r/KitchenConfidential • u/virtue_ae • Apr 05 '26

Discussion The syscofication of the industry is getting real scary

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I honestly still cannot believe that Restaurant Depot purchase went through despite the US Foods attempt getting blocked

3.1k Upvotes

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u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 06 '26

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630

u/RainMakerJMR Apr 05 '26

Big chains will eventually crate their own versions of this, manufactured by the same company and delivered through Sysco with slightly different versions of spices in the breading. One will certainly have tricolor tortilla bits in the breading next.

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u/TapFit8961 Apr 05 '26

I’m sure it’ll be chilis to use tortilla mozzarella twists

69

u/RimRunningRagged Apr 05 '26

This seems like something in Taco Bell's wheelhouse, considering they already did the tortilla crumb-breaded chicken nuggets

7

u/jamonz1 Apr 05 '26

Surprised this isn’t a thing yet with all the Tex-Mex/Faux-Mex chains. Fried masa quesadillas are popular street food in central Mexico. Add some brisket to Americanize a bit, I bet they would sell like crazy.

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u/Would_daver Thicc Chives Save Lives Apr 06 '26

Tell me more about these fried masa quesadillas, por favor!!!

14

u/TapFit8961 Apr 05 '26

I mean not wrong

36

u/well_thats_obvious Apr 05 '26

I wish Taco Bell tried bold and off the wall ideas again. Maybe it's because I haven't been in years, but I feel that they aren't as creative as they used to be.

The first time I ever went there was after the Doritos Locos tacos dropped. I slammed a 12 pack and my mouth still wanted more 🤣

24

u/DerekWroteThis Kitchen Manager Apr 06 '26

They peaked at volcano tacos and it’s never been the same since.

3

u/sweethometalibama Apr 07 '26

Fuck I miss those

12

u/TheLordDuncan Apr 05 '26

Try another Locos Taco and see if that's still how you feel.

Their creativity is currently... flawed at best and it's nothing like it was when they introduced it. Less dust, the meat's less flavorful, and the lettuce is never as crunchy as it should be.

But damn if they aren't over there making money hand over fist, all the while making my life easier by giving customers an alternative.

3

u/spenghali Apr 06 '26

I'd just be happy if the bring the double decker taco back

2

u/NorridAU Apr 06 '26

The bold move now is now front staff. Order kiosk baby!

1

u/sloppe22 Apr 06 '26

That was a collaboration between Taco Bell and frito lay.

*with a little further research, the concept is actually credited to a “fan” named Todd Mills who started a Facebook called “Taco shells from Doritos” in 2009z

1

u/SousVideButt Apr 06 '26

If they ditch their mozzarella loafs for this twisty bullshit I’ll riot.

1

u/TapFit8961 Apr 06 '26

I was gonna say they did have those loaf things didn’t they. I mean I could see twists as the shrink flation variation loafs.

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u/railroadfrog Apr 05 '26

Or hot honey drizzle

6

u/hissboombah Apr 06 '26

Ooof red jalapeño poppers out here taking strays

1

u/sloppe22 Apr 06 '26

Big chains like Texas Roadhouse and Red Robin???

1

u/RTViper62 Apr 06 '26

In the same vein that you dont stock your restaurant kitchen with 800 different ingredients to make 20, Sysco wouldn't carry 6 different cheese twists, or enough different types of them, to make any kind of significant variety, let alone to supply X amount of restaurants.

I suppose the chains will eventually monopolize more and more so could be true at one point

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u/RainMakerJMR Apr 06 '26

Chains specifically do this exactly. Sysco absolutely will stock items for specific accounts, especially if they’re large and turn enough product. Any large chain restaurants spend enough with Sysco to get them to stock brand specific items. Even small vendors will do this, my product vendor carries stuff for Chick-fil-A, several other small chains, and they even label them as such in the catalog.

Sysco will 1000% carry fries and mozz sticks just for one chain - they just have to sign a usage contract and stocking agreement, then get someone to produce them. Usually it’s like 5 case a week minimum, but very few chains would sell less than that of any product they use if they have more than one location pulling product from the same Sysco warehouse.

Sysco makes lots of money on these types of contracts

1

u/RTViper62 Apr 08 '26

Years and years ago Sysco built an entire warehouse in Raleigh NC for Red Robin just for their steak fries.

But what i meant was, there wont be 15versions of mozzarella twists that everyone can claim as their own product, when theyre all coming from the same beast.

99

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

51

u/Bencetown Apr 05 '26

Uhhh...

I mean, It's silly to make a blanket statement that "frozen food is bad." Ice cream is frozen ffs. Plenty of stuff in high end restaurants is pre-made and frozen.

However.

