It’s officially summer which means diners are starting to crowd restaurants again. Is your operation prepared to take on the rush?

At Consolidated Concepts, we offer savings programs that will help you revamp your restaurant with infinite solutions!

Need to liven up the atmosphere with a new paint job? Replace those light fixtures you’ve been putting off for years? We’ve got you covered.

Any HVAC and plumbing needs? Fountain maintenance? Cleaning supplies? Our programs are secured to help you fix, replace, and/or maintain all of your operational needs from A to Z.

Savings on ACE Hardware Products and Solutions

Did you know that Consolidated Concepts members get a 10% discount on products and solutions from ACE Hardware? That means you could be saving with top national brands on paint and supplies, lighting and electrical, hand and power towels, outdoor equipment and supplies, janitorial and sanitation, plumbing and HVAC, hardware, and much more!

Solutions on Water Management and Supplies

If your operation has an outdoor pool or fountain, you’re in luck. Consolidated Concepts partners with Leslie’s Pool to give you exclusive savings on water management and maintenance. You get access to discounts on pool and spa chemicals, equipment, cleaning and maintenance solutions, and more, to ensure your water management needs are secured.

Save on HVAC Systems with Carrier

Nobody wants to be sitting in their own sweat while enjoying a delicious bite at your restaurant this summer. Your HVAC system needs to be running efficiently so that your operation is properly climate controlled and at a suitable temperature for your diners. We’ve partnered with Carrier, the experts in HVAC, to give you exclusive savings and benefits on air conditioning, heating, and building controls. Satisfy your guests by setting the standard for performance, sustainability, and energy efficiency.

Join Consolidated Concepts Today!

Whether it’s fixing the light fixture you’ve been putting off or maintaining your HVAC, at Consolidated Concepts, we offer our members exclusive savings and solutions to help revamp your operation to ensure boosted profits and repeat customers.

Join today!

According to Tork, 60% of consumers have higher expectations on restaurant hygiene due to Covid-19. Hopefully by now your operation has implemented a new cleaning process and invested in the right sanitation solutions to support the increased awareness your customers have when it comes to how clean a restaurant is – or is not.

Your guests want to see that you have taken the necessary steps to ensure their cleanliness. It builds trust and lets them know you care about their health and well-being. This can include staffing a full-time employee whose soul purpose is to clean the front-of-house at all seconds of the day or replacing all your high contact appliances and tools with solutions to ensure a more sanitary dining experience.

Tork Matic® Hand Towel Roll Dispenser with Intuition Sensor

You can make changes in every area of your restaurant – including the bathroom. Take hand towels vs. air dryers for instance. Tork reports that 70% of visitors wish more facilities offered paper hand towels as an alternative to air dryers. Why? Because jet air dryers can spread up to 10x more germs. Another reason customers prefer hand towels is that over half of consumers say they stop drying their hands before they are completely dry because air dryers take too long to dry their hands.

When you’re ready to swap out your restroom air dryers for hand towel dispensers, Tork has made the process easy by creating the Tork Matic® Hand Towel Roll Dispenser with Intuition Sensor. With a one-at-a-time automated dispenser, less hand towels will be used meaning less waste, clutter and best of all – cost.

Tork Xpressnap & Tork Xpressnap Fit Dispensers

Embrace new front-of-house technology solutions to provide a more contactless dining experience. How many of us have gone to our favorite fast-food restaurant or ordered to-go, saw the napkin holder, and thought “let me just grab a few extra”. Then you grab a bunch of napkins, and some fall out of your hands and boom – now you have touched someone else’s napkins. This is not very sanitary.

Whether napkins are needed for your drive thru, dining room, or carry out windows, customers sometimes take more – and touch more – then they actually need. Tork has created solutions to help prevent customers from touching too many napkins at once with the Tork Xpressnap Dispensers. With one-at-a-time dispensing, guests always have a fresh napkin because they only touch the napkins they use. This controls waste with 50% less leftover napkins lying around giving a better guest experience and promoting hygiene.

When it comes to choosing the right sanitary and hygiene solutions, Tork has products to help you improve every area of your operation. As a Consolidated Concepts member, you get access to exclusive savings on Tork solutions you need to make your operation a safer and cleaner environment.

Back-of-House restaurant operations have never been just easy. Especially now, post-pandemic, when many operators are struggling with staffing and labor shortages, supply chain shortages, inflation…the list goes on.

