Foodservice & Restaurant Supply Chain News

As more restaurants and foodservice companies reopen to standard capacity, growing supply chain issues have made it difficult for business owners, operators, and dealers in the industry. Receiving new equipment and OEM replacement parts on time not only has been challenging but keeping up with the growing number of foodservice supply chain delays also has been a major roadblock. While the industry will eventually adjust and return to its usual mode of operations, completely getting back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic could take time. That’s why we’ve put together news and updates to help you navigate through different equipment, resource, and food supply chain issues in 2021.

Navigating Today’s Supply Chain Challenges Panel Discussion

October 11, 2021

At the 2021 CFESA Conference (Oct. 4-6, 2021), food equipment manufacturers and parts distribution experts addressed the ongoing supply chain issues in the space. Hear them explore the dynamics that led to the current shortages, the importance of supply chain visibility, and the strategies to mitigate future disruption.

Panelists: Richard Arthur – Dir. of Customer Care & Commercial Systems (Duke Mfg.), Bart Bolton – National Service Dir. (APW/Bakers Pride/Star Holdings), Doug Buis – VP of Inventory (Parts Town), Gene Doerr – Dir. of Inside Service/After-Sale Support (UNOX, Inc.), Tim Magandy – Mgr. of National Service (Robot Coupe), David Main – Dir. of Post Sale Service (Vollrath), Tom Van Der Bosch – VP of Parts & Service (Scotsman Ice Systems)

Moderators: Nick Cribb – President (SAM Service, Inc.), Dan Hinchley – VP of Customer Partnerships (Parts Town)

Parts Town Updates & Resources

• July 21, 2021 – Parts Town addresses supply chain issues. Read more.


• June 30, 2021 – Parts Town continues to expand its purchasing and distribution center workforce to support demand. Visit the careers page to learn more.

Restaurant/Food Service Supply Chain Updates & Resources

• October 1, 2021 – Supply Chain Issues, Labor Shortages Make Serving School Lunches a Struggle. Source: Today.com


• September 16, 2021 – Long Waits, High Shipping Costs: The Impact of the Global Supply Chain on Hotels. Source. CoStar 


• September 9, 2021 – Supply Chain Challenges Continue to Plague Restaurants. Source: Restaurant Business


• August 27, 2021 – Staff and Product Shortages, Delivery Delays Hamper Fall School Start. Source: Food Management


• August 26, 2021 – Seattle’s Restaurants are Struggling Through Pandemic-Induced Supply Issues — Here’s Why That Affects You. Source: The Seattle Times


• August 24, 2021 – McDonald’s Runs Out of Milkshakes Due to ‘Supply Chain Issues’. Source: the Guardian


• August 12, 2021 – It’s Time to Rethink the Foodservice Supply Chain. Source: QSR


• July 30, 2021 – Supply Chain Challenges Aren’t Going Away. Source: Food Engineering Magazine.


• July 21, 2021 – COVID-19 Coverage for Foodservice Supply Chain – the latest information on events, opportunities and best practices. Source: Supply Chain Scene


• July 17, 2021 – Restaurants and Bars in North Carolina are Running Out of Liquor. Source: USA Today


• July 2, 2021 – Supply-Chain Issues Disrupt Foodservice. Source: NACS

Manufacturer/Equipment Supply Chain Updates & Resources

• August 20, 2021 – Supply Chains, Interrupted. Source: Special Issue: FEDA News and Views


• August 13, 2021 – More Supply Chain Delays as Ningbo Port Congestion Worsens. Source: Freightwaves.com


• August 10, 2021 – Supply chain issues causing “unprecedented” non-recession inventory slump: JPMorgan. Source: Yahoo! Finance


• July 27, 2021 – How to Future-Proof Supply Chains. Source: Forbes.


• July 21, 2021 – Commercial Foodservice Equipment Market in the US 2021-2025 report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. Source: Business Wire


• July 21, 2021 – Global Foodservice Equipment Market 2021 | Covid-19 Impact Analysis, Upcoming Trends, Industry Segments, Growth, Size, Landscape and Demand by Forecast to 2025. Source MarketWatch


• July 16, 2021 – US Officials Look To Address Transportation Supply Chain Issues. Source: Reuters


• June 3, 2021 – Steel prices by the numbers and how it affects the Foodservice Industry. Source: MAFSI


• June, 2021 – Global Supply Chain Difficulties in 2021. Source: KaTom Restaurant Supply

General Supply Chain Updates & Resources

• October 27, 2021 – Shippers Fear ‘Catastrophic’ Fallout from ‘Crazy’ California Port Fees. Source: FreightWaves


• October 13, 2021 – Biden Administration Announces Ports, Goods Carriers Are Moving to 24/7 Hours. Source: FER


• September 27, 2021 – Costco Addresses Supply Chain Pains By Chartering Their Own Ships. Source: Forbes


• September 15, 2021 – ‘Just Get Me a Box’: Inside the Brutal Realities of Supply Chain Hell. Source: Bloomberg Businessweek


• August 31, 2021 – Article behind a paywall: Hurricane Ida Could Make the Supply Chain Disaster Even Worse. Source: The New York Times


• August 30, 2021 – Article behind a paywall:  The World Is Still Short of Everything. Get Used to It. Source: The New York Times


• August 25, 2021 – Why Is The Supply Chain All Jacked Up And How Can We Repair It. Source: Forbes


• August 13, 2021 – More Supply Chain Delays as Ningbo Port Congestion Worsens. Source: Freightwaves.com


• August 10, 2021 – Supply Chain Issues Causing “Unprecedented” Non-recession Inventory Slump: JPMorgan. Source: Yahoo! Finance


• July 27, 2021 – How to Future-Proof Supply Chains. Source: Forbes.


• July 16, 2021 – US Officials Look To Address Transportation Supply Chain Issues. Source: Reuters