On this episode of Markets to Menus, I'm joined by ArrowStream Senior Commodity Analyst John Goodwin to break down the challenges facing this year's corn crop — including what the latest Pro Farmer Crop Tour yield estimates could mean for an already historically tight balance sheet — and to unpack the Trump administration's latest move to lower ground beef prices. We dig into whether suspending the out-of-quota tariff on beef imports for 90 days will actually move the needle, who stands to benefit, and why seasonality may matter more than the headline. We also get into the wheat market and the escalating disruptions in the Black Sea.

Then I sit down with Telly Smith, Senior Vice President of Purchasing and Distribution at Golden Corral, who shares how the iconic buffet brand not only survived COVID but came out the other side stronger than ever. Telly walks us through his 35-year journey from washing dishes in high school to leading the supply chain, what makes Golden Corral's service-driven culture so special, how his small team manages more than 700 SKUs and hundreds of millions in spend, where he sees the food service supply chain heading, his advice for smaller and emerging chains, and the remarkable philanthropic work the brand does for military families and veterans.

Connect with our host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/

Connect with our Guests:

John Goodwin, Senior Commodity Analyst, ArrowStream: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-goodwin-23574a129/

Telly Smith, Senior Vice President, Purchasing & Distribution, Golden Corral: https://www.linkedin.com/in/telly-smith-9568b216/

Call to Action

This episode is brought to you by ArrowStream CommodityONE, delivering superior commodity research and forecasts powered by deep Industry expertise & cutting edge AI.

Find out more about us here:

https://arrowstream.com/commodityone-for-foodservice-supply-chain/

Welcome back to Markets to Menus. This episode breaks down what's happening across the food supply chain — from the global commodity markets all the way down to your bottom line. First, I'm joined by John Goodwin, Senior Commodity Analyst at ArrowStream, for a read on what's moving the markets right now: an update on the Strait of Hormuz and its ripple effects on fuel and fertilizer, why sugar prices came roaring back to life, and what you need to know about tightening chicken supplies. Then we switch gears with Brian Foster, President of Back Office at Buyer's Edge Platform, for a candid look at how independent restaurants are holding up in 2026 as food and labor costs keep climbing — plus practical, ready-to-use best practices operators can put to work today, including how AI is starting to level the playing field for smaller operators.

Connect with our host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/

Connect with our Guests:

John Goodwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-goodwin-23574a129/

Brian Foster: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-foster-0361b119/

This episode is brought to you by ArrowStream CommodityONE, delivering superior commodity research and forecasts powered by deep Industry expertise & cutting edge AI.

Find out more about us here:

https://arrowstream.com/commodityone-for-foodservice-supply-chain/

Welcome back to Markets to Menus. In this episode, David Maloni is joined by John Goodwin, Senior Commodity Analyst at ArrowStream, for a discussion on the latest developments in the grain and oilseed growing season, an analysis of last week's USDA cattle inventory report, and an outlook on pork bellies ahead of what may be their strongest week of the year. Following that conversation, David sits down with James Butler, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy Officer, and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Brinker International, to discuss the company's significant growth at Chili's, the strategies behind building a supply chain capable of scaling with that growth, and his perspective on where the food supply chain is headed. This episode is brought to you by ArrowStream CommodityONE, the industry's leading commodity research and forecasting platform, combining over 40 years of expertise with cutting-edge AI.

Connect with our host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/

Connect with our Guests:

John Goodwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-goodwin-23574a129/
James Butler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmbutler83/

This episode is brought to you by ArrowStream CommodityONE, delivering superior commodity research and forecasts powered by deep Industry expertise & cutting edge AI.

Find out more about us here: https://arrowstream.com/commodityone-for-foodservice-supply-chain/

In this episode of Markets to Menus, we start with John Goodwin from ArrowStream for a market update on the latest USDA data moving dairy and grain markets, along with the geopolitical forces still shaping commodity volatility. We break down softer dairy markets, firmer pork, weakness in chicken and beef cutouts, and why recent gasoline and diesel lows may not fully reflect the tighter supply-demand picture underneath.