As a restaurant operator, you want to make sure you’re leveraging technology to help save you both time and money. At Consolidated Concepts, we can help you do this by using a little something called Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence

The future of Foodservice and Supply Chain lies in the hands of Artificial Intelligence.

What is Artificial Intelligence you ask? It is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.

It may seem like you’re completely unfamiliar with AI, but rest assured, you see it every day—even when you don’t know it.

Did you know that every time your Google Maps reroutes you as you’re driving to your destination, it uses AI? It monitors your phone as you drive to make better decisions for you based on where you are and where you’re going.

Or have you noticed that every time you type a letter on your touch screen keyboard, the area in which you’re clicking in expands a bit and the letters become bigger? That’s because your phone knows what you’re about to type based on the sensitive area your fingers are clicking in! That’s AI too.

As humans, we are always looking for ways to solve problems in a more efficient and timely manner. Whether it’s transporting from one place to another or beating your partner in a game of chess.

With Artificial Intelligence in the foodservice industry, you can make better business decisions. In short, a lot of it is classical optimization. This means, by looking at either past or present data, you can determine what the best possible solution is to the problem you’re facing right now.

Back of House Technology

The truth is, you’re most likely already using AI in the front-of-house tablets on tables for order taking and payment of checks. You’re probably even using it for reservations, restaurant seating and digital QR codes for menus.

If you’re doing marketing or serving any Instagram ADS, that’s also AI. If you have an online ordering engine or displaying product recommendations, or maybe your HR department is screening candidate resumes. What about your finance department forecasting? That’s all Artificial Intelligence!

The problem is, technology has been slower to be adopted in the back-of-house.

In the front-of-house, AI helps you control variables such as menu costs, table numbers, hours of operation, etc. It’s a lot easier to control.

Although you should be taking control of your back-of-house, too! That starts by utilizing the purchasing data your operation generates. Unfortunately, the amount of data your restaurant produces is so complex and time-consuming for the human mind to manage, this is where AI and technology come into play.

In the back-of-house, your variables are constantly changing. Pricing, inventory levels, quality. It’s hard to manage and keep track of every single situation, whereas in the front-of-house, your variables are limited—making it a lot easier to handle. Plus, almost everything is in your control.

The current challenges within the supply chain makes it extremely difficult for operators like you to manage a successful restaurant. You’re facing roadblocks left and right, and almost every day has become unpredictable.

Now, imagine if there was a way to identify new savings opportunities, optimize pricing, handle product substitutions, and do much more with little to no effort. Because there’s only so much we as humans can do, Artificial Intelligence is the future of our industry.

You as an operator need to focus on what you are good at and the real reason you opened a restaurant in the first place to create great food and memorable experiences for your customers.

Leave the time-consuming, laborious part to technology…

How Can AI Help Me?

Artificial Intelligence can solve all your problems. How do you adapt to the supply chain? AI. How do you deal with product shortages? AI. How do you deal with things like price fluctuations and inventory levels? AI.

For instance, artificial intelligence can identify thousands of substitutions for items you’re already buying within a matter of minutes. Humans don’t work as fast as technology.

How many analysts would you have to hire to identify over 1,000 similar items in two minutes? A lot. That’s why it’s important to embrace technology and AI.

But that’s only one of many things Artificial Intelligence is capable of.

Forget about your spreadsheets and long nights spent in the office. Our technology analyzes, normalizes, and cleans your data for you.

An AI engine (if you ask it to do so), can help you find similar or the same products at a lower price. It can also uncover what products are in stock or out of stock.

AI analyzes high volumes of data, provides visibility into purchasing, and helps you improve your partnerships. When you have a better understanding of your operation, you save money, time, and labor. AI provides consistency, stabilizes your pricing, and alleviates the supply chain strain.

How Can I Get Started?

If you’re ready to embrace technology and implement AI into your operations, you first need to work with a data partner that leverages AI, such as Consolidated Concepts.

Our cutting-edge technology was designed to identify areas where emerging, growing, and established restaurants may unlock additional opportunities to save money and increase profitability.

Start leveraging AI to streamline operations and put money back into your bottom line, by becoming a member today!

 

 

 

These days, every penny counts and anywhere you can maximize savings is crucial to your bottom line.

Is it the end of an era? Not quite. The current supply chain crisis doesn’t look to be coming to an end anytime soon which means operators must find ways to maximize savings to keep costs low and profits high while navigating an uncertain supply chain.

