A vendor is someone or some company that supplies to a hospitality business. This can be food and beverage suppliers, linen services, cleaning product providers or even technology companies that offer booking systems. Vendors are a big part of the daily operations of hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars by making sure they have what they need to run.
Building relationships with vendors is a smart move for any hospitality business. Good vendors mean consistent quality, cost control and can even be a source of industry insights. Good relationships with vendors means better prices, priority service and flexibility during busy periods or unexpected situations.
Let’s say you're the head chef of a busy restaurant. You've been using a local farm as your vendor for fresh produce for years. One day you realise you've miscounted the number of guests for a big event that evening. You call your vendor and explain the situation, and because of your long standing relationship, they agree to make an emergency delivery of extra veggies within the hour. This is an example of how a good vendor relationship can save the day in a sticky situation and get your kitchen serving all your guests what they expect.'