What you buy, and how you buy it, sets the ceiling on both quality and margin. Chef Bryan Dillon helps owners choose the right products, set clear sourcing standards and build vendor relationships that deliver better quality at a better price.
The problem
Purchasing is often left to whoever has time to place the order. Products get substituted without anyone noticing, specs are vague, prices are not checked against invoices and nobody compares vendors. The result is paying premium prices for inconsistent product, or saving a little on price and losing more in yield and waste.
Large properties face a second problem: several outlets buying similar products from different vendors at different prices.
What Bryan does
- Product selection. Products chosen for quality, yield and fit with your menu, tested in your kitchen.
- Sourcing standards. Written specifications for key products so every delivery can be checked against them.
- Vendor review. A comparison of current vendors on price, quality, service and terms.
- Negotiation. Better pricing and terms, using volume, consolidation and long-term relationships.
- Receiving and auditing. Receiving procedures and regular quality audits that catch substitutions and short deliveries.
- Consolidation. Purchasing coordinated across outlets so the whole property buys at its best price.
Experience behind the work
Bryan has built relationships with suppliers and industry colleagues since 1986, and many of them are still active today. At Morongo Casino Resort & Spa he worked with executive management to select products that met operating requirements and gave guests high perceived value, and he maintained close relationships with vendors to buy quality goods at low prices. Those cost containment tools saved the property $1.2 million a year.
At Morton’s Restaurant Group he put rigorous ingredient sourcing standards and regular quality audits in place across the Bertolini’s locations. At Station Casinos he recruited and led the teams responsible for procurement and product selection, and while building a new casino from the ground up he took part in purchasing far beyond food and beverage. He holds Certified HACCP Manager (CHM) certification, so food safety is built into every specification.
How it fits the Dillon Luxury Process
- Discovery and market analysis. A review of invoices, vendor lists, specs and receiving practices.
- Brand identity and positioning. Confirm which products define your quality and must not be compromised.
- Strategic planning. Target products, target prices and a vendor plan.
- Implementation. Specs written, vendors reviewed and terms negotiated.
- Staff excellence and certification. Receiving and purchasing staff trained on the new standards.
- Optimization and growth. Regular price and quality checks to keep vendors accountable.
Who this is for
- Casino resorts and hotels buying for several outlets
- Restaurant groups that want the same product quality at every location
- Operations where food cost is rising faster than menu prices
Next step
Share a recent month of invoices, and Bryan will show you where purchasing can improve. Schedule a consultation, or see all consulting services.