Abstract:
A system for determining the best price of food-related products comprises an input device for receiving a selection of food-related products from a user and a computer. The computer has a communications interface with the interne, a memory for storing a plurality of addresses associated with various vendors, and a processor coupled to the input device for receiving from the user a selection of one or more food-related products. In response to receiving a selection from a user, the computer generates and transmits bid requests to a plurality of the vendors, receives bids from the vendors, determines the best price, and displays to the user the best price and vendor for the selected product or products.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority on U.S. provisional application No. 61/184,216, filed on Jun. 4, 2009. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to the food service industry, and in particular is directed to a system and method for implementing an electronic restaurant marketplace to obtain the best prices for goods in the food industry. 
         [0003]    The application of technology for improved delivery and access to food stuffs is well known. In the 1850&#39;s, the can opener was considered the latest or best technology available in the United States. Since the development and applications of computers to commerce, the food service industry has considered Point of Sale (POS) hardware and software to be the pinnacle of current technology. POS machines track sales, labor, and payroll, and generate records helpful in accounting and bookkeeping. 
         [0004]    The Point of Sale technology is focused on time efficiencies, recipe costing, inventory control, and labor management. POS systems are a necessity but, for all of their powerful technology, POS systems do not guarantee that a buyer will obtain the best pricing from the vendors and suppliers which the buyer typically uses. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A system and method implement an electronic restaurant marketplace to obtain the best prices for goods in the food industry. The system and method include computer hardware and software to implement an Internet-based service that allows a restaurant owner, operator, or manager to simultaneously submit multiple silent bid requests to individual vendors to achieve the best negotiated pricing on all purchased products. The individual vendors respond with bids to provide food stuffs and other products, and a computer-based method compares such bids to determine the best prices. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed hereinbelow with reference to the drawings. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a schematic of the system of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of operation of the method of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a display of vendors and prices. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an enhanced display of vendors and prices. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a summary display of best prices. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , the system  10  and method of the present invention an electronic restaurant marketplace to obtain the best prices for goods in the food industry. The system  10  and method include computer hardware and software to implement an Internet-based service. 
         [0013]    Using the system  10  and method, a user such as a restaurant owner, operator, or manager is able to simultaneously submit multiple silent bid requests to individual vendors to achieve the best negotiated pricing on all purchased products. The individual vendors respond with bids to provide food stuffs and other products, and a computer-based method compares such bids to determine the best prices. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the system  10  includes a display  12  visible to a user, an input device  14  accessible to the user, and a computer  16  connected to the Internet  18  to communicate with a plurality of vendors  20 . The computer includes a communications interface  22  connected to the Internet  18  and to the display  12  and the input device  14 , a memory  24  for storing a plurality of communication addresses  26  associated with a plurality of vendors  20 , and a processor  28  operating a predetermined computer program  30  for receiving a selection of a food-related product from the user through the input device  14 , for generating and transmitting bid requests  32  over the Internet  18  to the plurality of vendors  20  at the communication addresses  26  to request a vendor price of the selected food-related product, for receiving bids  34  from the plurality of vendors  20  to provide the selected food-related product at respective bid prices, and for processing the prices in the bids  34  of determine the best price  36 . The display  12  displays to the user the best price  36  and the vendor associated with the best price  36  for the selected food-related product. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the method of the present invention includes the steps of having a user enter a selection of a food-related product in the style and language most familiar to the user, through the input device  14  in step  40 , transmitting the selection to the processor  28  through the Internet  16  in step  42 , generate a bid request  32  in step  44 , and transmitting the bid request  32  through the Internet  16  to the vendors  20  at the communication addresses  26  in step  46 . 
         [0016]    The method then includes the steps of receiving the bids  34  from the plurality of vendors  20  via the Internet  16  in step  48 , determining the best price  36  in step  50 , transmitting the best price  36  and the associated vendor in step  52 , and displaying the best price  36  and the associated vendor in step  54 . 
         [0017]    Using the present invention, the user, such as a purchaser for a restaurant or a chain of restaurants, delicatessens, cafés, etc., is provided with the ability to consistently cherry pick the best prices on each food or supply item from each of your usual vendors and suppliers. Through a predetermined website with webpages accessible by the user through the display  12  and the input device  14 , and by the vendors  18 , the present system  10  and method implement an Internet-based software service that allows a restaurant owner, operator, or manager to simultaneously submit multiple silent bid requests to individual vendors  18  to achieve the best negotiated pricing on all purchased products. The predetermined website may be commercially available through a company using the trademark “LOWERFOODCOST” as well as having “LOWERFOODCOST” in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the website. 
         [0018]    The system  10  and method always reveal the best item prices and the best sources for all selected food items and supplies. 
