Some things are just as important as product—
such as beneficial partnerships.
“I’ve been doing business with Autocrat
since the early ‘80s, using their
coffee, supplies, and machinery,” says
Bob Bacon, owner of Gregg’s Restaurants,
based in Warwick, Rhode Island.
“Over the years, we’ve brought in other
products, such as their coffee syrup, and
they handle our sugars.
“Eight to 10 years ago, at a trade
show, we came across an iced tea extract
by a company out of California, and we
brought it in through Autocrat,” says Bacon.
“Then they had some problems with
it and dropped the line, but Autocrat liked
the idea so much, they developed their
own, and we’ve been using that product
for a number of years. They’ve always
been the kind of company that if you
have an idea or need a product, instead
of saying, ‘Oh, we don’t have it,’ they go
to work and do some research. If they
can, they’ll develop it and help us market
it. It’s a good partnership.”
Bacon says Lincoln, Rhode Islandbased
Autocrat is also helpful in advising
him of the best times to stock up on
coffee to keep costs lower. “Through
their expertise, we’ve been able to stay
ahead of the curve in terms of timing of
buying and projecting costs to get the
best price.” —TW
Some things are just as important as product—
such as beneficial partnerships.
