When opening a new restaurant, there are a lot of decisions to be made about the equipment that will be used in the restaurant's kitchen. Restauranteurs must, for example, select the number of fridges and stoves their restaurants will have and decide the best way to lay out all of the appliances for maximum efficiency. If you're opening an eatery, here are five mistakes to avoid when purchasing restaurant equipment.
Getting Non-Commercial Grade
Commercial-grade restaurant equipment is specifically built to meet the demands of working in a restaurant. Commercial-grade equipment is built to be reliable, able to cook multiple foods at once and easy to clean.
Although commercial-grade equipment may cost more than appliances made for individual's kitchens, the benefits are more than worth the added cost. If you get non-commercial grade equipment, your employees won't be able to cook meals as quickly -- which will increase your patrons' wait times and your restaurant's labor costs. Additionally, your restaurant's equipment will be at greater risk of breaking down if you don't get commercial-grade equipment, and just one repair could cost you more than the difference in price between commercial and non-commercial equipment.
Forgetting to Look at Utility Specs
Utility specs include both what utilities a piece of restaurant equipment uses (e.g. electric, gas and water), and how much energy or water the equipment goes through.
You'll need to make sure you get equipment that will work in your restaurant's kitchen. If, for example, the building your restaurant is in doesn't have gas hookups, you'll only be able to get electric-powered equipment.
You should also take a look at how efficient equipment is. Each month, you'll have to pay for the energy and water used by your restaurant's equipment. If you get inefficient equipment, this could significantly add to your restaurant's monthly bills. You should consider how efficient (or inefficient) every piece of equipment you buy is, but it's especially important to take this into account when shopping for refrigerators -- refrigeration costs account for between 13 and 18 percent of the average restaurant's energy bill.
Purchasing Equipment That Doesn't Fit Through the Door
Most restaurant equipment is made to fit through modern doorways. If your restaurant is in an old building, however, the door might not be the same size as today's doors. The doorway into your restaurant's building or kitchen might be narrower or shorter.
Before purchasing any equipment, measure all the doorways you'll need to carry it through and measure its dimensions. Make sure the equipment will fit through the doorways, or else you might not be able to install the equipment.
Not Getting Extended Warranties
Your new restaurant, like most young businesses, likely has limited startup capital. You don't want to be faced with an expensive repair in just a few months, or even in a few years.
To ensure you won't have to pay for pricey repairs, purchase extended warranties for all of your restaurant's equipment. Having an extended warranty that covers repairs in place will let you invest your limited capital in other areas, rather than saving it all for when a piece of equipment breaks down.
Not Talking to Cooks and Chefs
If this is your first foray into the food service world, don't try to choose the best equipment on your own. Instead, talk with at least one, if not several, cooks and chefs about what they look for in each piece of equipment -- and what they want to avoid in each piece of equipment. They have firsthand experience preparing food on different commercial appliances, and they'll be able to give you input that you otherwise wouldn't have until after you bought your equipment and started cooking for customers.
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