         [0019]    For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a user, using the input device  14 , enters user selections to choose at least five items that the user may order on a daily or weekly basis. The five items may be displayed in a grid on a webpage on a display  12  for viewing by the user, allowing selections to be input through a keyboard and/or through a graphic user interface (GUI) using a mouse or other types of input devices  14 . 
         [0020]    The user, such as a restaurant representative, is able to organize the online inventory of the items and quantities required for the operations of the next week. The product items for the next week are selected from an exhaustive list by clicking on a checkbox or highlight the name of the food item which identifies that the selected item as needed. 
         [0021]    The user can then specify the exact quantity for each item, and, of course, items can be requested by brand, or by packaging, and instructions to the vendors are optional for each item ordered. At the click of a button, the completed order is then posted on a secure online location for vendors to review and provide the best current pricing. The restaurant representative has the option to print a paper copy and the order information is retained in an order database in the memory  24 . Propriety vendor information may be labeled as exclusive, and so may possible be prevented from being shared with other restaurants. 
         [0022]    By making the selections, the user asks current vendors  18  or suppliers, as well as a set of enrolled or registered vendors  18  associated with the system  10 , to quote a price to the user for each item. The current vendors and/or enrolled or registered vendors  18  may be associated or affiliated with the system  10  and accessible to any user using the system  10  after a enrolment or registration process, by which the communication address  26  of an enrolled vendor  18  is entered and stored in the memory  24 . 
         [0023]    Similarly, to use the system  10  and method, a user such as a restaurant representative may be required to first register as a new user, and create an account by providing a username, password, and basic credit card information including contact information and a mailing address. The information on each vendor  18  that a specific restaurant is currently doing business with may also be entered and provided. 
         [0024]    The restaurant representative may organize a grocery and purchased product list electronically, and divide the usually lengthy item listing by product categories such as: freezer, cooler, or dry goods. The system  10  may provides several list editing tools to easily convert lists of food products and vendors to electronic form for use by the system  10 . 
         [0025]    When the user makes the selection, the user may be able to specify an exact number of items, counts, quantities, or other restrictions on the items to be priced. The user may complete a worksheet table as shown in  FIG. 3 , with the item prices for each vendor  18  displayed on the display  12 . 
         [0026]    Since it is typical that no single vendor consistently provides the best or lowest item pricing, the system  10  and method of the present invention electronically stores the most current prices from each of the vendors  18  for each of the available items. 
         [0027]    Once the selections by users are made, the system  10  generates the bid requests  32 , which prompts the vendors  18  to generate their bids  34  with the prices which each vendor contracts to supply the items in the specified quantities. 
         [0028]    After all of the bids  34  and their prices are received by the processor  28 , the predetermined computer program  30  scans the prices, and fmds and selects the lowest price for each food item from each of the vendors  18 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The system  10  may then send the best prices  36  to be displayed on the display of the user making the selections, with all of the available prices being displayed, for example, in table form as shown in  FIG. 4 , with the best prices  36  highlighted, for example, using different colors or shading of backgrounds of the text. 
         [0029]    The system  10  may also identify any best food item prices identified by each vendor, such as the best sugar price, the best bread price, etc., as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the system  10  and method may also have the processor  28  generate and display to the user a summary screen or table of best food item pricing, in which the system  10  identifies and displays in the upper cell of the table a best single vendor in terms of total pricing, also identifies and displays, for example, the five best food item prices of all vendors in a middle cell of the table in  FIG. 5 , and identifies and displays in a lower cell a difference between the best single vendor pricing and the best five item prices among all the vendors. Using  FIG. 5 , the user is able to compare and determine the savings which would be gained by using a single vendor as per the upper cell, or using diverse vendors, as per the middle cell in  FIG. 5 . For example, if the difference between the upper and middle cells is positive, as shown in the lower cell, spreading out the purchase orders among different vendors is more economical. In other pricing scenarios, for example, if the value of the lower cell in  FIG. 5  is negative, it would be better to use a single vendor. Alternatively, if the value of the lower cell is inconsequential, such as the positive difference being below $0.50 or any other predetermined threshold, a user may determine that using a single vendor may be more reliable despite an incremental extra cost associated with using the single vendor despite some nominal savings in costs. 
         [0031]    Using the system  10  and method, the present invention provides Internet-base technology which allows users to be certain that their vendors and suppliers are actually offering the user the best possible prices by providing the user with a direct “vendor to vendor” and “item for item” comparison of prices using a bid request system. 
         [0032]    The ability to selectively choose the best vendor for each food item by price can consistently save users thousands of dollars over long periods of time, week after week, month after month. 
         [0033]    The restaurant representative then simply selects the item from the appropriate vendor based on price, convenience, or other criteria, and the appropriate final orders or sent to the appropriate vendors. Multiple orders to each vendor can be printed if necessary, and the order information may be maintained in the memory  24  as an order database.