The approach of this user-friendly text is to provide undergraduate students in a commercial or noncommercial foodservice curriculum with the understanding that procurement, which includes purchasing, receiving, storage, and inventory control, is the first step in preparing menu items that satisfy customers. With an emphasis placed on being updated and informed about products, students will learn how to make decisions about which products meet the quality standards required by the customer and at the same time find the lowest price for a product. Unlike any other text on the market, this book advocates that purchasing is not a cost center in the operation, as it was for many years, but that it contributes to the profit, and every dollar saved is a dollar profit.