
Location, check! Well-trained and smiling staff, ready! Dining room, flawless! Chefs, the cream of the crop! But wait, what will they cook on? Is the equipment functional and effective? Did you buy it brand-new, or do you rely on used relics from another place?
The quality of your food and service is what you want to be most familiar for! However, there are several things that can go wrong when you choose to purchase used equipment from a defunct restaurant. Budgeting is key, but cheaper is not always better, especially if you buy something that someone has already got the best years out of.
Disadvantages of Used Equipment
Used equipment comes with its own limitations, including the following:
- No Warranties: What’s new always arrives with a guarantee, and whatever happens, you’ll get a replacement or quick fix within the warranty period. However, when you purchase used, there’s no warranty for that kitchen equipment, and you can expect failures, despite the quality brand and durability.
- High Maintenance Costs: If the used equipment doesn’t work properly, prepare for immediate costs coming your way. It’s just like buying a used car – you’ll end up spending more money than you would’ve for buying a new one when you consider every expense throughout the years.
- Obsolete Choice: Think about it, when you buy used, you essentially buy something that another restaurant wants to get rid of, unlike new equipment, where you can choose what’s available and gain more features that you expect as a result.
There are countless issues that can arise if you decide to opt for out-of-date equipment, from creating hazardous working conditions for the staff when they prepare the food to health and life hazards for your guests that consume the food, as well as getting your place shut down as a result.
Benefits of Purchasing Brand-New Restaurant Equipment
The following represent the most important reason why purchasing new kitchen equipment for your restaurant is likely to pay off in the long run:
- Longer Warranties: In most cases, your new restaurant equipment arrives with a long-term or lifetime warranty that safeguards your kitchen from eventual mishaps and equipment failure, bringing your peace of mind and savings in the process.
- Better Performance: By purchasing ovens and washers that have just rolled out of the production line, you won’t experience used equipment problems, and any eventual issue is probably covered by the warranty, so less worries, more cooking.
- Custom Requirements: When you purchase new commercial kitchen equipment, you can order exactly what’s necessary for your restaurant, according to your custom requirements and kitchen build. On the other hand, used equipment makes you sacrifice your needs and be satisfied with what you get.
- More Efficiency: Using the old car analogy again, every engine wears out throughout the years, and the longer you drive a car, the more expenses you’ll need to keep those miles rolling. The same applies to kitchens, the older the appliances are, the less efficient they become, which is not the case with brand-new technologies.
- Industry Standards: The commercial kitchen equipment industry is in constant progress, which means that as the technology evolves, regulations evolve too, and the old relics no longer satisfy the industry’s health and safety standards, which is not the case with new commercial equipment.
Wrapping Up
We understand that the age of your equipment will depend on your budget and financial decisions. However, by all means, new equipment should provide you with more value for your restaurant in the long run, fewer maintenance costs, faster service, and greater safety.
New is always better, especially when you consider the special offers that our brands regularly feature.
Contact us for more advice and professional equipment estimates for your customized kitchen build.