All the Commercial Equipment You Need to Start a Restaurant

The food and beverage industry is always in demand, and it’s not just because food is a basic necessity. More than that, dining is just as much a culinary experience for sophisticated palates, as it is a social experience meant to be shared. For aspiring chefs and food lovers, there’s no better way to deliver these experiences than owning a restaurant that will soon become the talk of flavour town.

The reality of opening a restaurant entails a lot of hard work and business savvy. It goes beyond curating a recipe book and an unforgettable flavour profile. From leasing commercial space to securing licenses and permits, and investing in marketing, start-up costs can easily pile up. However, if there’s one thing you can’t forget in the recipe for success, it’s finding the right tools and equipment like single door commercial refrigerators and portable sinks for food storage, preparation, and sanitation.

Are you in the market for restaurant equipment? Check out this shopping guide, and add the right appliances to your checklist:

Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers

Refrigeration units and food storage are the backbone of every kitchen. To cook delicious food, restaurants need a clean, safe space for storing ingredients and raw food items until they’re ready to be served.

Considering the start-up costs, many new restaurants start out small, and that means making smart use of every square inch of limited real estate. A single door commercial refrigerator is the perfect starter unit. This compact appliance is capable of powerhouse performance in maintaining food-safe temperatures and generous shelving space for all your food storage needs.

Cooking Equipment

You can’t cook without the right kitchen appliances. Before placing orders for state-of-the-art ovens and ranges, take a good look at your restaurant menu. Different types of food require different cooking techniques made possible by the right appliances. There are ovens for baked goods and casseroles, griddles for grilling, and burners for just about anything from pan-fried to saucy.

Assemble an assortment of kitchen appliances based on the type of food you are serving and the cooking techniques they require. To complete the list, make sure you have pots and pans, mixing and tasting spoons, ladles, baking pans, chef’s knives, towels, rags, and more in quantities proportionate to your service.

Storage Shelves

Dry goods need to be stored in a clean, climate-stable environment to make sure they last and taste well until their “sell by” date. Every restaurant kitchen needs shelving units to keep bags of flour, oils, species, and other dry goods clean, without the risk of cross-contamination. Clean and accessible storage shelves also keep ingredients visible and within reach for timely use.

Prep Tables

Every kitchen needs a generous amount of counter space for prep work and garnishing. A prep table keeps ingredients on-hand for cooking and plating, so make sure to shop for one that fits in your restaurant kitchen, and plan an accessible layout for all the foot traffic from prep to cooking and serving.

Commercial Dishwashers

There’s no clearer sign of good food and good times than empty plates and dirty dishes. Once the tables are cleared, it’s time to wash the dishware. Also, because there are only so many plates and cutlery you can have, there will always be a stack of dishes to wash in time for the next round of service.

In between the dinner rush and food prep, it’s impossible to wash dishes by hand and scrub grease and morsels off of them; it’s also wasteful to keep the faucet constantly running. Every restaurant needs a commercial dishwasher to clean and sanitize plates thoroughly and quickly.

Portable Sinks

A commercial dishwasher may take care of the stack of dirty dishes, but between ingredients and frequent hand washing, food safety and preparation requires a lot of washing—and the space to do it. While commercial kitchens are built with a high-volume plumbing system, the compact space calls for back-up.

Food safety regulations require a few different types of sinks. Restaurant kitchens need to designate sinks strictly for dishwashing, food preparation, disposal, janitorial cleaning, and handwashing. Maintaining separate sanitation stations is a basic step in food safety; it reduces the risk of contamination, and maintains proper hygiene across the restaurant.

Portable hand washing sinks are especially versatile and mobile. These can be set up for use both in kitchens and close to the dining area to encourage frequent hand washing and promote food safety at every stage of the culinary experience.

Refrigerated Glass Door Displays

Give customers a taste to take home. A single glass door commercial refrigerator is the perfect food and beverage display. Store desserts, drinks, and other food products in clear view of customers walking in, and create a valuable merchandising touchpoint that extends the dine-in or take-out restaurant menu. A glass door commercial cooler keeps products clean in food-safe temperatures, inviting customers to take a treat home on their way out.

Servingware, Safety, and Extra Touches

The most sought-after chefs know that plating is an art—getting customers to dig into delicious flavours starts with appealing to their senses. Every restaurant needs the right servingware for attractive plating, appropriate portion sizes and table settings. These small details add up to complement the vibe and culinary experience offered by your restaurant.

To maintain an excellent experience, restaurants need to be safe. By nature, cooking itself presents a lot of hazards, as kitchens are no strangers to burns, grease fires, and slip and fall accidents. Stock up on safety equipment like fire extinguishers, first aid kits, rubber floor mats, wet floor signs, and protective gear to ensure safety at all times.

To learn more about the restaurant equipment you need, and to purchase single door commercial refrigerators, call Ancaster Food Equipment at (855) 888-9644, or contact us here.