History

The United Purchasing Company (UPC) was first formed in 1988 with five independently owned restaurants which pledged to buy collectively from the same restaurant suppliers. UPC now includes over 450 restaurants and its purchasig power  continues to grow as its members continue to increase their volume with the group's approved suppliers.

Today, UPC has a central office in Addison, Illinois to respond to members' concerns, problems, and questions. UPC provides its members with the best Group Buying Programs in its area.

The group was originally founded by and is still managed by independent restaurant owners who take time away from their businesses and families to continue to make the program work for its members, and it does.

Mission

UPC is committed to only one goal: to help independently owned restaurants save money through high volume buying. By joining together, our purchasing power enables us to negotiate deals with suppliers and manufacturers. This joint purchasing power provides a level playing field in the highly competitive foodservice industry. As UPC continues togrow, it is better able to provide cost savings for all its members in the form of lower proces and larger rebates.

Management Team

Program

UPC has negotiated price agreements with many major suppliers in our industry, with savings to our members far above anyone's original expectations. Now our program concentrates in obtaining rebates for our members from manufacturer's, a benefit seldom enjoyed by indepenent restaurants.

As you know, the days of small, independent suppliers are gone. Now we all must deal with the sales companies which combine and grow larger every day. UPC provides a way for you to become part of an equally large purchasing group while maintaining your business independence.

Respect

When you join UPC you become a part of a select group whose members are knows and respected by suppliers throughout the area. This respect was won by showing UPC members to be knowledgeable and reliable. For this reason, UPC chooses new members only from among those businesses which will maintain the high standing we have earned in the industry.

Obligations

UPC is not here to tell you how to run your business. Your purchasing, selling and menu pricing will be done by you as you did before. It is here to assist you with volume discounted procies for the products you buy.

Loyalty at What Cost?

Each member of UPC has friends throughout the food service industry and each of us is reluctant to turn our backs on those relationships. We recognize the loyal impulse to give our business to our friends. But each time we pay a few dollars more because of this impulse, we are decreasing our profits. When it is all added up, we pay more than our businesses can afford in the name of this loyalty. Our primary thought must continue to be for our families. By operating our businesses on a more profitable level through UPC programs, we are better able to provide them the kinds of lives for which we have always have worked so hard.