19 Best Items To Buy At A Restaurant Supply Store

If you've ever needed to feed a crowd, chances are you may have considered shopping at a restaurant supply store. The stores are known for selling food at great prices — provided you can buy groceries in bulk. Restaurant supply stores are an incredibly underrated gem of the food industry, and it's worth doing some digging to see if there's one in your area you could check out, restaurant owner or not. Though you'll need a membership (often requiring proof that you own a restaurant business) to shop at many, some national restaurant supply chains have "cash and carry" storefront locations open to the public, such as US Foods Chef'Store, Gordon Food Service, and Performance Food Service.  

Restaurant supply stores can let you score some great deals, similar to what you might find at a Costco or Sam's Club, but you may want to do some planning before you go in. First, be aware that you'll have to buy many items in bulk in order to get a really good deal. Having a chest freezer will be to your advantage, as you can freeze any meat or cheese you may need to buy in bulk. There are also several foods you should think twice about buying in bulk, especially if you're not operating a food service business. Having years of experience in the food service industry, I'm a regular customer of my local US Foods Chef'Store, and I'm well-versed on the best items to buy at restaurant supply stores.

If chicken thighs are a staple in your home, stop buying them in the individual packages your local grocery store supplies. Buying in bulk from a restaurant supply store will make your dollar go way farther. It's worth bringing a calculator to the store with you so you know how much you're paying per pound, but it's not uncommon to see thighs being sold at a fraction of what you'd pay at your neighborhood grocer.

Unless you're hosting a huge event, it will be handy to have a freezer to store most of your chicken. However, take care not to freeze your raw chicken in bulk. Instead, take the time to individually wrap one pound portions (or portions of whatever size you normally use at a time). This will make it easy to simply grab and thaw a portion from your freezer rather than trying to separate a chunk of frozen chicken.

Depending on how often you use butter, it could very well be worth buying at a restaurant supply store. You may not always find better deals than at your local grocery store and deals seem to vary by brand, but I've noticed that European butter is frequently sold at a better price than in regular grocery stores. The best part is, you often don't need to buy more than a pound at a time. 

You can also get butter in other forms at restaurant supply stores. For example, if you have kids and you want to send them off with a pat of butter in their lunchboxes, restaurant supply stores will often sell individually wrapped butter chips, saving you the time of portioning butter yourself. If you do find you have to buy more butter than you need, you can always stick the excess in your freezer.

Honestly, it's hard to understand why people still buy eggs by the dozen at grocery stores, especially if you go through them quickly. Getting a tray of eggs from a restaurant supply store is far more economical, and you'll still have your choice of brands — in fact, many restaurant supply stores have an option for organic, cage-free eggs at prices that put other retailers to shame. 

The biggest thing to take into account before you buy bulk eggs is how quickly you'll go through them, as eggs do expire, and freezing them is a process. You may not have to buy dozens at once, but even one 30-count tray can take a while to get through if you're not using them daily. If, however, you're a frequent baker or you have a large family that eats eggs for breakfast every morning, absolutely check out a restaurant supply store. 

It seems like every time I open my pantry, I'm out of garlic powder or dried oregano. A small container of each sets me back several dollars when bought from my local grocery store, which is why I recommend buying dried herbs, spices, and seasonings at your local restaurant supply store — provided you have the cabinet space. 

While dried herbs and spices are often a steal at restaurant supply stores, to get the best deal, you'll likely have to buy a larger container than you're used to. And though dried herbs don't technically expire, they do lost their potency over time, so you may want to only buy those you know you'll be going through quickly. You can also get fresh herbs at your supply store, but as they spoil quickly, I don't recommend doing this unless you're feeding a crowd.

Do you try to save a few bucks on your morning coffee by flavoring it yourself at home? It's a wise idea, and if you frequent Amazon or Torani's website for your bottles of syrup, it may still be a hit to your wallet every time you need to buy more. Instead, I recommend buying Torani syrups (or your preferred sweet coffee flavoring) at your local restaurant supply store. 

Depending on your preferred syrup, the difference may be slight, but my local Chef'Store saves me about eight dollars per bottle on Torani syrup than if I were to buy from Amazon. Do some price comparison before heading into the store, but there's a good chance that getting your syrups at a restaurant supply store is well worth it. 

