What are chefs looking for - Price, Quality, or Service?

[GmeNGrmetSales]

I work with chefs everyday and I always have a lingering question. What is most important - Price, Quality, or Service.

Who would you rather work with the big guy (Sysco) or the small guy (me)?

"Owning one's own business is a true feat in itself"

[kuan]

Big guy for commodity product. Canned tomatoes, chicken fingers, Red B's, etc. Small guy for high quality low volume specialty product. Florentine mix, Duck glace, specialty produce... custom made chocolate rose arrangements

[chef john]

Kuan is right. You present the question as an "either or" situation. It isn't. We need both. The big guy can handle the commodities that a small supplier couldn't begin to have enough warehouse space to store. And the small proprietor has the flexibility to get the specialty and imported products necessary to personalize our individual cuisines. That, my friend, is the lay of the land that you have staked out for yourself.
Bye