Switching to a dough manufacturer comes with its unique advantages. Although making dough in-house, from scratch yields an authentic result, there are certain signs in any operation which could point that it’s time to streamline the manufacturing process. As a restaurant owner, you would be surprised to see how consistent your secret signature recipe can be manufactured on a large scale. Let’s start by looking at some advantages of using a dough manufacturer.

Consistency: When partnering with a supplier, the dough is always manufactured using the same ingredients, in the same ratio and using an unchanging preparation and baking method. The result is a steady flow of the same product with minimal variance. For your restaurant, this means being able to consistently offer your customers your signature recipes with every visit, which in turn builds loyalty and satisfaction.

High Quality Ingredients: There is a myth surrounding dough manufacturers saying that they only and/or mostly use preservatives or artificial colors and flavors in their products. The reality is, in fact, that an experienced, reputable supplier will only use the best of ingredients. Because of their large scale buying power, dough suppliers are able to purchase high quality, all natural ingredients at a better price than a single restauranteur. At MiMi Foods, some of the ingredients we work with are purified water, extra virgin olive oil, Caputo “00” flour, Semolina Flour, etc.

Research and Development: A dough manufacturer can work closely with you to create and test recipes for proprietary and customized products, for larger volumes. On the other hand, if you already have a signature family recipe, a dough supplier can recreate the recipe in its entirety.  MiMi Foods thrives on creating/developing recipes for MiMi’s customer to differentiate against their own competitors.

Increased variety: Surprise and delight your customers by expanding your product offering to include Focaccia, Calzone, Flatbreads, Specialty Sliders/Breads and many more. Working with a supplier gives you the opportunity to purchase products in a set, specific quantity, which means you can test the market with “limited time” offerings or seasonal products without going through the trouble of making it from scratch.

Customer service and expertise: In order to be successful, a restaurant business must focus on a variety of operations, both back-end and front-end, starting with preparing the ingredients, to assembling dishes and delivering them in a pleasant service environment to meet customer expectations. On the other hand, as a dough manufacturer, our only operation revolves around producing dough, making it our craft and specialty. In turn, this means you will get unparalleled service, professional advice and a perfect product every time.

Signs that it’s time to switch

Although the signs can vary from business to business, there are a few indicators that might mean it’s time to look for a supplier. Our advice to you is to not ignore these signs, as in time they can lead to increased business costs and/ or an overall decline in product quality.

Multiple locations: Consistency tends to get more and more difficult to achieve as the number of locations increases. The reasons behind this are easy to understand and can be related to inconsistent use of ingredients, different mixing methods from worker to worker, different storage and equipment, etc.

Demand management and waste: Sudden shifts in demand are difficult to predict even by the most experienced restaurant owners. If you have found yourself overproducing dough and having to discard it or being completely unprepared for a rush of customers, then one way to manage this is by having the prepared dough ready to be used when the demand is there.

High operations costs: Making dough from scratch can mean high labor, storage and equipment costs. By outsourcing the dough, your workers don’t have to spend the extra hours to prepare the dough and allow it to rise. Working with a dough supplier also cuts down on raw ingredient storage space, such as flour and olive oil, and reduces the need for the necessary equipment to make the dough.

What types of products can be outsourced?

The most popular types of products that can be outsourced are:

• Frozen Dough Balls
• Par-Baked Crusts
• Other Frozen Products (such as Focaccia, Flatbreads, Panouzzo Buns etc.)

Continue reading our blog: Dough Ball or Par-Baked Crust: which one is suited for your type of operation?

What to consider when choosing a dough manufacturer? 

Although there are multiple factors that will go into your final decision, the most important aspects when choosing a dough manufacturer are:

Food Safety: Make sure the dough supplier adheres by strict safety programs that will never put production at risk. At MiMi Foods, we are a leader in food safety and take this responsibility very seriously. We are BRC Food Certificated and commit to setting and meeting high standards of performance.

Product Variety: A dough supplier should be able to provide you with a complete portfolio of products to choose from such as Flatbreads, Focaccias, Panouzzo, Pizza Buns, etc. Take advantage of this to introduce new products in your menu to increase sales and improve customer satisfaction!

To see if dough outsourcing is the right choice for your business, email us at artisticdough@mimifoods.ca or call us at  905-660-0010.