As you may have already guessed, condiments can be a great restaurant supply store purchase for a few reasons. Most notably, the prices are often better than at your standard grocery store, and you often don't even need to buy bottles in bulk — you may be able to buy the same amount you normally would at a fraction of the price. 

Pricing aside, buying condiments at a restaurant supply store is another great lunchbox hack, purely because you can buy them in individual packets. If you're sending your child off to school with a sandwich and you don't want it to get soggy, just add a packet of mustard or mayo to their lunchbox and let them add it to their sandwich themselves.

Now, not everyone should use this next trick — this one is almost exclusively for frequent bakers, and your options may be limited by the type of flour you need. However, if you're constantly running to the grocery store for another bag of flour, it's time to put an end to that routine and instead get flour from a restaurant supply store. 

Before buying flour at a restaurant supply store, I recommend looking online to see the brands your store carries and the quantity you have to buy it in. It's likely you'll have to buy at least a 25 pound bag. If you're concerned about storing such a large quantity, don't be — as long as you have the space, you can safely store bulk flour in a clean trash can.

So it's summertime and smoothie season is in full swing at your house, but you shudder every time you shell out big bucks on frozen fruit at your grocery store. Instead, do some research and see if your restaurant supply store has better prices. You'll probably have to buy 5 pound bags of each, though, so make sure there's enough room in your freezer first. 

One of my favorite summertime hacks is to buy large bags of frozen fruit of a single kind, and blend them into individually-portioned smoothie bags upon getting home. Not only will this save you some serious money, but it will also be a time saver in the long run, as you can just drop a bag of your mixed berries into a blender, add some liquid, and blend your smoothie. 

Have some extra pantry storage? Are you a carb fiend? If so, skip buying boxes of pasta from your local grocery store and buy them from a restaurant supply store. Not only do restaurant supply stores tend to carry a variety of brands, but they also sell them at better prices, and you'll often have the choice of buying in bulk or simply buying single-pound portions. 

Because dried pasta has up to a two-year shelf life, buying in bulk is sometimes a no brainer, especially if you make it frequently. Even if you don't, buying a large quantity of pasta can help cut down your trips to the grocery store. Plus, buying bulk pasta means you'll always have something on hand to make for a crowd at the last minute. 

If you aren't already buying milk at your local restaurant supply store, you may be seriously missing out. Sourcing milk from wholesale stores can save you dollars per gallon, and you often won't even have to buy in bulk — depending on the type of milk you're after, you may only have to buy a quart. Your restaurant supply store may not carry your favorite brand, though, so do some research before heading in.

Supply stores are an especially great source of boxed and alternative milks, and you won't necessarily have to buy these in bulk, either. You can get great prices on barista-quality milk for steaming on a home espresso machine, and it's not hard to find pretty good prices on your favorite nondairy milk alternative. If you have the shelf storage, it may be worth stocking up on some boxed milk in case of an emergency. 

My next favorite product to buy at restaurant supply stores is admittedly a little iffy. Before buying apples at your local restaurant supply store, you'll want to compare prices to your local grocery store to see if you're actually getting a better deal, as I've seen prices vary depending on the season. You'll also want to thoroughly look at the bag you're buying. I've run into several bags of badly bruised apples, sometimes making me skip the supply store for these. 

If you do find a bag of quality apples at the store, there's a good chance it's worth picking up. Apples are a great healthy snack to keep in the fridge, and since they can last anywhere from four to six weeks in the fridge, I don't see a reason not to buy them in bulk, especially if you're constantly reaching for one. Bulk apples are also a great buy if you're planning on making an apple pie or other fall apple dessert. 

Another great buy from the restaurant supply store (especially if you have kids) is small chip bags. You'll likely have to buy the small bags in bulk, but there's a good chance your restaurant supply store will carry a box of variety chip bags, making them an especially great buy if you have multiple kids who like different kinds of chips. It's an easy lunchbox addition, and it's not uncommon to find them at less than a dollar per bag when you get them at a supply store. 

If you're hosting a gathering, it's also worth checking out the prices of party size chip bags at your restaurant supply stores. You'll likely find great deals on tortilla chips and potato chips, though I recommend comparing the prices for these against your local grocery store before buying. 

