Starting a restaurant business is hard and choosing the right equipment is even harder. Restaurant equipment is one of the biggest investment you’ll ever encounter when opening up a new business, so it is important to choose exactly what equipment you need to guarantee better performance, increased output in operations, and have the best quality of food to bring out.
Be confident and responsible enough when purchasing all the restaurant equipment that you need. Following these 5 tips will help you go through the process when buying the best restaurant equipment for your business.
1. Buy What You Need for Your Restaurant
Before buying new equipment first plan what your restaurant concept is, what the theme will be, and also the menu of what you will offer to customers. Deciding what equipment you will need is the most important aspect when purchasing. Don’t waste your budget on a commercial ice cream maker if you are not planning to serve ice cream or a full-size oven if you’ll just be using it once.
The equipment should help you increase productivity in your kitchen to stay ahead of competitors, making your business more successful in the marketplace. Create a list for each equipment to determine how much output you will need from each of them. And the equipment should be able to numerous functions in order for your kitchen to run smoothly and efficiently.
2. Costs
While you’ll be amazed at how much beautiful equipment are out in the market, be wary of spending too much and buying all the pieces of stuff that you see. However, if you are in a tight budget, analyze what’s the equipment that you just need. In case you want to save money, try considering purchasing used restaurant equipment. It is risky and has no warranty, but certain appliances rarely break during their warranty period anyway.
Restaurant auctions are also great places to find the equipment you need for a much cheaper price.
Consider going green when purchasing equipment. I, for one always purchase energy efficient appliances and it helped me a lot lower utility costs. Aside from that, you’ll be contributing to a healthy greener planet.
Do some research on the life span of each model you are considering buying. It is sometimes helpful to pay a little extra for equipment that will typically last longer than the others.
3. Space Utilization
Keep in mind that when buying equipment for your restaurant, bigger is not always better. It is a key aspect to determine the space required for each equipment and then buy the items accordingly. Unless you follow that, you might end up with a disorganized kitchen and workspace that will further delay your operations. Before you purchase the equipment remember to measure the size of it to guarantee proper utilization on your restaurant. Also try buying multi-purpose equipment in order for you to save up space. For example, and all in one blender that can mix and chop at the same time. Also, try stackable ovens if you need multiple ovens in your restaurant, it saves more space inside your kitchen and all-in-on ranges that has burners, ovens, and griddles all at in just one piece of equipment.
4. Research the Product Well
Before buying new equipment for my restaurant or even for my own house, I always search for the product that I need over the internet. Google or YouTube is the best place to do those kinds of stuff. I tend to look at product videos over YouTube and see how they perform at its best. And below it, they have the comment section. With other people’s comments, you will be able to analyze if the product is performing well, if it has positive reviews, and if that product is what you really need.
If you want to compare two products look it up on Google. Try key phrases like “KitchenAid Stand Mixer vs Breville Mixer” that will help you choose which among those two products has better reviews.
And if you still have time, ask for peers about the equipment you want to purchase. There are forums on sites that will help you through this method. Don’t be afraid to chat, they can often help you in determining the best equipment you will need for your business.
5. Warranties
I always check for warranties when buying new equipment. You’ll never know when or if they will break down. Yes, there’s flashy equipment with wondrous features, but never forget to take a peek at that fine print. Research how the companies back up their products. Get familiarize with the standard, extended or service warranty programs the manufacturer offers. Because it can quickly cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in lost revenue if the equipment breaks down during your restaurant hours. It can be worth to pay for that equipment that gives a better warranty. It’s going to be a big save for your money down the road.
Always remember that this phase is one of the most critical parts when opening a restaurant. Buying the proper equipment can save you a lot of time and money, and also improve the productivity of your business. Kitchen and restaurant projects in Saudi Arabia are keen in buying the proper equipment to maximize the efficiency of their restaurant.
