A major difference between independents and chains is the additional level of management found
in the chain operation. The purchasing function in a hotel or restaurant that belongs to a chain
operation often resembles the purchasing the independents do. What is different is the presence
of a vice president of purchasing, or a corporate purchasing director, and a staff of buyers at headquarters
overseeing the selection and procurement activities and, if applicable, monitoring the
company-owned commissary and/or central distribution activities