Essay on a Commissary

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A commissary is a licensed food cartel that offers required services and more specifically to a
mobile vehicle dispensing food (Payne & Theis, 2009). Commissaries offer a wide range of
items including cooking facilities deliveries and portable water provision. They enable MFDV to
operate efficiently in a safe environment.
Additionally, commissaries supply food to satellite kitchens where the foods are served to
clients. Therefore, they can be restaurants, place where food or related stuff find storage. In the
process of storing the food, they are also handled, packaged and stored for retail sales as well as
vending.
The cartels come with an advantage in that they attract a variety of small scale clients because of
their role as distributors and to maintain a clean environment. They also help to reduce labor
costs based on centralized food preparation (Unklesbay, 1977). The system additionally benefits
from economies of scale thus, making a commissary very effective in mass food production
necessity.
In foodstuff production, the central distribution centers are similar to commissaries except for the
fact that they are two crucial factors in food distribution. Transportation of the foodstuff to the
client is however dependent on the packaging and prevailing temperatures.

Food in such centralized system has lower supply and purchase costs. When the food is
purchased at one point, the prices tend to be low. Whats more, CDCs utilize USDA products
effectively (Nailon, 1982). The raw ingredients from the government are creatively utilized in
line with standard recipes. They also ensure that there is a proper inventory record for good fiscal
management in the company.
Similarly, there is a planned menu for food production to ensure clients have an efficient stand in
their purchase. Even so, the initial capital investment for the CDCs is very costly limiting the
number of people who can afford them. The huge productions also need skilled employees and
this can be quite expensive. For example, bakers need the right requirements for the occupation
(Nailon, 1982). Lastly, consistency of the job can create high level of monotony leading to low
motivation in the employment sector.
A quick service restaurant can use a commissary food supply approach. In the event of such, the
location of a service restaurant is small and the demands are often restricted to a small number of
clients who are on the move. At the restaurant, purchase of food is also carried out in one end of
the continuum which processes food and the processing is carried out in a central kitchen.
Additionally, the food will be transferred to an external location at the quick serve where the
service is required. At such a time, food production and delivery schedules are effectively
coordinated and in a way that will satisfy the client.
For example, the Mc Donalds that offers food on a self-service protocol to its clients. In such
cases, the clients would also get waitlists that enable them to wait for their turn to be served
following the correct channel and order. In other computerized stores, the waitlist is a buzzer that
goes off once the client reaches the service point.
Commissary food systems are also common in airlines. Central production facility is located near
the airport or at the airport. In such cases, clients are served with pre-plated food served and
chilled for travels. They are also placed in carts in closed ends but under appropriate
temperatures.
The foods are then transported to the aircraft by carts (satellite) and placed in a gallery (Payne &
Theis, 2009). The goods are also re-thermalized when need arise and suited to the needs of
passengers. The cartel also sends another truck to collect the eatery equipment for the same
purpose upon landing.
The following information was yielded from an interview with the manager of American airlines
catering service helpline. The firm has linkages with different airlines especially the AA as a
commissary foodstuff type. He claims that he enjoys consistent supply of food in line the
schedule of flights. He also claims that the airline enjoys consistent diet for all flights thus,
making work easier as they prepare for daily duties.
Even so, the manager feels that in the event of flight delays and client dissatisfaction, the firm is
affected. This can occur especially in airline companies that value the feedback of their clients
and the number of competitors within the vicinity. When he was asked whether he would

consider another system, he insists that the commissary system is the only ideal and manageable
way good usage in different airlines because of the nature of its operations.
I also approached Miss Hanson, a baker using the central distribution strategy system. She
supplies different varieties of bread in five cafes in San Francisco. Miss Hanson illustrated the
compensations of having the system and claims that it is an appropriate way to manager her
inventory successfully in the region. She also enjoys low labor costs because she has few
employs using the system.
Finally, she claims that with the system, she is able to utilize her production facilities more
efficiently compared to the past when she had only three outlets. However, she is still to recover
from high initial costs for setting up the plant and employing skilled workers. As she awaits a
breakthrough in her investments, there are clients who complain of low quality food in the five
cafes and she believes that cumulative production is behind it.
Despite the challenges, she doesnt regret settling for the choice but feels she may need a CDC
alternative as well as the commissary to ensure effective production at all times.

Reference
Nailon, P. (1982). Theory in hospitality management. International Journal of Hospitality
Management, 1(3), 135-143.
Payne-Palacio, J., & Theis, M. (2009). Introduction to foodservice. Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Unklesbay, N. (1977). Monitoring for quality control in alternate foodservice systems. Journal of
the American Dietetic Association, 71, 423-428.
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