The key to achieving success inthe restaurant service industry rests largely on your potential and ability to consistentlydeliver a truly satisfying guest experience all day, every day. In order tosustain the quality of this experience, you as a restaurateur, have to ensurethat your operations and processes function smoothly at all levels. Theacquisition of the right commercial restaurant equipment is a critical factorin determining how quickly you grow as a desired destination in yourmarketplace.  Now that we are done with aformal introduction, let us look at the three most important things to considerwhen buying commercial restaurant equipment for your new venture.



 

A Few Assumptions before Buying Restaurant Equipment and Supplies

 

• You have decided what type of restaurant you are planning to open?continental, All American, Chinese or even a sandwich shop for that matter.
• You have narrowed down your location after having conducted a site survey and quality market research including footfall analysis
• You have signed the lease
• You have initiated the recruitment process to hire well qualified and experienced restaurant personnel.

 

But, you aren't done yet. Youneed to zero in on a viable and realistic marketing strategy based on youroriginal business plan. And then there is restaurant furniture, restaurantsupplies and restaurant accessories to finalize.  Fortunately, you can accomplish these taskssimultaneously.  Finally, you need tofocus on acquiring commercial restaurant equipment.  This requires that you dedicate a reasonableamount of time for planning and research, ensuring that you pay careful attentionto detail. Here are the factors to consider:

 

Arriving at a Realistic Budget

 

Most first time restaurant ownersexperience sticker shock when they begin the process of buying commercialkitchen equipment. Remember, this isn't equipment for your home kitchen. Theseare commercial quality products that are designed to hold up for long hours ofuninterrupted use. Therefore, it is going to be significantly more expensive.We recommend that you do some internet research at sites like Cooks Direct or consultwith a reputable restaurant equipment dealer before you finalize your equipmentand supplies budget.

 

Knowing What You Need

 

Setting up a restaurant andbuying commercial restaurant equipment to get it up and running isn't somethingeasily accomplished unless you've spent some time in the back-of-the-house andbecome familiar with restaurant operations or you have input from someone withthis experience. In order to arrive at a precise idea of your equipment needsyou should consider conducting some quality independent research. Your locallibrary can help you locate many of the trade journals which regularly carryarticles and research reports, product reviews as well as buying tips. Theworldwide web is replete with information on buying commercial food serviceequipment for all budgets. You can also attend various trade shows includingthe large national shows such as the NRA (National Restaurant Association) showand the NAFEM (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers)show, or there are a variety of state and local shows.  The benefit of attending a trade show is thatyou can see several different types of equipment at one time before making apurchasing decision.

 

Read the Fine Print

 

There are a few other relatedconsiderations. When researching suitable product lines, check the warranty andensure in advance that the manufacturer has either a company service center oran authorized service center in your area. Be sure to compare warrantiesbetween manufacturers as well as other features.  The cost of service is an importantconsideration in the lifetime expense of the equipment. If you are consideringimported product lines, speak with the manufacturer directly and ask aboutwarranty coverage, service center locations and the availability of parts.Finally, before you sign the check, find out if the restaurant equipment youare planning to purchase is code compliant. Speak with your fire department andthe city food inspector to ascertain compliance levels.

 

If you are proactive and expertlyplan your food service equipment purchases, you will not only be able toprovide your customers with the finest dining experience they have encountered,you will be able to rest assured that you don't have to worry about faulty andunreliable equipment that might spell trouble in the future.