Bracing for continued price increases and supply shortages, restaurants are scrambling to keep up with commodity pressures and order delays.

More and more restaurants are outsourcing their supply chain management and turning to technology solutions to streamline processes and gain visibility into their purchasing.

At Consolidated Concepts, we are committed to helping you run a more efficient restaurant operation and are dedicated to maximizing your savings through the help of technology and industry expertise.

When you become a Consolidated Concepts member, you get access to exclusive savings and services that drive restaurant success such as:

Supply Chain Management

There is no better time then now to future proof your supply chain processes. Not only has it been difficult for restaurants to find a willing workforce, they’ve also been challenged with finding solutions to manage a chaotic and unpredictable supply chain.

Our experts work to identify the right products for your operational needs and solutions to help you reduce overhead. Our full-service supply chain management services minimize your costs so you can put money back into your bottom line.

We perform various functions such as product sourcing, contract negotiation, managing overcharges, managing inventory, and looking for new distributor contracts.

Data and Technology

Restaurants generate large amounts of data from multiple sources every day. This data is filled with incredible value and insights about your purchasing.

The challenge is understanding the data and what to do with it. By cleaning and organizing the data, you open the door to analyze your restaurants purchasing history.

For multi-unit restaurants, this can be a major opportunity for cost savings.

Our industry leading technology is the most advanced food procurement spend management tool in the industry. It provides clean data and dashboards with in-depth information into purchasing trends, pricing, contracts, rebate management, overcharges, location-level spending, and more.

Maximize Savings with Rebates and Deviations

What if we said you could be earning cashback on the items you’re already purchasing?

It’s true.

As a multi-unit restaurant operator, taking advantage of rebates and deviations should be a no brainer.

At Consolidated Concepts, we analyze your purchases and identify savings opportunities and rebates so you can put money back into your pocket. Our rebate and deviation contracts with over 350 manufacturers on over 165,000 line items cover every category imaginable.

Produce Management

If you haven’t already, it’s time to consider utilizing a produce management program as they offer a wide variety of benefits to multi-unit restaurants.

One major benefit a restaurant receives by joining a produce program is full visibility throughout the produce process so you can choose the right produce specifications for your restaurants needs.

Produce management is a best practice and ensures your customers are getting the best quality foods on their plates – or in their cocktail glasses.

Not only can a produce program help you stay on top of food safety and traceability, but it also protects your operation from price fluctuations throughout the year.

Partner with Consolidated Concepts 

Take advantage of instant savings and fully customizable service and ensure your multi-unit operation is running at its full potential.

At Consolidated Concepts, our clients have the strongest procurement departments in the restaurant industry. By Partnering with Consolidated Concepts, you get access to massive buying power, hard-won expertise, and insightful data and analytics.

Boost profitability and improve procurement when you become a Consolidated Concepts member.

To run a restaurant operation during the current labor shortage is one thing. Running an efficient one is another. With the continuation of the pandemic and no relief in sight, especially before the holidays, restaurant operators are seeking alternatives to what was once known to them as their traditional, every-day way of running their operation.

There’s no doubt that times are changing, and everyone is doing their part to keep up. These changes are fairly easy to make and will not only help you run a more efficient business, but will also put money back in your pocket.

Let’s take a look at three different ways Consolidated Concepts experts say you can run an efficient restaurant during the current labor shortage:

Technology Can Streamline Processes

Technology has played a massive role in restaurant operators lives, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. From QR code menus and mobile ordering to inventory management, there’s nothing technology can’t do to help streamline your operation.

One way we encourage restaurant operators to implement technology is by partnering with industry experts such as InsideTrack. With the help of their spend management technology, you’ll have access to the most effective data cleaning in the foodservice industry. Data accuracy, consistency, and reliability are guaranteed. Operators like you gain better insights and spend intelligence into your operation.

By embracing spend management technology, you make better business decisions and identify new opportunities for savings and revenue. Data on your purchases is organized into easy-to-read dashboards you can access at any time. InsideTrack members can streamline operations by utilizing spend management, contract management, cost savings, GPO services, and much more—all within one powerful technology software.

Another way experts at Consolidated Concepts encourage the use of technology is by taking advantage of food cost management. Food cost management technology is a great resource that helps operators and chefs manage and control their food cost, inventory, and much more.

Food cost management technology puts time back into your day and helps you figure out any pain points that may be affecting the success of your operation.

Instead of hand-counting each item, you simply upload a screenshot of your invoices and Orderly takes care of the rest. You speed up your inventory process when you implement technology into your operation.