Then I’m joined by Jeff Dorr, Division President – SaaS at Buyers Edge Platform, the parent company of ArrowStream, for a conversation on the evolution and outlook of the foodservice supply chain. Jeff walks through how technology, data, and AI are becoming more visible and actionable for operators, distributors, and manufacturers—and why the future of AI in foodservice has to be tied directly to business outcomes.

Connect with our host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/

Connect with our Guests:

John Goodwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-goodwin-23574a129/
Jeff Dorr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedorr

This episode is brought to you by ArrowStream CommodityONE, delivering superior commodity research and forecasts powered by deep Industry expertise & cutting edge AI.

Find out more about us here:

https://arrowstream.com/commodityone-for-foodservice-supply-chain/

Welcome back to Markets to Menus. In this episode, our host David Maloni is joined again by John Goodwin, Senior Commodity Analyst at ArrowStream, to break down the latest moves across commodity markets, including the ripple effects of the Iran-U.S. conflict, fuel market pressure, cattle supply tightness, Brazil weather impacts, and what those developments could mean for foodservice buyers.

Later, David sits down with Megan Posenato, Vice President of Supply Chain and Quality Assurance at NAYA, a fast-growing Middle Eastern fast-casual brand rooted in Lebanese recipes and family tradition. Megan shares what she learned helping scale Shake Shack’s supply chain from roughly 40 to 500 U.S. locations, what she is building now at NAYA, and why inventory visibility, supplier relationships, forecasting, technology, and strong teams are essential for emerging restaurant brands.


Connect with our host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/


Connect with our guests:

John Goodwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-goodwin-23574a129/
Megan Posenato: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-posenato-68150748
NAYA: https://www.eatnaya.com/

This episode is brought to you by ArrowStream CommodityONE, delivering superior commodity research and forecasts powered by deep Industry expertise & cutting edge AI.

Find out more about us here:

https://arrowstream.com/commodityone-for-foodservice-supply-chain/

Welcome to the first episode of Markets to Menus. Today I’m joined by John Goodwin to break down the latest commodity market developments, including the ongoing Iran–U.S. conflict, the implications of El Niño on global agriculture, and the emergence of New World screwworm cases in the United States. We discuss how geopolitical tensions, weather-driven volatility, and livestock health concerns could impact key food commodities ranging from grains and sugar to beef and dairy.

Later, I’m joined by Buyers Edge Platform AI leaders Ari J.Y. McShane, Kyle Stamm, and Jack Huffman to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the foodservice supply chain. We discuss the differences between traditional analytics and AI, the importance of high-quality data, emerging use cases for operators and procurement teams, and how restaurant organizations can begin preparing for an AI-driven future.


Connect with our host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/


Connect with our Guests:

John Goodwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-goodwin-23574a129/
Ari J.Y. McShane : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ari-j-y-mcshane-36a0ba32/
Kyle Stamm: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kstamm/
Jack Huffman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-huffman/ 

This episode is brought to you by ArrowStream CommodityONE, delivering superior commodity research and forecasts powered by deep Industry expertise & cutting edge AI.

Find out more about us here:

https://arrowstream.com/commodityone-for-foodservice-supply-chain/ 

In this episode, I break down the latest moves across the commodity markets, and we’re continuing to see firming conditions in several key areas. The Datum FS Commodity Index moved higher again, soybean oil climbed to six-month highs, and dairy markets strengthened with cheese and butter both trading higher on solid volume. In proteins, chicken markets are rising even with year-to-date production up, egg prices have doubled since our last episode, and pork bellies hit 11-week highs. Beef remains a major story — year-to-date slaughter is down sharply, and the latest annual cattle report shows the smallest U.S. herd since 1951, with inventory down year over year and herd rebuilding expected to be slow, especially with drought in the Southern Plains.

