Navigating Today’s Club Operations: Ottawa Hunt Club’s Experience Working with Foodbuy Canada
Operating a private golf and country club today requires balancing rising costs, labour challenges, and evolving member expectations, often all at once. At Ottawa Hunt Club, a year-round private club serving a diverse membership, operational discipline and strategic procurement have become essential to maintaining a premium experience while managing financial pressures.
Like many clubs across the country, Ottawa Hunt Club continues to face staffing challenges, particularly in back-of-house roles. Inflation has also forced menu price increases, which can create friction when member expectations don’t align with current market realities. Supply chain disruptions add another layer of complexity, occasionally requiring substitutions that aren’t always well received. Together, these pressures demand a more thoughtful and proactive approach to food and beverage operations.
Balancing cost control with quality is a constant focus for the club. Ottawa Hunt Club relies on strong purchasing and inventory practices, waste reduction, cross-utilization of ingredients, and long-term supplier relationships to manage costs effectively. Being part of a group purchasing organization has become an important component of this strategy, helping the club maintain consistency while navigating price volatility, particularly in challenging categories such as protein, where beef continues to be a key pressure point.
Member preferences are also shifting. Ottawa Hunt Club has seen strong demand for non-alcoholic beer, now carrying up to ten different options, alongside an increased interest in local beers and consignment wines. Convenience has become another priority, with expanded grab-and-go offerings and an app that allows members to order ahead for the course or at home. Behind the scenes, data and reporting play a critical role in decision-making. By grounding changes in numbers, the club is better equipped to explain pricing adjustments and operational decisions to its membership.
Strategic procurement at Ottawa Hunt Club is guided by four key factors: price, quality, consistent availability, and member acceptance. Menu engineering, SKU consolidation, and rebate programs are actively used to forecast and plan for the golf season, while menu pricing adjustments help manage cost fluctuations throughout the year. Consistency and quality are reinforced through hands-on kitchen oversight, regular product testing, and a commitment to not cutting corners in food preparation.
Foodbuy Canada supports these efforts by operating in the background as a trusted procurement partner. Through transparent rebate structures, supplier optimization, and category expertise, Foodbuy helps Ottawa Hunt Club improve financial performance without disrupting established supplier relationships. In some cases, small changes have delivered measurable results, such as identifying product switches that generate annual savings while maintaining product quality.
“Foodbuy has been very transparent from the get-go with expected rebates and benefits. Getting a rebate cheque monthly has been great for bookkeeping, and knowing Foodbuy is always operating in the background provides peace of mind.” — Scott Lucano, Ottawa Hunt Club
For Ottawa Hunt Club, the value of working with Foodbuy extends beyond rebates. The partnership provides confidence in procurement decisions, support during periods of cost pressure, and access to insights that help the club stay focused on delivering a consistent, high-quality member experience. For other clubs evaluating procurement partners, transparency, ease of use, and industry alignment remain critical and based on Scott’s experience, Foodbuy delivers on all three.