the ongoing supply chain disruptions, Capriotti’s and Wing Zone have implemented many strategies to address these challenges.
How Do Supplier Relationships Contribute to Supply Chain Performance?
Maintaining strong vendor relationships is vital for navigating today’s supply chain disruptions. Ami Lindsay, Capriotti’s and Wing Zone SVP of Supply Chain, believes that “supply chain is ALL about relationships, making them and keeping them.”
Capriotti’s and Wing Zone maintain strong ties to some of the most trusted vendors in the country, including Butterball and Tyson. Capriotti’s and Wing Zone also have a fourteen-year relationship with SYSCO, a global leader in food distribution that serves over 650,000 customers worldwide.
Ami highlighted that SYSCO is an invaluable partner because “no one in the food service distribution industry is likely better prepared for natural disasters or labor distributions. Their extensive crisis mitigation plans cover most areas that could cause distribution to Capriotti’s and Wing Zone stores.”
These partnerships provide access to their extensive supply chain networks, and our volume of business gives Capriotti’s and Wing Zone a preferred customer status that helps keep costs down.
How Does Our Supply Chain Operate at Capriotti’s and Wing Zone?
Sysco supplies Capriotti’s and Wing Zone through 28 distribution centers throughout the United States. Each of these centers supplies a different number of stores, with a large variation in the number of restaurants they service. The largest of these, located in Las Vegas, services 41 Capriotti’s locations and 5 Wing Zones restaurants.
Capriotti’s and Wing Zone vendor partners also play a significant role in maintaining food quality standards. By partnering with industry-leading vendors, we can ensure they maintain all necessary, proper quality protocols. Through these partnerships, we can also put requirements in place in our stores so that they only buy from approved sources. This ensures that Capriotti’s and Wing Zone purchase the highest quality products from reputable manufacturers delivered by an approved distributor.
How Can Technology Improve Supply Chain Issues?
Technology can play a significant role in supply chain efficiency. Real-time data enables franchise partners to remain flexible, allowing them to anticipate and rapidly address inventory issues before they become a problem.
In 2022, Capriotti’s and Wing Zone began using ArrowStream, a supply chain intelligence solution designed for the food service industry. This is an invaluable resource for our franchise partners. ArrowStream’s inventory management system offers franchise partners improved visibility on their product spend and inventory levels. It can help identify opportunities to increase contract spend by either product category or supplier and helps maintain correct inventory levels across the entire supply chain.
Invest in Your Future
Now is the time to franchise with Capriotti’s and Wing Zone. Learn more about how Capriotti’s and Wing Zone are Combatting Labor Shortage and Increased Minimum Wage. Interested to learn how Capriotti’s and Wing Zone are investing in AI? Learn more here.