I’m then joined by Jonathan Maze, Editor-in-Chief of Restaurant Business Magazine, to talk about the consumer and the foodservice industry. As he puts it, the consumer is “weird” right now — very price sensitive, yet still spending on delivery and rushing to try viral menu items. We discuss how social media is accelerating trends and driving sudden traffic swings, while heavy discounting continues as the industry works through ongoing traffic challenges. Looking ahead, Jonathan says one of the biggest trends to watch is beverages, as younger consumers shift away from traditional meal patterns and restaurants push harder into drink innovation to capture more occasions.

Connect with our host:

David Maloni’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/

Connect with our Guest: 

Jonathan Maze's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmaze/

Click here to find out more:

https://datumfs.com/

In this episode, I review what’s changing across major commodity markets. Even though the Datum FS Commodity Index is still trading near two-year lows, I’m starting to see inflation creep back into several areas. I call out crude oil moving higher, the dollar being higher (not ideal for commodities), and grain markets staying generally rangebound. The clearest standout on the ag side is soybean oil, which I note is up 20% year over year and at a five-month high this week, with biodiesel demand as a major driver.

I also run through proteins and dairy. In dairy, I mention cheese blocks higher, barrels kind of flat, and butter sharply higher—while also noting cheese and butter are still down materially year over year. On proteins, I cover table eggs jumping $0.27/dozen this week, chicken markets firming (breasts and wings at multi-week highs), pork output up year over year with a cutout that’s been sideways but down month over month, and beef output down year over year with choice and select cutouts higher versus last year. I flag chicken breasts as moving through key technical resistance levels, and I close with consumer sentiment improving per the University of Michigan reading, along with a reminder that inflation can show up all at once—so staying close to the data matters.

David Maloni’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/

Click here to find out more:
https://datumfs.com/

Welcome to The Commodity Kitchen Podcast, and happy New Year. In this episode, 2026 Market Reset, I walked through what’s setting the tone for markets as we head into the new year. Grain markets are generally rangebound with some firmness in soybean meal, and soybean oil is still up about 9% year over year due in part to biofuel demand. In dairy, cheese blocks are steady while butter is down 7.9% on the month, marking some of the lowest non-COVID prices of the last decade and creating real contracting opportunities. Crude was a little firmer, while diesel and gasoline prices continue to edge lower.

On proteins, eggs have been hit hard—down 61% over the last month—while chicken output is up 4.3% year over year, keeping markets in check. Pork output is up short term but expected to be fairly tepid for the year, and beef production is down 5.2% with trim firming and the rib complex unusually weak. I also flagged the potential Supreme Court ruling on Trump-era tariffs and China’s new 55% tariff on beef once quotas are filled, both of which could add confusion and tighten imported lean beef supplies in the U.S. as we move further into 2026.

Connect with our host:

David Maloni’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/

Click here to find out more:
https://datumfs.com/

In this episode of Commodity Kitchen, I walked through the latest commodity trends, noting that our food-weighted index has fallen below prior-year levels for the first time in nearly two years. Energy markets remain a tailwind with gasoline now at four-year lows, while grains and soybean oil continue to show weakness. Coffee prices are easing after tariff exemptions on Brazil and Vietnam, and dairy markets are sharply lower year over year due to abundant milk supply. Protein markets remain mixed, with chicken output running higher, pork values supported, and beef production down more than 4% year to date — a key driver behind the recent surge in cattle futures.

I was joined by Pedrom Rejai of Elevate Growth Partners, who explained how tariffs and retaliation are disrupting global food trade, pointing to a 96% collapse in U.S. beef exports to China as licenses expire and Australia steps in to fill the gap. We discussed how the almond industry successfully diversified export markets after the 2018 trade war and why that model is critical today. Pedrom also outlined best practices for navigating international sourcing, including leveraging USMCA exemptions, tightening documentation on processed foods, and investing in traceability and supplier diversification to build long-term supply chain resilience.

Connect with out host:

David Maloni’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaloni/

Click here to find out more:
https://datumfs.com/

Connect with out Guest:

Pedrom Rejai's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedromrejai/