How to Start Your Own Restaurant With Used Restaurant Equipment

Owning your own restaurant and operating one is a job that many people spend their lives dreaming of. The idea of owning your own restaurant and having the freedom to live the dream entices many aspiring entrepreneurs. 

If you’re one of these entrepreneurs that has a dream of opening their own restaurant then there’s a good chance you’ve already been planning how to make this dream a reality and are trying to figure out how you can take the next step then the article is the right place. It can be overwhelming when you sit down and start making plans and it can easily get more complicated than you could’ve anticipated. 

One of the first things that any potential restaurant owner does is make a list of what equipment they need to get started. There’s essential restaurant equipment that’s needed to open a restaurant and if you don’t have these installed when you first open the restaurant then you won’t be able to create and deliver high-quality results. 

When you start to calculate the costs for this equipment alone, without even thinking about the building or hiring staff, things start to get pretty expensive quickly. Once you start thinking about a budget it’s quick to tell that opening a restaurant is not easy or cheap at all. 

However, there’s no need to worry because although things may be expensive, there are ways that you can cut down on the cost and make it more budget-friendly. In this article, we’ll talk about restaurant equipment for sale, starting a restaurant, used restaurant equipment for sale, and how to start a restaurant. 

We’ll talk about not only what equipment you need when starting a restaurant but where you can get it and how you can get started. 

Equipment Checklist 

To start with, you must know what type of equipment you need before you even start buying anything. Knowing what equipment you need and making sure that you have it and can buy it is the start to opening any restaurant. It’s more complicated than merely knowing that you need an oven, you need to do research on the best ovens possible and how you can install it in your building. 

Having efficient equipment is critical to saving money and getting the best possible results for your restaurant. When you’re thinking about the restaurant equipment that you need it can be broken down into just a few areas that you want to focus on. 

The Kitchen Equipment 

You’re already familiar with the kitchen equipment that you find in your own home, but when you’re opening a restaurant you’re going to need specific restaurant-grade kitchen equipment. It won’t work to merely look at what you have in your own home and copy that, instead you’ll need to make sure that you have a variety of equipment that will work in your kitchen and give the best results. When you start, you don’t need the very best there is and you don’t have to worry about getting huge quantities of everything. 

Start with the necessities that you can’t do without and then you can build on them as your restaurant grows. But you want to be sure that you’re including the basics and what you absolutely cannot do without. 

Here’s our list of the kitchen equipment that you can’t do without when you first open your own restaurant. 

Ovens 

Perhaps the most obvious thing at the top of our list is the ovens. The oven is the most important piece of equipment in your kitchen and the first thing that you need to purchase before you even move into your restaurant. 

When it comes to what type of oven you need it’ll depend on a few different factors, especially the type of restaurant that you own and what food you’re serving. There’s a variety of options when it comes to ovens and you want to make sure that you’re not only getting the correct one but you’re also getting the best one for your money. 

Don’t rush the process of choosing ovens for your kitchen, even if it starts to feel like it’s taking a while. It can be tedious but if you take the proper amount of time in the beginning then it’ll save you from errors later on. You want to make sure that you’re getting high-quality ovens and ones that will last. Make sure that you think about the size and quality before you make any purchase decisions. 

Do the proper measurements for your commercial kitchen so that you know exactly how much space you have to work with and look at the quality to make sure that the ovens will last for years and through a lot of use. 

Counters and Cutting Boards 

Having the proper prep tables, cutting surfaces and food prep counters is critical for any kitchen and something that you need to focus on. Your staff is going to be using these pieces of equipment constantly and for a long time so you want to make sure that you get the right things. In a kitchen, you’re going to be doing a lot of cutting, chopping, and other prep work and you want to make sure that the equipment is versatile and will withstand the test of time. 

When you’re thinking about prep counters, usually you’ll want to settle on stainless steel. This is because stainless steel counters won’t absorb bacteria and they’ll stay in good condition regardless of the constant cleaning and use. Instead of using wooden cutting boards, opt to use plastic ones to lessen the bacteria on them. The key is that you get high-quality equipment since these are things that your staff will be using every time that they’re in the kitchen. 

Refrigerators and Freezers 

The food in your kitchen needs to be kept fresh and that means you want to invest in quality refrigerators and freezers for your restaurant. When you’re thinking about this the first thing you want to do is examine the sizing of your kitchen and see exactly how much space you have for equipment. The best option is usually installing a walk-in cooler, but there’s not always enough space in a commercial kitchen for that.

Think if you have enough space for a walk-in cooler and if you have enough food for it to be a necessity. Reach-in refrigerators are always a good idea as well. Make sure that you do your research on these since it’s critical for ensuring the quality and freshness of your food. Making sure that this is right at the top of your priority list and doing your research in the beginning will benefit both you and your restaurant in the end. 

Storage Equipment 

In any kitchen, you need to make sure that you have the proper storage and shelving racks for drying and storing equipment. This might not seem like a big deal, but it’s not something you’ll want to have to replace so you want to put serious thought into it the first time. 

Your storage racks and shelving need to be durable and strong so that they’ll hold up well and so that you don’t have to replace them. However, when it comes to the material and what options you choose you can be a little more relaxed with what material you choose. Depending on your budget and what’s important to you with storage then you can choose specific equipment. 

Where To Buy Used Restaurant Equipment 

If you’re working on a budget then you can always start by buying used restaurant equipment for your kitchen. It’ll save you a significant amount of money on the bigger purchases and it can even make the process easier. If you’re interested in starting a restaurant but are working on a tight budget, buying used equipment can be the solution you’ve been looking for. When most entrepreneurs hear about buying used restaurant equipment their first question is where they can buy it.

If you’re thinking about purchasing used restaurant equipment and are wondering how you can get started then here is a list of where you can buy used restaurant equipment. 

Online Stores 

You might not think so at first, but online stores can be one of the best places where you can find used restaurant equipment. There are online stores that offer used equipment and they’re easy to use if you know what you’re looking for. 

When you go into a physical store and are looking for a specific piece of restaurant equipment you’ll spend a lot of time trying to find the exact model. Typically with online stores, you’ll just be able to simply look for the specific model whether it’s with certain dimensions or a brand, and purchase it online. 

Auctions 

There’s always the option of using auctions to buy restaurant equipment. Auctions are where restaurants that have gone out of business will often put up their used equipment that they don’t need anymore for consignment. 

This is one of the best ways that you can get matching and high-end equipment that will still be in fairly good shape. You can go to in-person auctions or you can even have the ease of online auctions. This can be a great source for getting equipment and supplies at a good price.

Stores 

Of course, you can opt to go the traditional route and simply go to a brick-and-mortar store to find the restaurant equipment that you need. There are commercial kitchen equipment stores that have a selection of items available including used equipment. 

If you’re looking for great deals on restaurant supplies, be sure to check out our dynamic, online store.