Pros and Cons of Buying Used Restaurant Equipment

photo credit: commercialkitchens.blogspot.com

The problem with starting a restaurant is that sometimes, you don’t have all the money to make it all work. There are so many things that you need when it comes to running a restaurant and even with a good, planned budget, sometimes, it doesn’t all work out. In fact, when you see the prices of used equipment, the desire to spend less might cloud your better judgment. If you spend less on equipment, you might be able to spend more on supplies like custom beverage napkins or personalized plates and cups.

Before you make a decision on buying brand new restaurant equipment or settling on secondhand stuff, use these pros and cons in buying used restaurant equipment to help you make your decision.

 Pros:

-          There’s nothing better than getting one of the major equipment for a cheaper price. If you’re buying secondhand restaurant equipment, there’s a possibility that you’ll be paying a fraction less than what it would usually cost at a hardware store. Now if you were to spend that much less for equipment, you can spend more on other important stuff for your restaurant.

-          The beauty of secondhand restaurant equipment is that most of the time, they will come from restaurant owners whose businesses didn’t last very long. If they are desperate to get rid of their equipment, you can haggle the price to your liking and they’ll probably agree to it just to get rid of the equipment and earn back some money.

-          Some owners will also be so desperate to sell the items that they’ll let you leave with lots of freebies. If you buy more than one equipment from them, they might end up throwing more into your purchases, free of charge.

Cons

-          The problem with buying used restaurant equipment is that the item sold to you may not be of good condition anymore. What if you buy equipment for an expensive price only to find it broken the week after? You’ll spend more just having it repaired and that’s not something a new restaurant can afford.

-          Speaking of repairing equipment, you’ll only spend more money. Used restaurant equipment may have some hidden defects and if you’re not careful, the seller will take advantage of your trust to sell the equipment to you at a much higher price. If the equipment happens to break down after a few uses, it might take more than the original price you paid for just to get it back to its good shape.

Before you consider buying secondhand equipment, make sure to check the item twice. Look for defects, any signs of weaknesses that can lead to future repairs. On the other hand, other restaurant equipment and supplies can be bought secondhand. After all, there’s really nothing wrong with using an old table cloth that doesn’t have obvious spills. Do be careful in choosing where to buy your supplies and equipment whether or not it’s brand new. This stuff is critical to the success of your business.