• Conclusions of the Intimate Roundtable Conversations debate: The supplier-operator relationship is becoming one of the great stakes of profitability in HoReCa.
On May 12, in Bucharest, a new edition of the Hospitality Culture Institute think tank took place, dedicated to the theme "The New Food Supply Ecosystem".
The edition brought together leaders from distribution, production and trade marketing:
- Monica Dinu, Managing Partner Old Team Distribution
- Ioan Ungur, Sales Director Lactalis Romania
- Constandina Ionescu, Sales Director, Fresh Horeca Team
- Albert Davidoglu, Macromex CEO
- Cristiana Sterie, Head Trade Marketing Ursus Breweries
- Moderator: Robert Agarici, Hospitality Culture Institute Communications Director
"In HoReCa, the discussion about supply chain is often reduced to price. In reality, we are talking about a much more complex system: availability, predictability, quality, delivery, returns, payment terms, communication and shared responsibility. If we want more profitable businesses and a healthier ecosystem, the relationship between suppliers and operators must move from one-off negotiations to operational partnership", said Florin Maxim, founder Hospitality Culture Institute.
Among the main conclusions of the debate are:
The main challenge is not the price, but the difference in expectations
Operators demand fast delivery, permanent availability, flexibility, returns, payment terms and the lowest possible price. Suppliers need forecast, clearer orders, respected deadlines and a more realistic understanding of logistics costs.
The supplier becomes the operational extension of the restaurant
Restaurants have less and less storage space, especially for temperature-controlled products. This means that some of the operational pressure is shifting to the supplier: inventory, , logistics, availability, risk and returns.
The right price is not the lowest price
In many negotiations, the cost is compared "tomato" from the market with tomatoes delivered under professional conditions. However, a product delivered on time, stored in the right conditions, available in the right quantity and offered with a payment term cannot be directly compared to a point price in retail, market or online.
The culture of urgency makes the ecosystem more expensive for everyone
In HoReCa, emergencies have become normalized and this logic leads to late orders, last-minute changes, difficult deliveries and increased pressure on suppliers. At the same time, suppliers admit that they have also contributed to this culture, trying to win or keep customers through maximum flexibility. But the model is becoming unsustainable, as you cannot build a healthy industry through exceptions and improvisations.
Most errors are not logistical but communication errors
A significant part of the discussion was dedicated to the challenges related to communication between suppliers and operators. Orders sent on WhatsApp, pictures of handwritten lists, generic names and the lack of product codes generate confusion.
A command of type "salad" or "potato" can mean dozens of different products. The error does not arise from ill will, but from the lack of a common operational language. The solution proposed by the participants: clear codes, recurring lists, digital platforms, daily error reporting and education of teams on both sides.
Digitalization should reduce friction, not interpersonal relationships
Digitalization is seen by suppliers as part of the solution. Ordering apps and customized lists can reduce errors and increase efficiency. But the commercial relationship remains essential.
Technology should free sales teams from administrative tasks, not eliminate commercial dialogue about product, menu, seasonality, activations, volumes, and availability.
Payment terms must be part of the price
Cash flow has emerged as a critical topic of debate, especially in categories with perishable products, imports, fast turnover and currency exposure. In some categories, suppliers buy in euros, accumulate inventory, deliver quickly and collect later. Every day of delay in payment can mean additional costs, especially in an unstable macroeconomic context.
The payment term is treated by many operators as a normal commercial condition, but for the supplier it is a form of financing. If this financing is not respected, the entire chain becomes more expensive and more fragile.
Ecosystem health depends on clearer rules
Forecast, service level, respected payment terms, transparency, shared responsibility, better structured orders and predictable communication. Both the relationship between the supplier and the operator, as well as the end customer experience, depend on all of these.
Recommendations for operators
Operators should treat strategic suppliers as operational partners, this translates into minimum forecasting, clear orders, product codes, compliance with order and delivery days, payment discipline and transparency in commercial plans that can produce massive volume increases.
Operators should also calculate the actual cost of the product, not just the purchase price. Waste-, errors, returns, out-of-stock, team time, and rush orders can quickly cancel out a negotiated discount.
Recommendations for suppliers
On the other hand, suppliers must communicate more clearly the components of the price: service level, delivery, stock, consultancy, security, payment term, commercial support. If these services remain invisible, the operator will continue to compare only the price of the product.
Last but not least, suppliers need to educate their teams to sell solutions, not just products. Where possible, special services, such as urgent deliveries, returns, orders below the threshold, out-of-hours interventions, should be defined, measured and, at least partially, monetized or conditioned.
So, in a market with fragile margins, pressure on and more selective consumer, the relationship between supplier and operator becomes a direct factor of profitability. The winner is not necessarily the one who obtains the lowest spot price, but the one who builds a predictable, efficient and sustainable system.
"The industry is losing money through lack of alignment. Every unclear order, every urgent delivery that could have been planned, every return or every missed deadline adds pressure to the system. The challenge in the coming years is to build a more mature supply chain, in which suppliers and operators do not just negotiate prices, but build rules, predictability and value together", adds Florin Maxim.
About Intimate Roundtable Conversations
Intimate Roundtable Conversations represents think tanksThe Hospitality Culture Institute’s applied - a strategic dialogue format, in a small circle, that brings together relevant HoReCa leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals to analyze, in depth, the high stakes of the industry. Each edition is built around a theme with real impact, explored from complementary perspectives: operational, entrepreneurial, investment and consumer.
To support genuine exchanges of ideas and positions, the meetings are held under Chatham House rules, giving participants the freedom to use insight-s obtained, without publicly attributing opinions or quotes. This approach creates the necessary framework for honest, relevant and solution-oriented conversations, with direct value for the evolution of the hospitality ecosystem.
About Hospitality Culture Institute:
The Hospitality Culture Institute (HCI) is the European research and leadership platform that studies how gastronomic culture, hospitality and services shape human behavior and economic value. HCI analyzes the experience economy, bringing together leaders, researchers and decision-makers to build sustainable, human-centered business models.
Through market research, think tanks-s and initiatives such as the Romanian Hospitality Awards, F&B Business Accelerator and F&B Innovation Camp, HCI connects entrepreneurs, industry leaders and experts to transform insights into applied business decisions.
Article source: Press Release Hospitality Culture Institute
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