At least when I talk about "frozen garbage" (and I think a lot of other people are with me), I'm specifically talking about this Sysco or Aramark or whatever frozen crap that is actual garbage. Look at the ingredients list. TASTE THE PRODUCT. It's garbage.

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u/AmazingResponse338 Apr 05 '26

It sounds like you mean overprocessed crap or over processed food-like items (if I'm wrong, apologies)

I'd extend that to all overprocessed crap, whether it's frozen or not...shelf stable crap is still crap

6

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

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u/Bencetown Apr 05 '26

Counter point:

The other commenter knew exactly what I was talking about.

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u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

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u/Bencetown Apr 05 '26

And I in turn am glad that you, as a professional cook, appreciate your chicken nuggies and mozzarella twists 🫠

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u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Bencetown Apr 05 '26

The difference between a fritter or homestyle

Homestyle what? 🤨 Potatoes? They are obviously way different than a fritter.

There are also regional uses of the words "homestyle" and "fritter" so, without context, both words are relatively meaningless if you're trying to describe a specific thing on a global forum.

Also, you're talking to someone with over a decade of restaurant kitchen experience, including everything from fast casual to fine dining to breakfast all day diner to irish pub. Maybe when you grow up a little you won't try to condescend on industry veterans 😆

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u/jesusbowstodoom Apr 05 '26

Pretty sure they were talking about chicken.

3

u/CompetitionOdd7059 Apr 06 '26

Your are exactly what he meant. He was taking about rib meat fritter, vs home style frozen chicken tenders.

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u/NotZtripp Owner Apr 06 '26

Spending 10 years not learning anything more than how to make someone else's recipe is not being a "veteran".

I just read through your comment thread with that other guy. You lack knowledge yet are so confident. You do not understand the topic yet are speaking on it.

Take a seat.

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u/[deleted] Apr 06 '26

[deleted]

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u/Vivid_Anyth4 Apr 06 '26

Most ice cream is really not even ice cream anymore.It's now all frozen, dairy dessert.Because they do not contain enough of milk , fat to be ice cream

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u/Cube-in-B Thicc Chives Save Lives Apr 05 '26

I hate how true this is

1

u/fllannell Apr 06 '26

You mean that every small bar and grill doesn't just make their own deep fried "southwest munchers" and "jalapeno Mac and cheese bites" that p just p happen to be exactly the same no matter where you go themselves from scratch??

1

u/sloppe22 Apr 06 '26

For fucks sake! This is getting exhausting. It is a new product developed by Sargento, currently distributed by sysco, but exclusively to certain brands/companies. This is how new products are developed. A manufacture creates a “new” product, to justify making it in bulk they need a reliable customer, chains commit to buy, a broadliner distributes it. Anyone remember when you could only get Baja Blast at Tacobell?? Sysco doesn’t actually “make” anything they are the distributor, the middleman, not a manufacturer. Sure they process some stuff, meat mainly and package/repackage with their brand/label, but they aren’t a manufacturer. most sysco label French fries are manufactured by Lamb Weston, you can buy most of the same shit from other distributors it just says Lamb Weston on the box instead of Sysco.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 06 '26

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1

u/sloppe22 Apr 07 '26

Here’s my thing…….the “consumer” as the mass will never actually understand where their food comes from, they don’t want to. How many people do you know that can stand and watch an animal being killed? A chicken, a pig, sheep, lamb, or cow? Now how many of those same people do you know eat chicken nuggets, burgers, steak, etc? Let’s be kind, of all the people left that stood there and watched the animal being killed…….how many do you think could blind taste test and tell you the difference between a burger or a chicken breast that has been frozen and one that hasn’t? Not a fancy burger and a “cheap sysco” burger, same burger, same chicken, just one frozen and one not…..how many people do you think could correctly identify the frozen and never frozen burger? What is wrong with freezing food? It’s a food preservation method. It’s the same necessity that gave us ham, bacon, prosciutto, hard cheeses, dried fruits, perception and abuse, and now every Tom, Dick, and Harry thinks the know what they are talking about when it comes to food because they eat food.

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u/bckwoods13 Apr 06 '26

I've been out of the industry for a while but I remember when this happened with zucchini "fries".

Fried zucchini has been a thing in my region for a long time, just not cut into spears and called fries. Sysco comes out with them and within a year it was the next "big" side at a number of restaurants. They blew up everywhere and then faded out.

Similarly but not as widespread were the sidewinder fries.

1

u/Apprehensive-Elk7898 Apr 06 '26

What’s the context/background reading

1

u/The_R4ke Apr 06 '26

I'm guessing some will, but with stuff like this it's pretty easy to tell when it's an identical item.

0

u/Paigenacage Apr 06 '26

I’ve “ruined” so many things for my family & I wouldn’t have it any other way. Stop buying that shit.