Building a kitchen for your restaurant or hotel is like creating a giant puzzle. It demands a lot of care and time because the equipment you select must all work together to achieve the desired objective. If any of the crucial pieces, be it an oven or freezer, is missing, the finished product will suffer. So, how do you go about buying the right equipment and making your kitchen successful?

To help you out, we prepared this professional guide, which includes the main types of equipment to acquire for the facility. Keep reading to also learn about the factors to consider when buying the food and service equipment.

Plan Your Menu First

One of the major mistakes people make when starting their restaurants or planning their kitchens is failing to fore-think about the food they will offer. If you don't, the chances are that you will end up buying things that are not necessary for the restaurant. So, how do you get this right, especially if you are a beginner?

There are two ways to achieve this; hire a professional to help you out or work with a chef. A professional would also come in handy to help you with the early establishment of the facility. However, working with a consultant can be expensive, and most investors opt to contract a chef directly. It is like getting the chef to start his/her task well before the kitchen becomes operational.

When working with a chef, he/she will also tell you the specific product models to pick, from cookers to boilers, depending on the nature of the catering facility. Make sure also to compare the different equipment recommended by the chef before placing your order.

Create and Stick to Your Budget

One fact that you need to appreciate at this moment is that purchasing new catering equipment is never cheap. Throw in the cost of installations, and the overall expenditure could easily blast through the roof. To keep your cost reasonable, it is advisable to create a budget and stick to it. The lovely thing is that there are so many choices for different items.

As you draw the budget, a professional might advise you to start with the primary equipment and then buy the rest later. Take the example of an entrepreneur looking forward to starting a restaurant but will only serve snacks at first. In such a case, equipment for snacks should be prioritized while those for serving full meals can come later.

Focus on Energy Efficiency

We must indicate that venturing into the hotel and catering industry is more than delivering lovely meals to your clients. In the end, you will want to sit down with a pen and determine the profitability of the venture. This is why a lot of focus should also go into the efficiency of the equipment you are buying.

As you select that oven, boiler, or lighting fixture, ask yourself whether there is a better model that can get the job done more efficiently. Even when the options might be limited, you should think of ways to increase efficiency, such as adding solar lamps to help cut down power-related bills.

Think About Regulatory Compliance

When running any business in the United States, you are required to strictly follow laid down regulations and codes. Most of these regulations are designed to protect staff, clients and the public. There are many bodies that govern the catering industry, and the best place to start might be to check the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).

A List of Food and Service Items

Now that we have looked at the main tips that you should consider, we will now turn to specific devices and equipment. So, here are the common ones that you should consider:

• Ovens.
• Mixers.
• Food preparation counters.
• Refrigerators and freezers.
• Generator (a power backup or outdoor food service).
• Kitchen display system.
• Sinks.
• Deep-fryers.
• Salamander grill.
• Storage racks and shelving.
• Restaurant lighting.
• Point of sale.
• Furniture.
• Icemaker.
• Electric grills.
• Microwave.
• Safety equipment.

Conclusion

As we have demonstrated in this post, starting a catering unit, such as a hotel or restaurant, requires good planning. Although this guide only focused on buying the equipment, it is paramount to think about other crucial requirements, such as the location, capital, and style. Finally, do not forget about the safety of your catering facility and also leave room for improvements.