Millions of people around the world dream of opening a restaurant and, at some point in their lives, every cooking aficionado has thought about doing the same. And the reason for this is quite understandable – being in a position to cook all your favorite meals day after day and earn a living that way sounds like the best thing ever! However, before you start making some serious cash and turn into a regular Gordon Ramsay, you need to equip your restaurant first. If you’re unsure how to do that in a proper, affordable and sustainable way, here are a few helpful tips.
Storage equipment
If you’re expecting loads and loads of hungry guests every single night, you need to provide your restaurant with enough space for receiving and storing your food. Nevertheless, since some of it can go stale more quickly than most novice restaurant owners think, invest in adequate fridges and freezers first.
These can be quite costly, so you’ll have to set aside a considerable amount of money. Of course, you can save some of it in the long run by thinking outside the box, but don’t cut corners when it comes to preserving your food.
Bar equipment
Every respectable restaurant should include a bar because it’s not only the most sensible thing to do – what accompanies great food better than an amazing bottle of wine? – but also a whole new area of making money. On the other hand, equipping and furnishing a lounge area can be quite costly and you could easily spend up to $20,000 on a bar you’ll be happy with.
Keep in mind that investing more money into this area will make it look more special and appealing to potential guests, both those who eat at your place and those who only come for a nightcap, so this is definitely an investment that’s going to pay off in the future, one way or another.
Dishwashing equipment
This is another crucial part of your restaurant and something you won’t be able to survive without, even for a day. Again, investing a huge portion of your budget into this might seem unnecessary at first, but just imagine how many guests your restaurant would lose if you served food on dirty plates.
Therefore, start looking for the most efficient and professional machines that can wash a ton of dishes in the shortest amount of time. For example, the new generation of Maytag dishwashers boasts the capacity that can fit a large number of dishes at a time and treat each of them carefully owing to their various washing cycles that clean everything from champagne glasses to woks.
Tableware equipment
In the end, once all the food is ready for serving, it’s all about the presentation – people value presentation more than you can imagine, so you must design an awesome way to serve your food too. Tableware, glasses and dishes are a vital part of any restaurant, but you need to make sure you have enough to go around.
Based on your seating capacity, purchase twice as much as you usually need, just in case everybody starts dropping their forks onto the floor simultaneously. Finally, don’t forget the little and seemingly unimportant things – salt and pepper shakers, napkins and to-go containers, for instance – that make all the difference.
Other equipment
This isn’t the only equipment your new restaurant will need. Some of the other things you mustn’t forget to include ice machines and various grills, as well as items like mixers, slicers, blenders, grinders, fryers and lots and lots of high-quality knives.
Having everything that matters in a restaurant startup is essential for its future activities. With this in mind, following these guidelines will certainly facilitate your efforts in organising a properly equipped eating establishment.