Although some businesses in the restaurant industry still stock their pantries by ordering via phone or email, wholesale ordering platforms have become very popular. Instead of using directories to find vendors, eateries can benefit from restaurant technology in the field of wholesale ordering. These solutions can be beneficial for both suppliers and wholesale buyers. In this post, we’ll share a few examples of some of the best SaaS platforms for restaurant wholesale ordering. We’ll also explain what these solutions are and what their benefits are. Make sure to check out our posts on how BlueCart helps vendors sell smarter, not harder, and how to grow a foodservice distribution business.
Key takeaway: Foodservice wholesale ordering platforms are used by restaurants, coffee shops, and small foodservice businesses like food trucks. They offer products in categories like meat, baked goods, staple food ingredients, produce, and more. They’re also used by distributors of restaurant supplies and equipment. The best SaaS platforms for restaurant wholesale ordering also have additional features and tools related to inventory management and analytics.
What Are Restaurant Wholesale Ordering Platforms
These are solutions that allow food service businesses to go through digital catalogs of suppliers and order products in bulk. Some platforms specialize in certain categories (like produce or gourmet food products) while others offer customers a wide variety of goods. These platforms can be used as part of the wholesale marketing strategy for distributors. That’s because they can generate sales and increase the revenue of suppliers. Furthermore, they are also beneficial for hospitality businesses as they make the wholesale ordering process much easier.
Modern foodservice ordering platforms can be integrated with POS systems, inventory management software, and other platforms. In addition, they also have restaurant data analytics capabilities that allow hospitality businesses to track purchasing data.
Benefits of SaaS Platforms for Wholesale Ordering
- These platforms are specifically designed for B2B sales. As such, they give distributors access to a variety of B2B marketing tools.
- Since they are SaaS, these platforms are easy to use and don’t require a complex installation process.
- In addition to wholesale ordering functionalities, these platforms offer other tools such as real-time inventory tracking or calculating the cost of goods sold.
- SaaS wholesale ordering platforms save time for both buyers and sellers.
- These solutions make not only the wholesale ordering process easy but also the payment of goods, tracking deliveries, and managing multiple locations.
- Some platforms also have vendor-managed inventory capabilities, which are excellent for medium and large businesses.
Examples of SaaS Platforms for Restaurant Wholesale Ordering
Various SaaS solutions specialize in the ever-growing hospitality niche market. That’s why there are different software options, platforms, and solutions for wholesale ordering in the foodservice sector. Here are a few examples of such products.
- BlueCart. BlueCart is built for food and beverage wholesale ordering. Restaurants order from all their distributors in one place, set up standing orders for weekly staples, and manage invoices and payments through BlueCart Pay. Distributors get digital catalogs with customer-specific pricing and route management for deliveries. Learn how restaurants buy wholesale products through BlueCart.
- Pepperi. A broad B2B eCommerce platform that also serves food and beverage brands and distributors. It’s designed for enterprise-level businesses and supports features such as inventory integration and order routing, but it isn’t built specifically for foodservice.
- Notch. A restaurant ordering platform focused on ordering and invoice management for independent restaurants and their suppliers.
Key Features to Look for in Restaurant Wholesale Ordering Software
The right ordering platform should cut time out of your week, not add another system to manage. When comparing options, look for:
- All your suppliers in one place. Most restaurants buy from several distributors. Software that only works with one supplier solves only part of the problem.
- Order guides and par levels. Saved lists of the items you buy regularly, with par levels, make reordering a two-minute task.
- Standing orders. Automate the items you buy on the same schedule every week.
- Price visibility. Seeing your current price at the time of ordering — and how it’s changed — helps you catch increases before they hit food cost.
- Invoice and payment management. Matching invoices to orders and paying suppliers in the same system removes most back-office reconciliation.
- Accounting and inventory integration. Order data should flow into your inventory counts and accounting software without re-entry.
- Multi-location support and mobile access. Chefs and managers often order from the kitchen or walk-in, so mobile ordering matters.
