Chances are, commercial refrigerators are some of the most expensive pieces of equipment in your business. A good refrigerator can easily cost you more than $10,000. Additionally, restaurant refrigerators help to protect another expensive investment--your inventory of perishable food.

With refrigeration equipment such an important part of your business, you want to be sure you are making the most of your commercial refrigerators by:

1. Making repairs quickly and maintaining each unit properly;
2. Having the necessary parts on hand, in case something fails and needs to be replaced;
3. Having all the proper accessories for your commercial refrigerators so you maximize your cold food storage.
   

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

Repair and maintain commercial refrigerators

Commercial refrigerators can easily contain thousands of dollars worth of product at one time, and a problem with commercial refrigeration equipment can be a restaurant owner's worst nightmare. That's why it is important to have a reliable repair service that you can call anytime, day or night.

I recommend: Refrigerators.com is a one-stop source for all things related to refrigerators. The website has a list of local refrigerator repair experts, arranged by state. LAFixIt serves the Los Angeles area, repairing refrigerators for restaurants and businesses 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Find parts for commercial refrigerators

If you ever have a problem with your food service refrigerator, you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by being able to quickly order replacement parts. This advice is especially handy if you have recently purchased a series of used commercial refrigerators.

I recommend: Check out kitchenstuff.com's inventory of thousands of parts for industrial refrigerators. The website sells authorized parts from several major manufacturers. Appliance Parts Pros.com has a parts catalog on it's website that is searchable by brand, model number and part number. All orders placed by four o'clock are guaranteed to ship the same day.

Purchase accessories for commercial refrigerators

You can maximize your commercial refrigerators' storage space, lighting and energy efficiency by purchasing one of a number of accessories available through commercial refrigerator suppliers. These include racks, shelves, ramps, thermometers and lights bulbs.

I recommend: ACityDiscount Restaurant Equipment & Restaurant Supply has a good line of accessories for industrial refrigerators, including pan racks and thermometers. FFEmax.com guarantees the lowest prices on refrigerator accessories from a variety of major manufacturers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you order any parts or accessories for commercial refrigerators, check on the retailer's return policy. You should make sure you can return the product, and not have to pay a restocking fee, if it is not exactly what you need.
• •  It is a good idea to establish a relationship with a refrigerator repair shop before you have a problem with your refrigeration equipment. That way, if something goes wrong at night or on a weekend, you'll have an easier time getting a tech.

Commercial refrigerators are an integral part of any restaurant. There are many styles of industrial refrigerators, including walk-in coolers, reach-in coolers and upright coolers. Besides the kitchen, you'll most likely need refrigeration equipment in the wait station and bar.

When selecting commercial refrigeration equipment for a restaurant, consider how much space you have as well as what is on your menu. If you plan to serve a lot of canned, prepackaged or frozen foods, then you will not need a lot of refrigeration equipment. If your menu includes more fresh foods and produce such as seafood and salads you will need more overall commercial refrigerator space.

Well organized commercial kitchen refrigerators can:

1. Help prevent spoilage and reduce food waste.
2. Increase kitchen efficiency.
3. Keep food at safe temperatures.

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

Outfit each of your kitchen stations with commercial refrigeration

If space permits, dedicate one refrigeration unit to each cooking station. The sauté station, say, would benefit from its own reach-in cooler, as would a pizza station and a grill station.

I recommend: Commercial Refrigeration Services offers a large variety of commercial refrigerators, including reach-in coolers with a built-in prep area. Gala Source has a large inventory of upright and reach-in coolers, ideal for restaurant refrigeration both in and out of the kitchen.

Select the right size walk-in cooler

Most restaurants need a walk-in cooler. They can be the size of a small closet or as big as a bedroom. Walk in coolers are ideal if your restaurant receives one or two large food orders a week, rather than several smaller deliveries.

I recommend: Refigerators-Freezers.com carries all the equipment you need for a well organized walk-in cooler, including food safe shelving and flooring. Supermarket Services Company offers cooler-freezer combos, ideal for old buildings that don’t have a lot of storage room for refrigeration.

Decide what type of refrigeration you need for your bar

A restaurant bar has its own refrigeration requirements for storing beer, wine, juice, soda as well as citrus fruits and dairy products. You should also think about where you will store kegs of beer to keep them chilled. Upright wine coolers are an attractive option for displaying your beer or wine selections.

I recommend: Big Tray carries several different sized industrial refrigerators including glass front wine coolers. The Wine Enthusiast carries a wide variety of attractive wine coolers to compliment any restaurant décor.

Think about buying used commercial refrigerators

Industrial refrigeration isn't cheap. Outfitting your entire restaurant with refrigeration equipment can chew through a start-up budget. Instead, look for gently used commercial refrigerators, at restaurant supply stores or auction houses.