Now you can calculate the cost of a recipe online, too! With solutions such as Orderly, you’re able to build all of your recipes directly into the system. Each time an invoice is uploaded, the technology breaks down each ingredient and updates your prices in real-time.

Technology is key to running an efficient restaurant operation during these times. There’s an infinite number of things technology can do to ensure you’re streamlining operations, putting time back into your day and money into your bottom line.

Using Versatile, Easy-To-Prepare Ingredients

Did you know you could save time and money by incorporating versatile ingredients that are delicious and easy to prep? With products like Idahoan Real Potatoes, your customers will have that homemade taste and authentic feel they’re craving.

With the cold weather here, you can even add quick, savory soups onto your menus with items like Campbell’s Soup. Maybe even a soup base that’s less expensive and more consistent than scratch for you to work your final touches on such as LeGoût Cream Soup Base.

Have you considered pre-made sauces that are free of artificial colors/flavors and preservatives? Save time on prep and create dishes your guests will love with Knorr® Professional sauces. From gravies to sauces, your back of house will be thanking you for putting time back into their busy schedules.

But that’s not all. Who has time to hand-squeeze lemon and lime? Nobody, especially now with the labor shortage. That’s why The ReaLemon and ReaLime juices are great labor-saving ingredients that eliminate the inconvenience of slicing and squeezing. These juices are also a great option for salads, dips, main meals, and even beverages.

When you use versatile ingredients, you save money and put time back into your day while also satisfying your customers’ needs. Work smarter, not harder.

Partnering with Supply Chain Management Experts

Another way to ensure you run an efficient restaurant operation during a labor shortage is by partnering with supply chain management experts like Consolidated Concepts. With the current state of the supply chain, taking control of what comes into your operation seems nearly impossible.

You’ll have access to a fully customizable service that brings instant savings on thousands of items you may already be buying. Our experts help reduce costs, improve quality, and identify areas you may be able to achieve savings and negotiations in. This includes supply chain management, master distributions agreements, managed produce, and contracts.

Our supply chain management ensures maximum profitability and productivity while giving you access to items at the best competitive prices.

Join Consolidated Concepts Today!

If you’re looking to run an efficient restaurant operation during the current labor shortage, becoming a Consolidated Concepts member is a great place to start. As mentioned above, our experts will help reduce costs, improve quality, and identify instant savings!

Get started today!

The Supply Chain is facing a major crisis that is affecting operators all over the country. The numerous challenges this has led to over the course of these past 20 months is unimaginable. This is why supply chain success is crucial. From equipment delays and rotten food to sky-rocketing prices and product shortages, it seems there will be no relief anytime soon.

Fortunately, we have ways you can help alleviate the situation and ensure your operation is running at its full potential during these unprecedented times. Satisfy your customers, please your staff, and put money back into your bottom line.

Here are three ways to ensure you’re on the road to supply chain success:

Embrace Supply Chain Technology

Technology is evolving each and every day. Operators like you can easily boost your profit margins and put time back into your day. No more outdated unreliable information and lack of transparency. With technology, you can track, audit, and optimize your purchasing process to make sure you’re not over-spending.

Technology helps strategically source products so that your restaurant operation is putting the best ingredients on customer tables at the best imaginable prices. This means driving value to your customer experience and your brand.

Leveraging supply chain technology means you’re able to identify supply chain weaknesses within your operation and improve your purchasing process.

Technology gives you visibility into competitive distribution agreements, strategic commodity planning, inventory management, and much more.

Leverage Buying Power for Cost Reduction

When your options are limited, you have a much lesser chance of opportunities for savings on purchases. Leveraging buying power is the key for cost reduction. With access to contracts and pricing you wouldn’t find anywhere else, operators like you can gain discounts and rebates across hundreds of categories within the foodservice industry.

Did you know? Your operation could be saving on products and services you use every day. You can use your purchasing data to your advantage and maximize profits. With over 165,000 line items from over 350+ industry leading manufacturers, you’ll find the most competitive pricing for your operation. No more unprofitable contracts you can’t get out of.

We’re here to make sure you’re getting the most out of your money.

Join a Managed Produce Program Today!

Lastly, when your restaurant operation joins a managed produce program, they’re guaranteed the highest quality products at the most affordable prices. No more rotten foods and product shortages. We partner with the best local produce distributors to ensure you’re satisfying your guests and putting money back into your pocket. Our expertly-managed produce programs focus on improving the quality, safety and traceability of your food programs.

