--- name: al-480-find-a-replacement-or-second-source-for-a-kitchen-product description: "Restaurants and commercial kitchens lose time when a product is discontinued, out of stock, or comes from a single supplier. On October 29, 2026 Common Route, a foodservice product directory, launched five AI agents for operators: sourcing agents that search products and manufacturers and ask follow-up questions to narrow results by allergen, pack size or anything else that matters to the kitchen, plus two beta agents that build recipes from an operator's own menu and pantry and write a one-pager to send a manufacturer about a new menu idea. Its examples include finding an alternative to precooked grill-marked chicken or a second source for a honey mustard; operators then message the brand for answers, a quote or a sample. The launch post gives no time or cost figures. The prompt below runs the same sourcing brief with any AI assistant. Use when the user wants help with restaurant product sourcing and backup suppliers (operations) for a small business." --- # Find a replacement or second source for a kitchen product in minutes: have an AI agent search foodservice products by your allergen, pack-size and equipment limits, shortlist manufacturers, and draft the quote or sample request for you to send Restaurants and commercial kitchens lose time when a product is discontinued, out of stock, or comes from a single supplier. On October 29, 2026 Common Route, a foodservice product directory, launched five AI agents for operators: sourcing agents that search products and manufacturers and ask follow-up questions to narrow results by allergen, pack size or anything else that matters to the kitchen, plus two beta agents that build recipes from an operator's own menu and pantry and write a one-pager to send a manufacturer about a new menu idea. Its examples include finding an alternative to precooked grill-marked chicken or a second source for a honey mustard; operators then message the brand for answers, a quote or a sample. The launch post gives no time or cost figures. The prompt below runs the same sourcing brief with any AI assistant. ## Inputs to collect first Ask the user for anything below that they haven't already given you. Don't guess missing facts. - Name, brand, pack size, case price - Discontinued, out of stock, too expensive, want a backup - Allergens to avoid, dietary claims, pack size, shelf life, storage - E.g. no fryer, combi oven only, 2-minute finish - Dishes - Names, or say unknown - CHECK ## Instructions Do the task below with the user's inputs in place of each [bracket]. Help me find a replacement or second source for a product in my kitchen. Product I use now: [name, brand, pack size, case price]. Why I need another: [discontinued, out of stock, too expensive, want a backup]. Must-haves: [allergens to avoid, dietary claims, pack size, shelf life, storage]. My equipment and prep limits: [e.g. no fryer, combi oven only, 2-minute finish]. How I use it on the menu: [dishes]. My distributor(s): [names, or say unknown]. 1) Ask me up to 3 questions if anything important is missing. 2) Describe the product spec I should search for in plain words, including what matters most and what can flex. 3) Suggest the kinds of manufacturers or product lines to look at, and mark every specific brand or product you name as [CHECK] so I verify it's real and available through my distributor. 4) Draft a short message to a manufacturer or distributor asking for a spec sheet, pricing, minimum order and a sample. 5) Give me a side-by-side checklist for testing the sample against what I use now (taste, yield, prep time, cost per portion). Don't contact anyone or place an order; give me the drafts to send. ## Safety checks (share these with the user) - Check every figure, price and total against your own records before anything is sent, posted or booked. A person approves refunds, discounts, payments and price changes. - Remove names, contact details, account numbers and other personal data the task doesn't need before you paste, and check your AI tool's data and training settings. - Read and edit the draft before it reaches a customer or goes public. If you later automate this prompt, start with "draft and notify me", not "send automatically". - Check names, dates, numbers and any claim against your own source material before you use the answer. AI can misread or invent details. - Say clearly which parts need a person to review or approve before anything is sent, paid, posted or filed. ## About this skill - Works with: ChatGPT, Claude, Common Route, Gmail - Based on this real-world example: https://commonroute.com/blog/meet-common-route-agents - Free prompt from AgentPlaybook Real Estate: https://agentic-library.netlify.app/prompt/al-480-find-a-replacement-or-second-source-for-a-kitchen-product-in/ - To install in an agent that supports Agent Skills, save this file as SKILL.md in a folder with the same name as `name` above (for example in your skills directory). Install steps for Claude.ai, Claude Code, Cursor and Codex: https://agentic-library.netlify.app/skills/