According to a news report from www.nrn.com, “Many corporate chefs at chain restaurants, as well as those heading up fine-dining kitchens, say now—during a time of economic hardship—is the time to maintain or improve food quality, not decrease it.”

Given lower commodity prices and the need to offer cash-strapped consumers better reasons to part with their money, some chefs say they are seizing the opportunity and improving dishes by purchasing superior products.

“We are exploiting these economic times to upgrade ingredients without affecting the bottom line,” says Stefano Cordova, vice president and corporate chef of Bertucci’s, the 90-unit Italian dinnerhouse chain based Northborough, Mass. “We are taking advantage of the commodity prices coming down.”