The supply chain is experiencing challenges that impact your operation every day. By partnering with Consolidated Concepts supply chain experts, you can ensure you’re making profitable more informed business decisions.

With a managed produce program, you gain access to the best quality, consistency, and food safety standards that’ll wow your customers.

All Things Supply Chain

You don’t have to navigate the supply chain alone. We want to help you succeed in the restaurant world.

Decrease cost, increase quality and ensure you’re on the road to supply chain success by becoming a Consolidated Concepts member today!

Are you a restaurant operator looking for updates on commodity insights, supply chain news and resources? Visit the Buyers Edge Platform Supply Chain Support Center today!

Are you taking advantage of rebates and deviations?

Making a profit is not always the main motive for opening a restaurant. It’s also about having a true passion for cooking and hospitality. Usually, the latter is behind the drive and motivation to open a restaurant.

But when you’re running a multi-unit chain operation, making a profit moves to the top of the list.

Restaurants are already running on thin margins.

Anywhere you can save money is vital to your bottom line. As a multi-unit restaurant operator, taking advantage of rebates and deviations should be a no brainer.

What are manufacturer rebates?

Rebates are marketing funds used by manufacturers as an incentive to build customer loyalty and improve sales.

Rebates are earned by the operator based on their purchases of the manufacturer’s products. 

Manufacturer rebates are dollars paid out quarterly to customers based on their purchases.

Any purchase on an item that is covered on a Consolidated Concepts contract, our team will track and pay back to operators.

What are deviations?

Deviations are off-invoice savings on items you are already buying.

Consolidated Concepts is able to leverage the spend of all our customers and offer competitive pricing on food and nonfood items from our partner manufacturers.

Our team will always do a deep dive into your current spend to make contract recommendations based on your current data, with the end goal of lowering your off invoice spend.

Why should I care about manufacturer rebates?

These rebates are provided on items you are already purchasing, so, it’s simply extra money in your account without any extra work.

You can use these funds in any way to help your operation– staff training, marketing dollars, employee incentives.

This means you can focus on your COP and contracted items– and you can still earn dollars back on everything else through our program without changing products.

How do I track manufacturer rebates?

Every quarter, Consolidated Concepts will provide operators with “proof of purchase” to the manufacturer and collect the rebates earned by the operator.

Every quarter, we will provide a breakdown of your manufacturer rebate check to you.

Partner with Consolidated Concepts

Consolidated Concepts has rebate and deviation contracts with over 350 manufacturers on over 165,000 line items that cover every category imaginable.

From canned tomatoes and frozen chicken breasts to garbage bags and plastic forks – you name it, we have it covered.

Contact us today to learn more!

When you own more than one restaurant location, you’re bound to wear more than one hat. Think of all the contracts that go along with managing each of those locations. From Master Distribution Agreements and Manufacturer Contracts – the art of negotiating and managing these documents is truly one in its own.

It’s 2021 and its time to welcome a new player to your team – technology.

This team player is great at multitasking. They don’t complain, they don’t require a weekly paycheck, and they don’t need hand holding or constant reminders about what they’re supposed to be doing. Their results are instant, actionable and profitable.

No More Doing it the Hard Way

By using technology for things like contract approval workflows, edits, audits and signatures, implementation becomes easier and less time consuming. Businesses who adopt contract management technology are able to streamline the contract lifecycle into an automated workflow minimizing errors and maximizing profits.

Having to manually manage each contract step by step leaves room for errors or inaccuracies. Using technology ensures contracts are routed to the correct person and increases visibility and accountability. Contract management technology allows stakeholders more insight into the performance of a contract so they can make quicker more accurate business decisions.  

Secure Your Contracts in One Centralized Location

No more filing cabinets organized alphabetically. This isn’t the library, and you don’t have the time to go searching A through Z. Having your contracts securely centralized in one location helps you stay in control of contract chaos and allows for a more efficient contract management process.

The goal is to stay in control of each of your locations bottom line. Technology allows you to store all you contracts safely in one place and minimizes risk that goes along with contract management.

Contract Management Technology Solutions

At Consolidated Concepts, we can help multi-unit restaurants like yours save money on your contracts such as your MDA – your most important contract. We have former Presidents from distribution houses on our staff who lend their expertise to analyze your contracts, find areas where there may be new places for savings and help renegotiate your contract with your distributors. We do everything we can to make your contracts work in your favor.

