Restaurant Food Costs EXPLAINED: Food Costs, Retail Runs & Distributor Drama

Have you ever wondered why restaurants sometimes buy supplies from Costco, Sam’s Club, or the local grocery store instead of a distributor? The Restaurant Punk crew breaks down how food costs work behind the scenes, and spoiler alert - it’s nothing like customers imagine.

From dealing with slow-season ordering, case sizes that don’t match menu needs, storage limitations, and fluctuating distributor prices, the team explains why retail runs are sometimes the smarter move. They also get into the real cost of operating a restaurant, the myths customers believe about “cheap” food sourcing, and why pricing is way more complicated than people think.

Expect sarcasm, industry honesty, and a lot of laughs.

Keywords: restaurant podcast, food cost truth, distributor vs retail, Costco restaurant shopping, Sam’s Club food costs, restaurant operations, behind the scenes restaurant, food cost breakdown, hospitality podcast, restaurant industry talk