Help me find a searchable list of Sysco products!

February 16, 2009 1:18 PM

Help me find a searchable list of Sysco products!

Hello,

I am staying at a facility where all of our food (24 hours a day) is provided by Sysco and prepared by staff in the cafeteria. I'm not an incredibly picky eater, but our "snack" choices are pretty much limited to 2 or 3 foods, none of which I like. I talked to the lady in charge of food ordering and she said she'd be happy to special order anything that Sysco provides, but there's no "list" of available foods that she can make available to me, the center has a web account and someone else does the ordering and the list is only available to this one guy (it's complicated).

So I'm looking for a list of products that Sysco provides to its commercial customers. I visited their website and they provide some data, but it's not comprehensive and it is difficult to serach through what they do have. The best I have come up with so far is this, but it is also not comprehensive and not easy to read either. Can anyone help me out with some kind of directory of foods that Sysco will provide?

Thanks!

posted by btkuhn to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

I haven't worked with Sysco in many years, but last I did, the fact was you'd have had to sell your firstborn to get a comprehensive list. They viewed their sourcing and availabilty as proprietary, and their salespeople deployed it as necessary. A lot of availability depended on what type of client you were. They give you some 'sample' lists, and then they empower their salespeople to steer you toward specific product lines. The salespeople give you prices on specific products and quantities. But they maintain control over their overall database of options, because they are trying hard not to give away all their info, sourcing, and pricing to competitors. They gain by keeping control over that.

Things may have changed, but that's how it was. And by the sound of this:

I talked to the lady in charge of food ordering and she said she'd be happy to special order anything that Sysco provides, but there's no "list" of available foods that she can make available to me, the center has a web account and someone else does the ordering and the list is only available to this one guy (it's complicated).

That's how it still probably is. And even the list that guy has isn't a full, comprehensive list, it's a list customized to your account size, institution size, and program. Basically, you need to be meeting with that guy. It's a Byzantine business.
posted by Miko at 1:36 PM on February 16, 2009

Different SYSCO houses have different catalogs. My employer, Uncle Sam, does a billion a year with various SYSCO houses, and we don't have what I'd call an actual 'catalog' from any of them. Also, what Miko said - it's not really in their interest to give it out.
posted by fixedgear at 2:19 PM on February 16, 2009

Their website does list a lot of products, although not in a single list. I'd try the appetizer or bakery section for snacks.

If you knew what you wanted, I'm sure they have it. This is a company that has a dozen different ways to sell chicken breast, they'll probably have whatever snack you can name.
posted by saffry at 2:36 PM on February 16, 2009

I worked for the SYSCO corporate office in Houston, several years ago. There is a master list (database) of all the items, of course. But, the whole database isn't printed out in a catalog. Instead, they have glossy sell sheets that show different products, for the different needs of restaurants, institutions, areas of the country, and so on.

The cafeteria staff has a sales rep. Give the cafeteria an idea of what kinds of foods you'd like to eat, and I am positive SYSCO sells it. Really. A whole list of everything is like listing all foods at all restaurant.

Alternatively, you can get closer to the master list by asking for the list that employees are given. Employees can order SYSCO foods at a discount, for their personal consumption. It's a pretty long list... but your sales rep may not share it because it shows the discounted price that employees pay (the discount is part of their benefits package).
posted by Houstonian at 4:50 PM on February 16, 2009