Sysco is eliminating minimum delivery size requirements, the company said on Thursday, in a bid to assist its restaurant customers navigate what could be a rocky winter amid a renewed surge of coronavirus infections and potential dine-in shutdowns.
The Houston-based distributor said that beginning next week its customers will no longer have to order a certain amount of product to get it delivered. The change is available to both large and small operators but, the company said, should be of particular help to independent restaurants that could see steep declines in demand as cold weather hits and communities implement renewed restrictions.
It also comes as more vendors have taken steps to help restaurants. DoorDash recently extended cold weather grants to help restaurants and drivers, for instance. Uber Eats and Grubhub have also taken steps to support restaurants.
Sysco is the country’s largest distributor, and its sales have been hit hard as restaurants closed or restricted service. Its sales declined 23% in the third quarter, for instance.
Its assistance to restaurants is also an indication of concern for the coming months. CEO Kevin Hourican told investors earlier this month that its customers’ recovery is “stalling.”
“We remain vigilant in the current environment, as new restrictions on our customers in the second quarter are stalling the recovery at approximately minus-20% compared to the prior year, with potential for worsening results due to additional COVID restrictions,” Hourican said, according to a transcript on the financial services site Sentieo.
Sysco said that delivery minimums will be lifted for all of its U.S. broadline, FreshPoint, Buckhead Meat and Newport Meat customers.
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