Paris Baguette: Mastering the Restaurant Supply Chain

In a recent article on Fast Casual, Eric Galkin, chief supply chain officer of Paris Baguette, outlines the essential components and strategies behind building a resilient and efficient restaurant supply chain.

Drawing on his 30 years of experience, Galkin emphasizes that a strong supply chain must encompass all stages — from planning, sourcing and manufacturing to inventory management and delivery. This comprehensive system ensures local restaurant units have access to the right supplies, including perishable goods and equipment, while maintaining high standards of quality and consistency. An important aspect of the supply chain is the ability to return faulty or unnecessary inventory, which helps ensure smooth operations at the local level.

Key to mastering the restaurant supply chain is proactive problem-solving and flexibility. Galkin highlights how brands, including Paris Baguette, learned to adapt during the pandemic by building in lead times and having alternative supplier options to respond quickly to disruptions. He also discusses the future of supply chain innovation, including the potential of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to improve traceability and safety in the supply chain.

Galkin stresses that ongoing investment, innovation and the use of underutilized infrastructure, like rail systems, are crucial to building supply chains that are both efficient and adaptable to an ever-evolving environment.