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