What's the point, Restaurant Depot?

[AimlessRyan]

As everyone here already knows, Restaurant Depot does not sell to the public. What's the point?

I can go to real foodservice distributors and buy anything they carry. With some distributors, like GFS, I can even get a lot of items in quantities smaller than a case. These distributors gladly sell to me (or you) because it's good for their bottom line. So what's Restaurant Depot's problem?

I wanted to send Restaurant Depot an e-mail to ask them directly why they exclude people like me from boosting their bottom line, but it looks like you can't even contact them without first having an account with them. What's the point?

If you won't sell to Ryan Powell just because he doesn't currently own or operate a restaurant, Restaurant Depot, I can assure you that you will NEVER make a sale to "Ryan's Pizzeria." Y'see, RDP has treated me like an important client for almost ten years, even though they know I'm not even close to realizing my goal of owning a pizzeria. In fact, an RDP sales rep even knew who I was when we bumped into each other at a hockey game once. So guess who's on the top of my list of prospective suppliers, and guess why.

If anyone can give me a good explanation for why Restaurant Depot refuses to sell to people who want to buy from them, please clue me in.

[Tscarborough]

I don't understand it either.  Ours is a contractor supply house, but we sell to anyone, and only change pricing on volume.  We don't care who you are, or what you do, we only want you to buy something.

I have tried using our tax number, and even though we are tangentially related (I wanted to buy pizza peels, etc for resale), they would not sell me.  I do buy from the other 2 restaurant supply houses in town, though.

[buceriasdon]

grrrrrr, My first reply went who knows where. If they are a wholesale supply by tax law, in most states, they don't collect sales tax, therefore they would be breaking the law to sell to anyone who does not have a sales tax license. As least that's the way it was in Colorado.
Don
PS. I googled the site and yes it states very clearly you must have a business or tax exempt license.

[BrickStoneOven]

I have a RD acc. and only go there maybe once a month. If you had one would you honestly go there more than once or twice a month if you didn't own a restaurant, and if you did how much would you buy. Everytime I go I am probaly the only person there that doesn't own a business and have a couple items no more than $30-$40. Everyone else has atleast 1 roller full of items and spends around $500 there. Even if they let the public come in and buy without needing an acc. it would be a minuscule part of their business.

FYI: You can get a day pass.

[Essen1]

Go to Costco.

[Tscarborough]

I have a tax ID and wanted to buy items for resale.  We supply material for about 10 ovens a month, and being able to sell the equipment (pans, peels, boxes, etc.) would be a nice value added service.  You have to be a restaurant.

[AimlessRyan]

Even if they let the public come in and buy without needing an acc. it would be a minuscule part of their business.

Yeah, well let's just say I end up operating a pizzeria for the next 40 years. I'm not even going to speculate how much stuff I'll be buying from some other supplier over these next 40 years, but it will be a lot of stuff that ultimately will cost a lot of money. It takes no extra effort for Restaurant Depot to sell to the public, and all it does is boost the bottom line, probably a lot more than their brilliant 'suits' realize.

If you come into "Ryan's Pizzeria" and you want to buy what we have for sale, I'm gonna sell it to ya; I don't care who you are. It's that simple. I don't care if it's only a can of Coke; I'm going to sell it to you and then I'm going to thank you for buying it from me. And I will always give you the same great service that I give everyone else because you keep me alive.

Do you think this thread is good PR for Restaurant Depot? And how could they have avoided it? Losing my business might not seem like much, but it might just be the beginning of a massive snowball effect. Regardless of what I may or may not purchase from them, they need me a lot more than I need them.

In all honesty, I probably wouldn't buy much (or anything) from them anyway. But with that policy, I'll never buy anything from them... ever. And I'm not the only one.

[Tscarborough]

If you operate your business from emotion instead of a practical standpoint, you won't be in business for 2 years, much less 40.

I am not happy with their policy, but that does not mean that I will never buy from them.  It may be (and appears to be for certain items in this market) that they are the cheapest in town.  I would be a fool not to buy from them if I could because I was "Mad" at them.

I mean to say, this is not a service issue, they are not giving you bad service, they simply have a policy of selling strictly to restaurants.  I have people get mad at me because they want to buy something in a way that violates OUR policies (mainly breaking case quantities).  <shrug>  My example to them is to tell them to go to the grocery store and try and buy 4 slices of bread out of the loaf because that is all they need. 

So even though I do not understand the policy, I would not let it get in the way of future business.

[AimlessRyan]

That has nothing to do with emotion.

[Tscarborough]

So what is it then?  What have they actively done to you?  How have they impacted your business/life in a way that is negative?  We do not meet the requirements to be a client.  This is actually very common in many industries regarding manufacturer/distributor/retailer/end-user relationships.

There are companies that want my business whom I will not represent, simply because they sell directly to the public.  This is probably the case with RD, as well (aside from the tax issue, I totally understand that aspect).

[AimlessRyan]

So what is it then? 

It's economics.

[Tscarborough]

Economics is paying more than you have to?

[Bobino414]

RD sells to me.  I have a tax id but do not have a restaurant.  In my area RD offers much more than GFS and at a better price.

My advice to you.......be creative!

[AimlessRyan]

Economics is paying more than you have to?

Anything I can get at the Depot, I can get somewhere else.

If I choose to get it from RDP, though, instead of the Depot, I get better service, better products, and more selection from a company that values my patronage. If I get it from RDP, I get a knowledgeable salesperson who understands my business and wants me to succeed because my success is good for his business. If I get it from RDP, I can trust that my cheese will not be moldy or even over-aged. If I get it from RDP, I don't have to waste valuable time and energy picking it up and transporting it. And if I can't get it from RDP, but I need a lot of it, they'll start carrying it.

If I get it from RDP, I get peace of mind and efficiency. (Efficiency is everything.)

Restaurant Depot is for businesses that want cheap product, not quality product. The Depot is for people who don't sell enough food to justify having their supplies delivered. If you don't sell enough to justify having your supplies delivered, you're doing a lot of things wrong, like spending half of your day shopping for supplies when you could have them delivered. You might be saving money by doing it, but you're wasting a lot more than you're saving because your time is money.

[AimlessRyan]

Thanks for participating in this thread, everyone. I didn't really expect much (or any) response. To me it's all about sharing ideas, and I'm certainly giving a lot of thought to what y'all have to say, even if I'm driving you nuts.

[JConk007]

I was pissed too! after I blew the gate and walked around 1 day to see what they offered I had to get in. Took me all of 10-15 minutes and I opened a business in the state of New Jersey and received my bus reg from the state! yep the real deal. Very cool ! I brought paper to rest. depot and whala a membership in another 10 min!  I am one of those who putzs around and buys only a few things here and there 2-4 times a month but I love that place !
I think they only do it to keep the little guy out. they are set up for the big sale Not me buying 1 dough rising bucket and a box of sour Skittles
oh and some all trumps, nice cheese, some great fish, a beautiful tenderloin and some coffee and some......
you get it- its worth it to join, and No fee! They sell many similar Items in costco and such but they charge a fee to join. to me thats worse, they make you pay to shop there. whats up with that?
I also go to cash and carry places for grande cheese etc.. share the wealth what little there is.
John

[Tscarborough]

Ryan, since you and I are not members, we do not really know how good or bad their service is, do we?  I have never heard a client of theirs bad mouth them, and the 2 times I visited it was packed, so they are doing something right.

Face it you had an emotional response, and are basing your opinion on them solely on that.  I did too, to a certain extent, but we should not let it cloud our business judgment about using them if it were possible and profitable.

[chickenparm]

RD sells to me.  I have a tax id but do not have a restaurant.  In my area RD offers much more than GFS and at a better price.

My advice to you.......be creative!

What does it cost to get a Business License and tax ID in your area?

[BrickStoneOven]

What does it cost to get a Business License and tax ID in your area?

I'm not a 100% sure but I think you can only get it if you have a business of some kind, doesn't necessarily need to be a food one. I use my uncles and he owns a jewerly store.

As for the customer service at RD it's really good. I have been to both of the RD in MA and both have very friendly empolyees. Great prices and their meat selection is top quality.

[Bobino414]

CP

I got my tax id many years ago; I think it was free.  I file yearly; as long as I pay the collected sales tax on time there is no fee to me.  RD did not ask for a business license.