It’s time to optimize your savings and limit the amount of increases in costs and changes in structure which ultimately result in more profitability for your business. You can even put our experts to the test by sending over your current contracts and having them analyzed.

Ready to streamline the contract management process and go from manual to automated? Contact us today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkQvlZ4SHGc

Supply chain management is more than a one-person job. Especially for operators with multiple locations, doing it all manually can be stressful and time-consuming.

These days, restaurants are looking to run lean and reduce their overhead amidst a nation-wide staffing crisis. Others may be having trouble staffing full departments. How can an operator manage their supply chain projects without the staff to support them?

More and more operators are turning to full-service supply chain management solutions to minimize their costs and maximize their profits.

At Consolidated Concepts, our service offerings are fully customizable to provide the appropriate level of consultation and support required by each client.

Let’s look at three areas where we offer expertise to help you streamline your supply chain management and meet your resource needs:

Spend Intelligence and Insights into Your Business

Our data and technology are designed to identify areas where emerging, growing, and established restaurants can unlock additional opportunities to save money and boost profitability.

Consolidated Concepts’ clients have access to the most advanced food procurement and spend management tools in the industry. Client dashboards provide in-depth information into purchasing trends, commodity pricing, category-level breakdowns, rebate management, overcharges, location-level spending and more.

Contract Management

Technology has become a convenient way to automate your contract management and ensure price corrections are quickly resolved. By utilizing technology to manage your contracts, you get access to key  agreement insights that improve business decisions and ensure maximizes value.

Our technology monitors every line item that our clients purchase for contract compliance. Through digital reports to distributors and electronic invoice auditing, credits and price corrections are quickly resolved to fully maximize the value of all your negotiated contracts.

Produce Management

Produce management programs offer a wide variety of benefits to multi-unit restaurants. One major benefit for operators is full visibility throughout the produce process. Knowing the answer to questions such as where did the produce you purchased come from, who handled the produce, what safety measures were taken during the handling, and what route did the produce travel to get to your operation, are all vital for the protection of both your customers and your operation.

Working with produce experts ensures each item that comes through your doors meets the exact needs of your operation. Our expertly Managed Produce Program focuses on improving clients’ food programs’ quality, safety, and traceability.

Operators can fully outsource their sourcing and supply chain projects to our team of experts who can perform various functions such as product sourcing, contract negotiation, managing overcharges, managing inventory, looking for new distributor contracts and product specs, and more.

Talk to our experts about what sourcing projects you’re working on now and let’s find out how we can add our value and our expertise to your team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0PnaRcPWVQ

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Produce

Large issues persist in all parts of the industry, including a shortage of steady labor and high freight prices, posing challenges in the supply chain flow from harvest to shipping to reception.

Grains

Last week, all vegetable oil kinds rose in price. As soybean crops in the United States are stressed, the main cause is very hot and dry weather. Canola is growing more challenging by the day, and this crop will suffer some losses. Soybean oil-based products, Canola, and palm oil are all expected to rise in price.

Dairy

The cheese markets flattened week over week, barely going up with flat demand. The Butter market decreased by $0.011/lb week over week on weak  demand. There are no current changes to the Shell Egg market this week, all sizes remain unchanged.

Beef

Due to exports, most packers were unable to supply Chucks. Rounds continued to weaken, but interest served to keep the decrease at bay for the time being. Ribs appear to have reached a plateau, while strips and tenders continue to fall. Thin meats such as tritips, sirloin flaps, and chuck flaps continue to be underpriced. Demand for grind and trim has slowed, causing cost and demand to fall.

Pork

After a few brief harvest weeks, hog futures have stabilized. Butts are easing slightly heading into next week as demand continues to fall. Spareribs are also expected to fall off next week, with the market trading sideways as August approaches. Fresh bellies continue to have a stable demand and limited supply due to the lack of cold storage. Trim is rising once more.

Poultry

Labor shortages persist across the business, but availability for some commodities is improving. Jumbo wings and tenders are expensive, and the product is hard to get by. The breast market is flat, and there is plenty of supply in a variety of sizes. Portion control breasts are stable, but supply are limited due to labor.

Seafood

Warm-water lobsters are in short supply, and there are few options to replace them. The first cargo left Nicaragua last week, but the product will take longer than projected to reach the warehouses due to transportation and container constraints. Suppliers of North Atlantic Lobster are striving to refill warehouses.