If you’re opening a restaurant or commercial kitchen, you’ll need to have the right equipment on hand to ensure that your food is cooked properly and safely. Thus, it makes sense to do your homework to select the best equipment for your pantry. However, your most significant hurdle to overcome is to purchase or lease high-quality kitchen equipment while staying within your budget.
photo credit: Becca Tapert / Unsplash
There’s no denying that commercial kitchen equipment is a big investment. But with the right knowledge and a little bit of elbow grease, you can get a great deal on the gear you need to get your business up and running.
Buying Commercial Kitchen Equipment
If you’re in the market for commercial kitchen equipment, you know that the price tag can be a bit daunting. But don’t despair, with a little research and some savvy shopping, you can get a great deal on the equipment you need. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Purchase What You Only Need
Knowing which product you wish to purchase initially is critical to your business’s income generation. Assume you begin the purchasing process without a clear investment strategy in place. In that case, you may purchase unneeded scullery items or perhaps splurge more than you intended. Thus, you must compile a list of items necessary for your business’s operation.
This will assist you in determining which products are worth your money and which should be avoided. But, first, you must enlist the assistance of your pantry staff and chefs and confer with them on the equipment to be used.
Know When To Purchase Used Equipment
Because many restaurants fail in their first few years, old equipment can be found at a moderate price—numerous authorized secondhand sellers issue certifications attesting to the equipment’s safety and repair.
If you’re dealing with uncertified independent vendors, inspect the equipment, request testing, and watch for signs of irreparable damage. Also, inquire how the seller obtained the equipment and whether the manufacturer’s guarantee still covers it.
You can even come across some high-quality cookware. Secondhand dealers frequently provide bundles of wholesale equipment, and many dealers will ensure their operation for a specified period.
While purchasing second hand equipment is an excellent approach to reduce financial strains, caution should always be exercised when purchasing used equipment. Conduct some research on the seller, their restaurant, and the length of time they’ve been in business before making a final purchase decision.
Know When to Purchase New Equipment
While we advise frugal restaurant owners to consider used products, the basic rule will always be “if you can afford it, purchase new.” This is because purchasing new equipment has so many benefits. For example, when you purchase new equipment, a warranty covers certain repairs for a specified period.
Given that you acquired the item new, it is rare that you will encounter pricey repairs early on. Instead, you’ll benefit from the equipment’s whole lifecycle. Aside from this, you also know precisely what your appliances have been through and that it complies with all applicable health codes without the need for additional examination.
When you’re working with a limited startup budget, you’ll need to prioritize the equipment you purchase, or your budget will quickly be depleted. Consider purchasing wholesale Cookware to maximize your savings.
Consider Leasing Equipment
If purchasing is not an option for you, another is leasing restaurant equipment. However, like a car, you only have access to the equipment for a specified period.
Monthly lease payments might be cost advantageous for new businesses, as payments begin when revenue is generated. This allows you to save your working capital. Rather than paying the entire item cost upfront, preserve those valuable startup pennies for processes that genuinely require them. Additionally, because you are not paying the total costs once, you can now afford an initial lease on a more expensive piece of equipment.
On the other hand, leases are subject to interest rates and early withdrawal fees. In addition, if you wish to replace a piece of machinery because it is not performing as expected, you incur additional costs.
Invest Efficiently!
For a restaurant to run well, kitchen equipment is essential since customer service and food quality are both impacted by this. The faster your workers can cook food, the quicker your restaurant can serve it. Hence, maintaining your restaurant’s commercial kitchen equipment is essential for the health and safety of your employees and customers.
When it comes to cooking, the equipment you utilize makes all the difference. A crisp sear on your stake will be impossible if you use poor-quality cooking utensils that can’t maintain heat. Every dish tastes better when you use high-quality equipment. You’ll discover that high-quality kitchen equipment is sharper, heavier, and easier to use even while cutting and chopping.
Although it may cost you a lot of money to buy the equipment for your restaurant, it will pay you in the long term!