So do most of you guys just order beverages from your supplier or is it better to have a contract with, say, Coke or Pepsi? I'm planning on just having a display cooler with cans/bottles, no fountain drinks.
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You'll have to find your best deal. I have both bottled and fountain drinks that I purchase from Pepsi. Pepsi provided me with a display cooler free of charge, so that's something to think about.
I use Coca Cola. They have provided me with a fountain drink machine and a smaller merchandiser to sell 20 oz drinks out of that are not in the fountain machine. I sell alot of Powerade to younger people. Also, many people that have take-out orders prefer the 20 oz drinks because they can put the cap back on.
One word of caution - Coca Cola will stick it to you if you are not very, very observant of what they are charging you. For example, they normally sell a 5 lb. box of syrup for $75.00. With just a little "haggling" you can get that price down to at least $57.00. ($18.00 savings each right off the top!) That adds up quick throughout the course of a year.
And in my brief experience with them I can honestly tell you that they are the worst company that I have ever dealt with when it comes to customer service. It's almost like they don't give a damn about your business. Then again, maybe it's just the ones I am dealing with around this area.
Get the price down and don't let them take advantage of you. Tell them you are going to check with Pepsi if they give you trouble. They will change their tune.
My food supplier, Ben E. Keith Foods, provides me with all my ice tea brewing equipment. Even sent an install team from North Little Rock 3 hours to Ruston just to deliver and install! We sell alot of sweet iced tea too. They can also get you boxes of Coca Cola syrup but Coke will not let you use their machines if you are not buying from them. They will pull them out if they find out about it.
One word of caution - Coca Cola will stick it to you if you are not very, very observant of what they are charging you. For example, they normally sell a 5 lb. box of syrup for $75.00. With just a little "haggling" you can get that price down to at least $57.00. ($18.00 savings each right off the top!) That adds up quick throughout the course of a year.
And in my brief experience with them I can honestly tell you that they are the worst company that I have ever dealt with when it comes to customer service. It's almost like they don't give a damn about your business. Then again, maybe it's just the ones I am dealing with around this area.
Get the price down and don't let them take advantage of you. Tell them you are going to check with Pepsi if they give you trouble. They will change their tune.
My food supplier, Ben E. Keith Foods, provides me with all my ice tea brewing equipment. Even sent an install team from North Little Rock 3 hours to Ruston just to deliver and install! We sell alot of sweet iced tea too. They can also get you boxes of Coca Cola syrup but Coke will not let you use their machines if you are not buying from them. They will pull them out if they find out about it.
Just curious Pitcherjlt, are you referring to a 5 gallon BIB, or did you really mean to type pound? If you are referring to gallons, you may be able to do better yet than you are on price, if you really are referring to pounds, you should be able to do MUCH better than that. I also assume you are talking post-mix, rather than the pre-mix canisters. I don't know anything about pre-mix other than how to hook em up.
It will all come down to your sales. The high volume accounts get the best deals. We have what they call a "national" account with Pepsi, as we have 5 different operations that purchase from Pepsi. With that said, I'm still sure we pay a heck of a lot more for syrup than would a KFC, Taco Bell, or Pizza Hut. Our BBQ operations don't generate huge soft drink sales, but we have an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet concept that runs through syrup like it going out of style. Our BBQ stores sell a lot of iced tea, and give away a lot of water glasses.
Another thing to consider is marketing allowances. Pepsi provided us with a display coolers for our bottled sodas. They have also offered to pay for signage and marketing materials, as long as those materials bare their name. Another thing to ask about is a marketing allowance. This may be reserved for larger volume accounts, but we get a rebate based on the number of gallons of syrup we go through in the year to promote ourselves and the fact that we serve Pepsi. Note that this rebate comes in the form of a check made out to us, not in Pepsi marketing materials or anything.
I've mentioned that we use Pepsi. If costs were of no concern, I'd use Coke. Pepsi service isn't the greatest, but neither is Coke's from what you said. I will say that Pepsi's service has improved markedly in the last 5 years. I think more consumers like Coke than Pepsi, but when you get beyond the colas, the other products are pretty much even. Coke has simply never offered us the deal that Pepsi gives us.
Your market may dictate the best solution also. In one of our operations, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper are the biggest sellers. In another, the odd combination of Diet Pepsi and Strawberry Soda are tops.
You mentioned Iced Tea. We don't get any special breaks or anything from our supplier, Cain's Coffee. They did provide us with a really nice brewer. Ben E. Keith is a supplier we are currently using for other items, and they have been more than fair with me, though that may depend on your sales rep. Even though we don't get any breaks on iced tea, I'd still sell it all day long over soft drinks. We charge the same for soda pop or iced tea, but a serving of tea costs me half or less.
It will all come down to your sales. The high volume accounts get the best deals. We have what they call a "national" account with Pepsi, as we have 5 different operations that purchase from Pepsi. With that said, I'm still sure we pay a heck of a lot more for syrup than would a KFC, Taco Bell, or Pizza Hut. Our BBQ operations don't generate huge soft drink sales, but we have an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet concept that runs through syrup like it going out of style. Our BBQ stores sell a lot of iced tea, and give away a lot of water glasses.
Another thing to consider is marketing allowances. Pepsi provided us with a display coolers for our bottled sodas. They have also offered to pay for signage and marketing materials, as long as those materials bare their name. Another thing to ask about is a marketing allowance. This may be reserved for larger volume accounts, but we get a rebate based on the number of gallons of syrup we go through in the year to promote ourselves and the fact that we serve Pepsi. Note that this rebate comes in the form of a check made out to us, not in Pepsi marketing materials or anything.
I've mentioned that we use Pepsi. If costs were of no concern, I'd use Coke. Pepsi service isn't the greatest, but neither is Coke's from what you said. I will say that Pepsi's service has improved markedly in the last 5 years. I think more consumers like Coke than Pepsi, but when you get beyond the colas, the other products are pretty much even. Coke has simply never offered us the deal that Pepsi gives us.
Your market may dictate the best solution also. In one of our operations, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper are the biggest sellers. In another, the odd combination of Diet Pepsi and Strawberry Soda are tops.
You mentioned Iced Tea. We don't get any special breaks or anything from our supplier, Cain's Coffee. They did provide us with a really nice brewer. Ben E. Keith is a supplier we are currently using for other items, and they have been more than fair with me, though that may depend on your sales rep. Even though we don't get any breaks on iced tea, I'd still sell it all day long over soft drinks. We charge the same for soda pop or iced tea, but a serving of tea costs me half or less.