SMC Grocery Bidding

SMC accepts bids for our grocery business every three years. Julie Spencer is the Keck's food representative for SMC.

The main grocery vendor is chosen based on three factors: Price, Service, and Quality

SMC staff, board of directors and cooks chose Keck's Food Service. A survey was done by the cooks and they overwhelmingly chose our current vendor. Other benefits of purchasing groceries through SMC and our bid grocery vendor are the following:

• Special Pricing: our pricing is based on a certain percentage over our vendors delivered cost. We aren't subject to salesmen commissions!
• No Minimum Orders: You can get one split of an item if that's all you need.
• No Surcharge for Splits: All other vendors charge an additional fee for splitting a case, SMC members pay only the price of a split divided by the number in the case.
• Items that Split: Keck's Food Service splits many, many more items than its competitors, this allows chapters to order small quantities instead of having to order a full case of a product seldom used.
• Product Knowledge: Our representative or one of the SMC staff will have answers to your questions regarding food products.
• Product Tastings/Cuttings and Food Shows: Weekly product tastings are held at the SMC office on ordering day, cooks are invited to attend the annual Keck's Food Show
• Order Guides: SMC cooks are provided with a weekly ordering guide which is priced and convenient for inventory control. Order Guides are individualized by chapter.
• SMC Participation: inhibits collusion between employees, brokers, salesmen and purveyors.
• Returns/Problems: Issues with products are handled by the professional staff at SMC saving time and energy.
• Price Audits: SMC conducts semesterly audits to ensure pricing consistency.