The Equipment Advantage

Many factors affect the success or failure of restaurants and foodservices. Location, design, menu type, operating costs, pricing, staff’s abilities and brand marketing are just some of the prime determinants. The selection and application of kitchen equipment, however, is perhaps the most important influence on the fate of any foodservice facility. Why? Because equipment defines the concept, by providing the functionality operators must have to produce their meal programs and establishing how all other restaurant resources will be allocated. That’s why choosing the most appropriate and efficient foodservice equipment, and operating these pieces to obtain optimum performance, is essential to both operators’ success and customer satisfaction.

To gain an advantage from foodservice equipment, operators need to become educated about the features, capabilities and costs associated with their use. Some equipment, such as pressure braising pans and combi ovens, are expensive to purchase but, operated at their full capacity, can obviate the need for several other cooking appliances and increase production speed, creating savings and revenue-generating opportunities throughout their use-life. Other types of equipment, including dish machines and ice makers, must be sized correctly to meet a foodservice’s requirements for clean ware and product cooling, but also vary greatly when it comes to resource consumption and reliability. Selecting too small or too large a machine or one that doesn’t provide maximum productivity for each gallon of water and kilowatt of energy consumed will have a punishing impact on an operation’s bottom line.

Knowing which makes and models of foodservice equipment to purchase and apply to express each different concept’s menu and identity can be a daunting task. Manufacturers’ reps and equipment dealers can be valuable educational resources for operators, but they are typically bound to promote the virtues of the products manufactured by the factories with which they’re affiliated. Specifying and management advisory consultants overwhelmingly work without such constraints, but may not have sufficient product knowledge or experience developing kitchens in an operator’s specific market sector. Specifications provided by equipment manufacturers themselves are an excellent source of objective facts, but usually reveal little about how hard (or easy) a kitchen appliance is to operate, clean, maintain or repair.

With consumers remaining cautious about where and when to allocate their dining out dollars, operators who are best informed about foodservice equipment’s comparative functionality, efficiency and productivity will attain a distinct advantage over competitors. The key is knowing where to acquire objective, expert information about the equipment that can make or break any restaurant or foodservice. Providing that resource is a task TSR will increasing strive to undertake in the months ahead.