If you are responsible for procuring food equipment and small wares such as, pots and pans, table top items and food preparation utensils, it would be great to be able to find it all under one roof. You can do that with Budget Restaurant Supply. They are a family-owned, full-service food service and supply company. They started in 1982, in Houston, Texas. Their large showroom with more than 50,000 square feet stocks 75,000 products including COVID-19 personal protection equipment supplies.

The company is able to offer catalog equipment by representing the top tiers of manufacturers in the food service industry including, but not limited to, Hobart, Vulcan, True, Manitowoc and Cambro Rubbermaid. These manufacturers are consistently voted “Best In Class” by food service consultants and end users.

Budget Restaurant Supply has an in-house custom stainless steel fabrication shop that builds to NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) standards. They recently installed a custom stainless steel counter for a snack bar at Westfield High School for Spring ISD in Texas. Having worked with the district in the past, they moved quickly when called to meet the need for a custom piece. From start to finish, the project was completed during a two week break in the school’s schedule. David Chan, Budget Restaurant Supply president, said, “. . . with our trusted business partners and team of experts on staff, we can do any type of project big or small.”

Budget Restaurant Supply is built on the motto, “Quality and service you can depend on. Experience and knowledge you trust.” They have served multiple CP members since receiving an awarded CP contract. Chan stated, “As we have all faced a challenging year in 2020, we are appreciative and blessed to be able to continue providing quality and service to all of our customers.” 

See Budget Restaurant Supply for more information or contact Fawn Griffin at 713-779-1818 or fawn.griffin@budgetrs.com.

Labatt Food Service (Labatt) is a 111-year-old, family-owned business headquartered in San Antonio. The fourth generation is helping lead the way into 2021 with service and remedies that meet customers’ new demands. Labattserves 60 Choice Partners members at 380 different sites and is the 10th largest food distributor in the United States serving Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana and Colorado. They offer 100 percent national brands across the board – no private labels.

Labatt’s focus is being the best: in people, products and service. Their broadline of products including food, chemicals and small wares allows them to meet the varied demands of their customers including school districts, healthcare, restaurants and non-profits. 

“Being an awarded vendor with Choice Partners has allowed Labatt to open doors for small school districts to participate with better buying power and pricing to help sustain their school lunch program,” said Chad McGee, Labatt national account sales representative.

Due to COVID-19, the USDA put new requirements on entities serving “food away from home.” This in turn caused Labatt’s customers to serve their clientele in a new way. Labatt stepped up by finding products that fit the new demands including curbside meals and individually wrapped products. They were able to source 90 percent of the new products in large quantities. Despite the change in demand for new products in great quantities, Labatt never had to lay off any staff. They continue today adjusting to the new norm with their full fleet of trucks.  

Labatt has served Choice Partners members through their two contracts, 20/036TP-02 and 20/048TP-16, since 2012. The trust and values offered by this independent company is a strong draw to their customers. For more information, contact Chad McGee at 713-681-3820, ext. 6722 or send an email to cmcgee@labattfood.com. 

Vaughn Construction was awarded its first contract with Choice Partners in October 2010 and this year marks the 10^th anniversary as a CP vendor. With a motto of Do it Once, Do it Right, Vaughn solidified its relationship with the co-op. As a full-service general contractor, Vaughn Construction offers a wealth of resources to successfully deliver your construction projects. Specializing in projects for higher education and healthcare, Vaughn has served all of the CP membership base using their CP contract. 

Vaughn Construction is a Texas-based, commercial general contractor with more than 1,000 employees in 10 offices across the state. Founded by Joe Vaughn in 1988, the firm was born out of the Vaughn family’s long history and trusted reputation in the construction industry. Today, Vaughn is a second generation, family-owned general contractor and construction management firm. They are one of the largest contractors in Texas, and a leading builder of healthcare, research and higher education facilities throughout the state. Vaughn has a project management team and employs 400 craft construction workers to execute projects efficiently with the high-quality demand from clients. In-house resources allow Vaughn to serve all of a client’s commercial construction projects, no matter the size. 

The company philosophy is based on the key principle of respect, which permeates all levels of their business operations. A core philosophy of Vaughn is to WOW Clients. A hands-on approach and attention to detail on every project, no matter how large or small, ensures consistent, successful results for clients who appreciate how Vaughn brings solutions to construction challenges. They figure out ways to deliver the project on time and in budget. 

“This was a fast-tracked project, having to be completed during the summer break,” said Joujou Zebdaoui, University of Houston director for campus construction services. “All work was completed and the fountains were in full operation two weeks early for our original completion date."

With a strong working relationship, Vaughn has forged alliances with several large universities in Texas. The $2.2 million renovation of an existing Air Force barracks at Texas A&M University’s RELLIS Campus required relocating the existing building users, completely gutting the building and removing the roof and facade to build back the building interior. The existing wood truss and frame system were left exposed to emphasize the unique, historic features of the facility. 

The University of North Texas Health Science Center Job Order Contract (JOC) project included renovating an existing building into a modern office suite to deliver health services to the university’s student body. 

A great benefit to Vaughn, the CP contract already includes a completed procurement process allowing for an immediate response to clients’ construction needs without delay. One of Vaughn’s core values is a sense of urgency. 

“Our clients have come to rely on us as problem solvers and trusted advisors. If they’re having an issue and need immediate resolution, they can count on us to service them quickly and efficiently. The CP contract helps us to do that, which in turn helps us maintain our 95% client retention rate,” said Rodney Moore, Vaughn construction director. 



To find out more about the company and the benefits of using your Choice Partners membership, go to Vaughn Construction.  

The greater Houston area has long been served by Facilities Sources, a construction firm that has worked with Choice Partners since 2007. With their JOC-IDIQ contract, Facilities Sources acts as a general manager for building issues, both inside and out. The newly built Humble ISD board room (pictured above) is a sample of their projects.

The company is small and capably handles large projects for governmental entities including foundation work, which was their initial focus. Their customer base is made up of 80-90 percent repeat customers.

Tracy Foster, project administrative manager for Facilities, said, "It is all about customer service. If the customer is happy and we provide services in a timely manner within their budget, then we get repeat customers."

Since starting with Choice Partners, Facilities Sources has served 70 members. Within the last five years they have worked with 10 members, two of which they brought in as new members.

HCDE's Fortis Academy, a recovery high school for students, was transformed by Facilities Sources to provide opportunities such as a "ropes course" and a high-end commercial kitchen where students are taught culinary skills. HCDE's High Point East school for at-risk students also received an interior renovation of the gymnasium and roof replacement.

Facilities Sources holds Choice contract no. 16/054JN-04. You may reach them at 713-337-5700 or tracy@facilitiessources.com.