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Restaurant Equipment Checklist

From ovens and refrigerators to plates and condiment bins. Where should you begin when building your restaurant equipment list?

Man shopping for vegetables, A chef on the phone, A variety of chopped up vegetables

What You’ll Learn with Our Restaurant Equipment Checklist

How to determine what equipment you’ll need
What to know before you buy your equipment
Which equipment is okay to buy used and which isn’t

Must-Know Restaurant Equipment Tips

How to determine what restaurant equipment you’ll need

Your menu determines what equipment you need to open a restaurant. We’ll walk you through a simple exercise that helps you identify the “must-haves” and the “nice-to-haves.” You can use this exercise to create a front-of-house equipment checklist and a back-of-house checklist.

Which restaurant equipment is okay to buy used and which isn’t

Should I buy a new commercial fridge and freezer, or a second-hand one? What about my ice machine? Does it make sense to buy a new commercial oven, range, and fryer? Learn which restaurant equipment is okay to buy second-hand, and which equipment you should definitely buy new – we’ll tell you why, too.

The pros and cons of buying second-hand restaurant equipment

If you’re thinking about buying used kitchen equipment, consider the pros and cons.

What to know before you buy restaurant equipment

Ready to take a deeper dive into buying used restaurant equipment? Our guide to buying restaurant equipment explores a few tips, best practices, and red flags to look out for.

What to know about leasing restaurant equipment

Buying kitchen equipment can be costly. Before you buy, consider leasing. We examine the pros and cons of leasing restaurant equipment to help you understand why it may be a good option for you.

Why You Need Our Restaurant Equipment Checklist

We designed our Restaurant Equipment Checklist for new restaurant owners and aspiring restaurateurs, but chefs, operations managers, and culinary schools have also found it useful.

Whether you’re a quick-service restaurant or a full-service restaurant, a swanky bar or a hip new food truck, putting together a commercial kitchen equipment list is an important step on the path to opening.

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