Go local to manage rising shipping costs

​Go local to manage rising shipping costs

Offering local ingredients on your menu is not only on trend; it’s also becoming a necessity amid the ongoing truck driver shortage that’s expected in the coming years – and the escalating ingredient costs that will result from it. Freight Transportation Research Associates reports that shipping rates in the U.S. shot up 14 percent in the year ending June 30. To manage price hikes, do you have a local strategy for everything on your menu – not just the seasonal specialties? Now is the time to anticipate menu changes you can make to better adapt to what’s available in your region throughout each season – and to identify a list of back-up suppliers who may not have as far to go to deliver product. You can even make it competitive, like Bounce in Milwaukee, which lists beer selections in order of the restaurant’s proximity to each brewery, Restaurant Business reports.