If you’re still deciding where to buy rather than how to order, see our guide to the best B2B marketplaces for food.
BlueCart’s Endless Aisle for Restaurants
Here are the BlueCart features restaurants use most for wholesale ordering.
- One ordering interface for every distributor. Restaurants place, track, and review orders with all their suppliers in one place instead of juggling calls, texts, and emailed order sheets.
- Standing orders. Recurring items — produce, proteins, dairy — reorder automatically on schedule, with easy adjustments when needs change.
- Food costing. Track ingredient costs and margins on menu items to keep the kitchen profitable.
- Inventory management. Know what’s on hand before ordering, which matters most for perishables.
- Invoicing and payment with BlueCart Pay. Pay suppliers and keep invoices organized in the same system as the order.
- Reporting and analytics. Review order history and purchasing patterns to spot price changes and waste.
For Food Distributors: Why Your Restaurant Accounts Expect Online Ordering
Restaurants increasingly choose suppliers based on how easy they are to order from. An account that can place orders online at 11 p.m. after close — with their own pricing, clear delivery cutoffs, and no phone tag with a sales rep — is an account that stays.
Online ordering also pays off on the distributor side. Orders arrive complete and legible, so picking errors drop. Standing orders make weekly volume predictable. Sales reps spend their time growing accounts instead of transcribing orders, and your catalog becomes a place to introduce new products to existing customers.
BlueCart gives food distributors a branded online ordering channel with digital catalogs, customer-specific pricing, standing order management, route management, and BlueCart Pay for invoicing and payment collection. See how BlueCart’s B2B eCommerce works for distributors.
Frequently Asked Questions about SaaS Platforms for Restaurant Wholesale Ordering
Whether you wish to know how to make your wholesale catalog stand out, you’ll find resources on BlueCart. Check out our answers to commonly asked questions regarding restaurant wholesale ordering platforms.
How Do Restaurants Order Ingredients and Supplies?
Nowadays, most food service businesses use innovative platforms or other digital solutions to order in bulk. There are still some restaurant businesses that prefer to order by email or phone. However, distributors actively try to automate order management. Thus, suppliers integrate ordering solutions to make the process more efficient for them and for their customers.
A lot of eateries order their ingredients and supplies from broadline distributors. Other businesses prefer to use specialized suppliers. Visiting cooperative markets and inspecting their products is also common. Especially when it comes to seafood, produce, or meat.
How to Source Vendors?
Businesses that wish to find suppliers have multiple options. Ordering platforms like BlueCart’s Endless Aisle let buyers browse products from multiple suppliers in one place and compare value for money. Searching for suppliers on wholesale directories or visiting physical wholesale cooperative marketplaces is still common for some food service businesses.
What Are the Trends in Restaurant Wholesale Ordering?
Digitalization is undoubtedly a major trend in the hospitality industry. Companies in this sector look for ways to integrate different systems and automate processes. That has resulted in the popularity of SaaS platforms for restaurant wholesale ordering. Fewer eateries prefer to order by phone or email.
Another trend in ordering ingredients is related to the integration of food inventory management with ordering. As food service businesses deal with a lot of perishable goods, they need to order more frequently in order to have fresh ingredients. Thus, inventory management can be challenging. Ordering in bulk based on current inventory levels and demand forecast makes it significantly easier for eateries.
BlueCart: The Wholesale Ordering Platform for Restaurants and Suppliers
Restaurant managers, coffee shops, owners of food trucks or other small businesses, retailers, and other companies can benefit from BlueCart’s SaaS platform. Ordering from every distributor in one place, standing orders, and automated inventory management help restaurants and other businesses in the food and beverage industry spend less time ordering. See how BlueCart works for restaurants.
If you operate a distribution business, BlueCart’s Endless Aisle for wholesalers gives your accounts a faster way to order and gives your team less manual order entry. Book a demo to see BlueCart’s wholesale ordering software in action.