Opening a restaurant can seem like a daunting task if you’re not properly prepared for it. There are many things to take care of, like finding the right place and finding the right staff. You’ll also need to find kitchen equipment that will help you fulfil minimum safety and hygiene requirements. That means you can’t just use the mixing bowls from your home kitchen.
That said, commercial-grade food service equipment Philippines aren’t run-of-the-mill products, and thus can be quite expensive if you don’t play your cards right. However, that doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel even before you’ve started trying to make it come true. There are several things you can do to make buying such equipment easier, and hopefully less costly down the line.
1. Consider what kind of restaurant you’re opening. Are you going for a fine-dining sort of establishment, or a casual one? Will you focus on one type of cuisine, and will you be open all day? It won’t do to buy the wrong kind of equipment, or too much of them.
For example, if your small café will only be open from 6 AM to around 3PM, you won’t need as big a walk-in freezer as a larger restaurant that is open until late at night. You won’t need a dough roller if you don’t plan on baking bread or offering pizzas. So fine-tune your restaurant type and your menu choices before deciding on what equipment to get.
2. Look at all the equipment as parts of a whole. If you look at each piece separately, you may find that you left little space for you and your employees to move around the kitchen. Instead, think of it as a puzzle, or parts of an assembly line. You should be able to transfer food from the fridge, cooler, or freezer to the prep area, and then to the range or grill, and finally to the counter to be served. You can have a stainless steel sink, for instance, that is also part prep table. Or a range that has shelves for condiments or sauces.
3. Consider quality instead of cost. It’s true that buying something that’s cheaper will save you money, but if it’s cheap, it may also be prone to problems. You may end up spending more to fix it each time. You don’t have to buy everything new, of course – gas ranges, for example, are okay to get second-hand, if they’re still reliable. However, items like refrigerators shouldn’t be bought used because they tend to break down after a few years, costing you money.
4. Build a relationship with one supplier. Many experts suggest buying from the same brand to ensure quality each time. You can go one step further by forming a friendship of sorts with a supplier or two, such as Best Buy in the Philippines. Such a professional relationship can lead to discounts and support in the future.
Whatever your needs for that restaurant or café, a cooking tools and equipment supplier such as Best Buy will be sure to have it – and if they don’t, ask about ordering such an item. Browse all the pages of Best Buy’s website to see what they have in store.