Books on restaurant management

1. Books on restaurant management
Nothing is more frustrating in the operation of a restaurant than a piece of equipment that
breaks down. Of course, equipment only falters during your rush on Friday night; just
before the weekend when repairs are hard to arrange. Besides the operational and
customer service issues, time spent working on equipment, securing repairs and waiting
on parts and service can waste many hours that could be spent in a more productive way.
After three restaurants, many years and many mistakes, here are a few equipment buying
ideas to save you thousands of dollars and many hours of staff labor and your sanity.
• Do I buy new or used equipment? The answer is both. You have some decisions
to make before you start looking. Ask yourself these questions
• How critical is the piece of equipment to my operation? In other words, a second
microwave for warming may not be as important as your steamer in a seafood
operation. If your steamer goes down, your line may go in the weeds and
customer ticket times double.
• How fast do I need the equipment?
• What can I do to optimize my purchase dollars? For instance, if you need a new
flat top griddle, should I include a cheese melter that is optional with most models
as a backup to my salamander? If I am buying a convection oven, should I buy a
combination convection/steamer or perhaps one of the new turbo quick cook
ovens
• If I upgrade a model or combination, can it add flexibility to my menu?
• What will my budget allow? Will the investment offer opportunities to produce
new sales?
If you are cash rich and fast delivery is important, new equipment is the way to go. On
the other hand, if you are like most restaurant operations and every penny is scrutinized,
then used equipment may be a more sensible option. Used equipment can be tricky to buy
without worrying about buying someone else's problems. If you are going to buy used,
follow these tips;
• Most important - know who is going to service the equipment if it needs work
before you buy. If you have a regular service technician, call them for advice.
• If possible, arrange a warranty with the seller for a period of time.
• Never, no matter how good the bargain is, buy restaurant equipment over the
internet unless you understand the shipping and setup costs. Only buy from a
seller on the Internet that accepts credit cards. Credit card companies offer a small
amount of protection from fraudulent offers.
• Remember when replacing equipment there are many technical issues. For
instance, 220 volt electrical connections may have different phases. Most gas
appliances also need electric for motors and electronics. Amperage varies with

2. most electric appliances. One toaster may draw 15 amps and another may draw 20
amps that will overload the circuit and require an electrician to install a new
circuit (if possible).
Buying new equipment is less of a gamble than used, but you pay handsomely for the
luxury of a long term warranty and a more reliable device. The biggest issue with new
equipment is still service. What happens if it does break down? It's fine to have a long
term warranty, but if service has to come from some other area that may take days or
weeks, don't buy. One $5800 nightmare we had was a great convection oven we bought
new and it lasted with heavy use for five years. When we needed an element for it, no one
stocked the part. The element had to come from Germany and we had to find someone to
work on it. After a week or two of haggling, we had to buy a new piece of equipment due
to the disruption of customer service.
Arguably, if all conditions were perfect and you have the cash reserves, new equipment is
the best way to eliminate headaches in the future - at least for the life of the equipment.
There are some good used equipment buys available occasionally. One example is the
many chain restaurants that open and close with regularity. You can find some
exceptional bargains if you can locate the wholesale buyers of chain restaurant
equipment. Some wholesalers have warehouses full of relatively new equipment.
Remember, don't focus just on the piece of equipment for the best buy. Factor in the
impact of operating without the piece of equipment if it fails. Hospitality starts with
meeting the customer's expectations. Don't let faulty equipment ruin your chances.
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