I recommend: Jean's Restaurant Supply carries a wide variety of used commercial refrigerators, including walk-in and reach-in coolers. Find more used commercial refrigerators at Restaurant Equipment World, which has more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Cleaning the vents and fans regularly will keep your commercial refrigerators running at the proper temperatures.

If you have a business in the food service industry, you know you need reliable refrigeration equipment. Restaurant refrigerators can easily contain thousands of dollars worth of product at one time, and a problem with commercial refrigeration equipment can be a restaurant owner's worst nightmare.

With that said, when it is time for you to purchase new commercial refrigerators, you want to get something that is going to last for a long time with minimal maintenance and repairs. Unfortunately, you'll find the pricing and costs of commercial refrigerators are quite high, so before you begin the buying process, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I need a large walk-in food service refrigerator?
2. Would a smaller commercial refrigerator meet my needs?
3. Do have the budget for a new refrigerator, or do I have to buy something used?
   

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

Purchase large commercial refrigerators

A new, large walk-in refrigerator can be one of the most expensive pieces of equipment in your establishment. Commercial refrigerator suppliers sell industrial refrigerators for between $4,000 and $15,000, depending on the size. However, when you consider the amount of food that you will be storing in such a large refrigerator, the purchase price can be worth it.

I recommend: Atlanta Fixture & Sales Company sells a line of commercial refrigerators from Amerikooler. Free freight is included on all purchases. Galasource is one of the better refrigerator distributors. The company sells dozens of walk-in refrigerators, in a variety of sizes.

Purchase smaller commercial refrigerators

If you don't need the capacity of a walk-in refrigeration unit, you can save a good deal of money buy purchasing a standing restaurant refrigerators. These refrigerators generally run from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the size.

I recommend: For a good selection of reach-in refrigerators, check out CKitchen.com. The company is an authorized distributor of restaurant refrigerators. If you are looking for a really small refrigerator for a bar or cafe, A Live Stores sells a complete line of under the counter refrigerators.

Purchase used commercial refrigerators

If you don't need a specific brand or size of refrigerator, you can save as much as 50% by purchasing used refrigeration equipment. Just be sure to have the refrigerator checked out to make sure it is in good working order before you go through with the purchase. You don't want to have it fail when it is full of food.

I recommend: ACityDiscount Restaurant Equipment & Restaurant Supply is a great source for used commercial refrigerators. The company's inventory is constantly changing, so if you don't see what you want, check back. Used Refrigerators lives up to its name, with dozens of used commercial refrigerators for sale. Some even have their original warranty in effect.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When buying commercial refrigerators, be sure to ask about a warranty and service plan. If something goes wrong, you want to make sure it is fixed as quickly as possible.
• •  When purchasing refrigeration equipment, be sure to consider the costs that are not included in the purchase price. These include delivery, installation and the cost of the electricity to run the unit. Get a detailed estimate of these costs from the distributor before you make your purchase.

You may need more than one commercial refrigerator for your establishment. It is important to know all of your options and the lingo in order to choose the correct refrigeration units to suit your needs. You may need a walk-in cooler to store large, bulk items as well as a roll-in refrigerator to hold items that you use on a regular basis. You may decide that adding casters to a current refrigeration unit may provide you with the flexibility and convenience you require.

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

Walk-in coolers

Walk-in coolers are like small refrigeration rooms. They allow you to walk in and include shelving and storage for bulk quantities and large items. This is the largest variety of commercial refrigeration.

I recommend: Dragon Enterprise provides some tips to help you choose the appropriate walk-in cooler for your establishment.

Refrigerated direct-draw beer dispenser units

Direct-draw beer dispenser units allow your kegs to be kept inside of a cabinet that not only keeps them refrigerated, but also allows you to serve the beer directly from the unit. Both portable and permanent styles are available.

I recommend: Kegman provides the specifications on several types of refrigerated direct-draw beer dispensers.

Temperature monitoring systems

Temperature monitoring systems allow you to rest easy knowing that your perishable items are safe at all times. They can alert you in the event of power failure or if there is a significant drop in temperature in your commercial refrigeration units. These systems can help you avoid losing products and, in turn, money.

I recommend: Temperature Guard explains the benefits of a temperature monitoring system.

Casters

Casters are wheels for your refrigeration units to make them easier to move. Rather than having stationary legs, casters give you more flexibility in the placement of your commercial refrigerators. Casters also allow you to make an otherwise stationary refrigerator into a portable one.

I recommend: Hamilton Caster details the many types of casters available.

Dutch door

A dutch door allows you to only open half of the refrigerator at a time to save on energy.

I recommend: The Free Library explains the benefits of a dutch door commercial refrigerator.

Roll in, roll through

Roll-in refrigerators have built-in wheels that are meant for portability and moving around the kitchen. The same size or larger as a traditional refrigerator, they allow you a lot of storage space and flexibility all in one.

I recommend: Continental Refrigerator outlines the benefits of roll-in and roll-through refrigerators.