OHIO — A new startup is looking to change the food industry for the better.
SupplyNow, an online food, shopping and delivery platform, has restaurants in mind, instead of the consumer.
Austin Hopperton, senior operations manager for SupplyNow, said coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant industry is still dealing with supply chain issues.
“So either a restaurant runs out of stuff, runs out of items because of volume, or they run out because their wholesaler shorted them,” Hopperton said.
Austin Hopperton, senior operations manager for SupplyNow (left) with Antonio Cammo, an employee at SupplyNow, Taylor Bruck/Spectrum News 1
SupplyNow helps fill in the gaps. With a simple text, a restaurant explains what they need. They specify whether they need the items/ingredients as soon as possible, known as a crisis order, or if they need it sometime later in the week, known as a general order.
SupplyNow then compares prices between the multiple vendors they work with to find the best price for the items, then they assign a driver and go shop.
They’re not open 24/7, but restaurants can count on SupplyNow seven days a week.
The startup launched at the beginning of this year and already has nearly 60 clients. They have plans to expand nationwide.
“We have plans for Columbus, Akron and Boston in the works right now, but we’re not limiting our scope with that. We are looking to be have a SupplyNow operation in every city in the U.S.,” Hopperton said.
Joshua Ingraham, the director or marketing and development for SupplyNow, calls it the future of food service.
“Our mission is to save the restaurant industry. We’re finally giving power back to the small business,” Ingraham said. “So it’s kind of like having somebody else on your staff at an on call at all anytime notice.”
Barry Jarvis, director of co-manufacturing at Central Kitchen, Taylor Bruck/Spectrum News 1
And restaurants are already benefitting. Barry Jarvis, director of co-manufacturing for the Central Kitchen in Cleveland, one of America’s largest food hubs said SupplyNow allows him to keep his operations running smoothly. When he’s short a few pounds of vegetables or needs items like gloves, he relies on SupplyNow.
“They actually look for the best price, but the time is so much more important,” Jarvis said. “And just the hassle like to have to stop production and go somewhere to get that. It’s just such a crucial point to our business that has saved us so much. I’ve given them some pretty challenging ingredients to get their hands on and they’re just always so happy to do the research and go get the products.”
SupplyNow’s goal is to save restaurant’s time, money and labor, especially as they continue to recover from the pandemic.
“Everybody who works here is really passionate about the food service industry,” Hopperton said. “And we just want to make it better.”
They want food items to stay on the menu, customers to remain happy and restaurant doors to stay open.
“Really, a useful tool that is allowing them to spend more time on what they love to do, which is cooking,” Ingraham said.
For more information about SupplyNow, click here.
