Corn, Beef, Golden Corral's Mission?

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 ActionThis 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/