Must-Have Modern Equipment for Your Restaurant Business

By  //  March 20, 2020

Restaurant businesses are some of the most popular establishments that also have a high turnover. If you want to survive in the very competitive restaurant business, then you need to attract the right talent for your restaurants including chefs and servers.

To do this, you must come up with the appropriate start-up investments which vary on the type of restaurant you are running. You must also have renovated premises with the appropriate decor and kitchen for your clientele.

It is important that equipment is modern and most importantly useful. It is essential that owner’s do not skimp and cheap out of their operations because they need their kitchen to be durable and last a long time. Some of the must have restaurant equipment will be described in the following paragraphs.

Increase productivity and produce quality food with proper kitchen smallwares.

Production

Restaurants are in the business of making and creating food for their patrons. Depending on the type of customer you are targeting, you will need the proper equipment to provide the service, which includes a fully furnished kitchen.

To outfit a kitchen requires a budget in the range of $30,000 to $100,000 for industrial kitchen appliances.

Owners must ensure that the equipment they buy is also energy efficient since it is very likely they will get a lot of use. Most restaurants will have mixers, slicers, preparation sinks, hand-washing sinks, scales, food cutter, baker bins, tables, meat grinders, blenders, griddle top oven, convection oven, fryer, broiler, steamer, in addition to refrigerators and freezers for food storage.

A huge amount of money is also spent on other production items that help handle food such as spoons, forks, tongs, pans, pot holders, spatulas, and can openers.

Once the food is cooked, most restaurants have a separate area for a complete service kitchen which will prep the plates and keep them warm. This area will have steam tables, toasters, heat lamps, microwaves, and utensils amongst other things. 

Bar

Some restaurants choose to have a lounge area that includes a full bar. The bar equipment can cost upwards of $20,000 or as little as $6000 if you choose to buy refurbished or used. A standard bar itself with proper refrigerators will cost anywhere between $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the customization.

The bar will need a cash register, sinks with drains, ice bins, ice machines, drink dispensing systems, beer dispensing system, glasses, mixers, blenders, ice crushers, and other utensils such as bottle openers.

A beverage dispensing system is regarded as one of the most important equipment a bar needs because it is multifaceted and can serve different types of drinks.

You can also add a frozen beverage machine to offer your customers more variety. There are even carbonated options so customers can get their usual drinks with a little twist. Having one that can perform multiple functions and is reliable will also help you bring a lot of customers to your bar or tables. So the cost is definitely worth it.

Dishwashing

For health and safety purposes every restaurant needs to properly wash all their dishes daily. As you can imagine this is a huge task, hence, a large three stage dishwashing machine can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 depending on the capacity that you need. 

Tableware

Dishes, glasses, and utensils on which you serve the food to customers is very important. Besides being clean and well maintained, they need to look presentable and match the decor of your restaurant. Each table at your restaurant should have at least 2 spoons, 2 knives, 1 teaspoon, 1 soup spoon, 3 forks, and one large glass.

Also, each table needs to have salt, pepper, sugar, and other spices and sauces available. Some napkins, to-go containers, place mats, towels, and tissues can be a good addition too. To save money, dispensable products should be ordered in bulk.

Storage

The main storage area should have walk-in refrigerators and it is arguably one of the most important pieces of equipment in your whole restaurant.

Its proper function, maintenance, and hygiene should be kept up at all times. These large walk-in refrigerators cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000. In addition to this, other storage equipment such as shelving is needed to store all your other non-perishable essentials e.g. plates, pots, pans, and cutlery.

Uniform

All staff and servers at professional restaurants should be equipped with similar professional and formal uniforms to set the scene.

Additionally, chefs should be dressed accordingly with the proper outfit to ensure their safety and your patrons’ health safety. Equipment such as aprons, hats, hairnets, and gloves are essential for all staff working in the kitchen.    

A restaurant business can have very high start-up costs, but you must not cheap out on the essential equipment needed to run it properly because you will make a lot of profit depending on your menu, service, and locations.

The main reasons one should be buying good quality equipment is to attract top of the line employees and to ensure you meet all food health and safety requirements.

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