When you are starting a restaurant, one of the decisions you will have to make is whether to invest in brand new catering equipment or to source quality second hand catering equipment. Just like buying a car many people would choose to purchase a quality mark, a proven reliable premium branded product. When starting out in a catering business, most entrepreneurs will have approached a finance institution and borrowed a sum of monies to equip not just a kitchen with its commercial equipment, but to purchase all the associated products and services required to get the business off the ground.
Everything revolves around cashflow and like any good business it takes good management to make every pound count, especially in the early days when the business is young and unproven. Your kitchen equipment can soon take up a very large portion of the start up capital and although the kitchen may look fantastic with its bright shiny new catering equipment, until it starts producing food and customers are flowing through the doors a very large part of your investment is sat depreciating in value.
Just like that brand new car, as soon as you have driven it out of the showroom, it has lost a significant percentage of it's value. You promise to clean it every week and you wont eat, drink or smoke in it, 3 weeks later the children are fighting over a Mcdonalds toy and fries are littering the back seat. There are a couple of empty drink cartons ( some have leaked) in the foot well and you just didn't have time to clean it this week. That's generally how it goes!
Its just the same with your brand new catering equipment, as soon as you have removed the wrappers, and lit the burner it has become second hand!. A few days later it's covered with splashes of fat and looks like its been there for years. It's certainly worth significantly less than it was new, and with catering equipment that can cost over £10,000 an item its a lot of money.
Buying second hand brings with it a new set of challenges. Buying new is perceived to be much easier, with manufacturer guarantees and its generally very easy to approach a catering equipment manufacturer and get out your cheque book. Buying second hand or used equipment can be a little trickier. Questions arise like:
Why are they Selling it in the first place?
Is there going to be a any guarantee?
How long will this equipment last?
These are all valid questions and the great news is that a few specialist companies have appeared that offer fully reconditioned catering equipment at significantly cheaper prices than buying new and they guarantee the equipment for peace of mind. The busy owner operator of a catering business has little time to scour through the ad mags, drive up and down the country looking at for equipment in the hope of finding a bargain. Quality used catering equipment is not easy to find even with the time and resources to invest. No wonder that the second hand commercial equipment market has seen some serious growth during the last year as many savvy business people are turning to kitchen equipment specialists to provide them with the answers. Its has gone beyond just providing catering equipment!
Owner operators are looking for answers too. A particular challenge with modern equipment is the complexity of the modern kitchen. From delivering 70 portions of salmon in 4 minutes to designing the right dishwashing system turning to the professionals for advice is the right move, even if they cant provide the kitchen equipment to solve the problem, chances are they can advise you on your next steps.
Every restaurant and catering business is unique, with its own unique needs, it always pays to have professionals in the kitchen and professionals in the wings, supporting great kitchens with their business questions and needs.
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