Opening a restaurant involves the strenuous task of assembling its kitchen. It takes time and careful planning of all the pieces to get the desired results. And the finished product can be affected if you miss a single thing during your planning.
So, the essential pieces in your kitchen are the restaurant equipment which includes small gadgets like mixers and food processors to big items like ovens and refrigerators. Meanwhile, each tool is crucial in turning the ingredients into delicious foods for your customers. Hence, undoubtedly, equipment purchase is a substantial investment, and you can’t afford to get it wrong. Therefore, you must follow the checklist below before getting started.
Determining the Menu
The equipment you need for your restaurant depends on the theme, concept and cuisine you offer. Therefore, you should determine your menu by consulting your chef. You may also ask for their input on specific brands and models of equipment and their features and functions. Consultation with the chef can also prevent you from spending more on an item than what is needed.
Cost Consideration
You may get drifted easily while buying equipment for your restaurant, which may leave you with a price tag much higher than your budget. So, you must organise your equipment list and consider the costs. This way, you know for which tools you need to pay a premium price and for which you can select a budget-friendly option.
Energy Efficiency
Budgeting for your equipment is not limited to the upfront cost of each item. You must also consider the lifetime costs associated with maintaining them and their energy consumption. As such, energy efficiency can be critical in selecting the pieces that consume the most energy, like refrigeration units. And here, choosing a more energy-efficient model will benefit you in the long run, even if you have to spend a bit more initially.
Space Utilisation
You must have a thorough understanding of your kitchen space before you proceed with equipment purchase. For example, large refrigerators may be an excellent addition and come within your budget, but they may not fit in the restaurant’s kitchen. Your kitchen may look cluttered without proper space utilisation and hinder your operations.
Opting for multi-purpose equipment can also help you utilise the space efficiently. For example, you can buy an all-in-one chopper, mixer and blender instead of purchasing separately.
Kitchen Processes
The flow of activities in your restaurant’s kitchen depends on the type of services it delivers. Therefore, the restaurant equipment you choose must complement the workflow. Also, you need to determine how you wish the movement of personnel and food to be and which pieces of equipment will aid their movement. For example, a conventional oven is perfect for bringing the menu items to a proper temperature, while it may not be appropriate in a quick-service restaurant. Here, a conveyor oven can serve you best to keep the food moving in the proper order.
User-Friendliness
The equipment you purchase for your restaurant must be easy to use. You don’t want the restaurant staff having difficulty using the equipment or requiring them to put in a lot of labour. So, choose equipment that will improve your staff’s efficiency and reduce manual labour. Also, before operating heavy machinery like electric tandoor, ensure that the staff receive adequate training.
Investing in the right kitchen equipment can be decisive for your restaurant’s success. And while the buying process may get overwhelming, having a dependable retailer by your side can make the process smoother and less stressful. Also, don’t forget to check your equipment in action, as you can ask for a demo in the dealer’s showroom and a test run before installation.
