One of the more onerous tasks of setting up a restaurant is obtaining food service equipment. Not only is it costly, but there are many important decisions to make about equipment type, quality and quantity that can cost your business many thousands of dollars. Therefore, it makes sense to pay careful attention to food service equipment basics.

Before purchasing any piece of food services equipment, or before considering the full costs of buying a restaurant, there are three basic things to consider. Take your time pondering each of these points, obtaining the opinion of your chef, local government or other expert before spending a dime. Consider:

1. All local food service business regulations; many directly affect the type of equipment you can buy,

2. Exactly which food service supplies you need for your particular menu,

3. And whether or not it makes sense to purchase you restaurant's supplies used or new.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know the codes for food industry equipment

Buying a stove for your restaurant might seem like a no-brainer, but unless you know your local government's ordinances, you could end up spending a great deal of money on a piece of equipment you'll never be able to use. Before buying any equipment, check ordinances with your local fire and building inspector, health department and city zoning department.

I recommend: Be sure to read the HACCP standards at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website; you'll find seven steps to ensuring food safety, and many affect the sort or equipment you should use. Also read "Food Law and Regulations" at FoodSafety.gov.

Buy only the food service equipment and supplies you really need

Carefully consider what your food equipment needs are. Study your menu, talk to your chef and buy only the equipment you'll need to prepare that food. You can always add more equipment later, as your needs change.

I recommend: To help determine what equipment you should buy, study "Three Questions to Answer Before Buying Restaurant Equipment" at Isnare.com and "Selecting Your Foodservice Equipment" at Escoffier On Line.

Consider purchasing through the used food equipment industry

Restaurant equipment isn't inexpensive, so you might consider buying used. Be sure to have any used equipment inspected, however. Other good indications you may be getting a good deal include buying equipment used only briefly in a restaurant (because of business closure, for example) and updated safety and sanitary codes. Also, check that the equipment's voltage is up to commercial requirements.

I recommend: See Underwriters Laboratories and NSF International for more information about their important food equipment labels.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're inexperienced when it comes to buying food services equipment, it's probably best to buy your equipment new. Food service equipment prices are high and the initial cost of used equipment is luring--but if you make a buying mistake, it could cost your business a great deal of money.

Food service equipment covers every part of a restaurant and commercial kitchen, from outfitting the kitchen stations to tracking sales and profits with a POS system. Knowing where to save money when buying food service supplies and where to spend the extra money will save you a lot of time during the start-up process.

Food service supplies come in many shapes and sizes. For example, a commercial range may have 4, 6 or 8 burners. It may be a single or double oven. A reach-in refrigerator may have 7, 9 or 11 cubic feet of storage space. Some food service equipment require plumbing lines, while others need special outlets and electrical cords. Three questions to ask yourself before purchasing food services equipment include:

1. Budget- how much can you afford to spend on a piece of food industry equipment?

2. Priority- do you really need a particular piece of food serving equipment or can you get by without it?

3. Long term cost- Will the equipment cost you more money in the long run, given the growing energy and fuel prices?

Action Steps
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Save money with used or leased food service equipment

In the food service business, purchasing cooking equipment and supplies can quickly eat up most of your start-up capital. To save money, you may want to purchase certain items used. Or you may want to lease big ticket items, like ice makers or dishwashers. Keep in mind that second-hand food services equipment doesn't often come with any type of guarantee or warranty.

I recommend: Find good deals on used restaurant supplies at Burkett Restaurant Equipment.

Buy the basic restaurant supplies and worry about the rest later

When you are setting up a new restaurant, it is often tempting to get food service equipment that come with all the bells and whistles. For example, a panini grill sounds like fun. You can make really cool grilled cheese sandwiches with one. However, unless your entire restaurant concept revolves around cool grilled cheese sandwiches, you can get the same cooking effect with a heavy cast iron skillet and a couple of bricks wrapped in tin foil. Until you have selected all the basic restaurant supplies, don't worry about the extras.

I recommend: BigTray.com, a leader in the food equipment industry, offers everything a food service business needs to get up and running. Consider it one-stop shopping.

Select Energy Star approved appliances for long term savings

Commercial food service equipment that features the Energy Star seal, uses up to 45% less energy than those without the seal. Although Energy Star appliances are usually more expensive, they will save you a tidy sum over their lifetimes. Plus, they are good for the environment.

I recommend: Find Energy Star appliances and calculate energy savings at the Food Service Technology Center, out of California. You can also find out information on state and federal rebate programs for Energy Star appliances and equipment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Purchase used restaurant supplies, such as pots, pans, dishes and silverware with confidence. You don't have to worry about warranties or parts breaking.

Purchasing and learning to use commercial food service equipment might seem daunting at first, but luckily, there is plenty of information available to help you make the right education and training choices in your food industry equipment. If you're new to the food service arena, food service supplies may seem foreign, even frightening, so learning to operate them effectively is a safety issue, too.

While thinking about food service equipment prices in your food service business, look for:

1. Food service equipment sales companies that offer training, service, and purchasing information for their clients.

2. Safety and maintenance training for your food service equipment.

3. Training and education on energy efficient food services equipment for a cost-effective kitchen.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find training and purchasing information from the food equipment industry

Many food service equipment supply houses offer information on purchasing and operating their equipment to make it easier for you to decide on the right restaurants' supplies for your needs. Many also offer training information for new equipment models and innovations.

I recommend: Foodservice Equipment & Supplies offers comprehensive background information on just about every type of food service equipment and supply so you can make well-informed purchasing decisions. The University of Mississippi's National Food Service Management Institute offers a Guide for Purchasing Foodservice Equipment that can help you choose the right equipment for your specific needs. The WEBstaurant Store offers several equipment education articles under their "Cooking" category.

Seek out food service supplies and equipment safety training and maintenance videos

Staying safe in the kitchen is an important factor in your business' success, and training your staff is an important element of that safe environment. Operating some food serving equipment can be tricky, so look for operations and safety information and videos to help keep your staff on their toes.

I recommend: National Safety Compliance offers a food service safety video that includes information on using restaurant equipment safely and effectively. The Food Service Warehouse offers a variety of information on food equipment safety in the commercial kitchen. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the articles.)

Learn about specialty food service equipment in operational videos

Every kitchen is different, and that means you'll use specialty food service equipment in different and unique ways. Your staff can learn how to operate this equipment by viewing videos and training information offered on a wide variety of different kitchen equipment. You can learn about new and unique products and their options by viewing some of these videos, too.

I recommend: My Popcorn Machine offers a variety of operational training videos on specialty food equipment like snow cone and hot dog machines. Zesco Products offers a comprehensive video library including operational videos on a number of specialty food service equipment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check with local colleges and universities to see if they offer food service equipment education and training. Many offer trade or extension education in many different areas, where you and your staff can learn more about purchasing food service equipment on a budget and how to prolong the use of that equipment after you've signed on the bottom line.