Bread is another favorite restaurant supply store buy of mine. Not only are sliced bread loaves often a great deal at these stores, but it's also likely that you'll have a variety of brands and types of bread to choose from. You may find that the loaf sizes at restaurant supply stores are bigger than you're used to, but that's okay — just buy a loaf or two and stick whatever you aren't going to use quickly in the freezer. 

This tip doesn't just go for loaves of sliced bread, but for hot dog buns, hamburger buns, and pita bread, to name a few. Do some price comparison and you'll likely find that bread at your restaurant supply store is at least a few dollars cheaper than it is elsewhere, making it well worth the purchase. 

If you're a baker (or you simply find yourself constantly cleaning up stains and spills) you may go through baking soda faster than the average person. Rather than constantly heading to the store for another box, check the stock at a restaurant supply store. Chances are you can get a large size at a great price, which will save you both money and trips to the store.

You aren't limited to baking soda — check the supply store for a variety of baking necessities, such as baking powder, sugar and powdered sugar, and cornstarch. You may not want to buy these at a restaurant supply store if you don't use them frequently, but if you do, it's likely they're well worth the purchase. 

Who doesn't love potatoes? Nobody I know. Because potatoes can be prepared in numerous ways, they're one of the best, most versatile foods you'll always want to have on hand — and when you get them in bulk from a restaurant supply store, you can. 

Before you head in for some potatoes, have an idea of how many you'll need — or at least, how many you're willing to buy. Potatoes can last around three to five months in the fridge, making them a decent bulk buy if you use them at least fairly often. I've seen potatoes at supply stores selling in quantities anywhere from five to 50 pounds, so though they have a long fridge life, don't buy more than you'll reasonably get through. 

Similar to potatoes, onions are another staple ingredient that it's always a bummer to run out of. The answer is simple: just don't run out of them. I use onions in just about anything, and I always prefer to buy them infrequently in bulk rather than constantly needing to make an emergency trip to the grocery store. I've also seen incredible deals on onions at restaurant supply stores, which makes it worth sacrificing the extra fridge space, in my book. 

Onions are a no-brainer bulk buy if you use them often, especially considering they can last from two to three months in the fridge. It's worth noting that yellow onions are better than white if you're buying in bulk, for the simple reason that yellow onions have a thicker outer skin. There's also a decent chance your store will sell packages of diced onions, which are often a great buy if you're preparing a large meal and don't feel like chopping all the onions needed. 

Ah, garlic: an easy, versatile way to instantly enhance almost any meal, yet an ingredient I'm all too often using up the instant I buy it. Garlic has become one of my favorite restaurant supply store buys, though not for the reason you may think. The prices can be marginally better than you'd find at your local grocery store, but what I really love about buying garlic at restaurant supply stores is that you can get it in many different forms. 

Hate peeling garlic? Your restaurant supply store likely has peeled whole cloves for sale. Hate mincing it? You'll probably find pre-minced garlic, as well. You'll find garlic powder, garlic salt, and even roasted garlic at the supply store, making it pretty easy to find garlic that will simplify your meal prep.

I'm not mentioning many non-food items on this list, but there are a couple that I simply can't leave out. Plastic wrap is one of them, especially if you're constantly using it. Not only do restaurant supply stores often sell giant rolls of plastic wrap that will last you for ages, but there's a good chance you'll be able to find some rolls in larger sizes than you would at the standard grocery store, making it a great buy if you're frequently covering platters after a party or using large sheets for any number of reasons.

While you're at it, it's worth checking out your supply store's stock of items like plastic sandwich bags, as well. These are frequently a steal at a restaurant supply store, and a great buy if you pack sandwich lunches for kids or are always doing meal prep for yourself. 

Last but not least, rather than investing your entire savings into a set of glass food storage containers, those on a budget can simply get takeout containers from a restaurant supply store instead. Deli containers are great for pre-portioning and freezing large batches of soup, and you can find takeout solutions like clamshell containers as well. 

I don't blame you if you don't want to make this a regular purchase — after all, single-use plastic isn't the most earth-friendly option. However, I think they're a particularly great buy if you're hosting (or attending) a dinner party. If you've ever been stuck with more leftovers than you know what to do with, you know where this is going. I love being able to give my guests takeout containers to load up with food before they leave a party — not only do they get to have some leftovers for tomorrow, but I can get rid of all the food that didn't get eaten without it going to waste, a win-win.