3 MIN. READ
Even compared to just a decade ago, restaurants and the concept of dining have changed drastically. People now demand more options for convenience, sustainability, unique flavors and experiences.
This has led to the rise of many new trends including pop-ups, experience-based dining, visual menu items and food trucks. Buyers need to be aware of these trends when purchasing food service equipment so they can stay relevant to the modernizing atmosphere around them.
Regardless of the type or size of restaurant, owners need to make a significant investment in industrial food service equipment. Simply buying consumer-grade appliances quickly results in a failed kitchen.
Manufacturers design industrial food service equipment for the rigors of preparing thousands of meals per month while satisfying all health and food safety guidelines.
At minimum every restaurant will require some means of refrigerating, cooking and serving food. The specific type of cuisine will determine the particular types of equipment they must purchase. The equipment may range from essential items such as grease traps and kitchen printers to walk-in freezers and commercial grills.
Local Sourcing for Food Service Equipment
Small restauranteurs all the way up to major chain franchises can simplify finding food service equipment by looking domestically.
There are, of course, the obvious benefits such as shortening the length of the supply chain, faster shipping times and the ability to directly contact the manufacturer.
In some cases, manufacturers even provide and encourage tours of their production facilities.
Another factor that is critically important has to do with material safety.
Some overseas manufacturers use unsafe or toxic materials. This is hazardous enough when done with non-consumable products, but it can be deadly when dealing with food.
Purchasers must be extremely vigilant when sourcing from overseas providers. Conversely, products made in the United States have to meet stringent protocols for food safety and non-toxicity of raw materials.
This can remove a major source of potential trouble for a restaurant operator.
Domestic sourcing avoids the drawbacks of overseas options while providing numerous benefits. Restaurants can eliminate language barriers, too, reducing the chance of costly errors.
Many domestic manufacturers have a focus on small businesses and offer custom solutions for the entry-level restaurant owner. Likewise, there are just as many companies that cater to large and established restaurant chains. No matter what your restaurant's stage of development, there is a supplier who can fit your needs perfectly.
A few reliable domestic suppliers include:
Lloyd Pans
Lloyd Pans manufactures food service products for the baking and pizza industry in Spokane, Washington. As an ISO 9000:2015 certified manufacturer, Lloyd Pans has been in operation since 1989.
Fully embracing domestic sourcing, it helps restaurant owners avoid long lead times and limited customization. Their engineering staff works to help create custom solutions and make any modifications the customer requires.
Some of the products they make include oven grill pans, cake rings, tube pans, pizza disks and bread pans.
Deering Fabricators
Deering Fabricators is in Bremen, Georgia. As a metal fabricator it specializes in stainless-steel restaurant equipment. Using CNC machines, high-speed stampers and punch presses, this family-owned business can make customized parts for customers with extremely rapid turnaround times.
Univex Corp.
Univex Corp. was founded in 1948 and has become a leading provider of food preparation equipment. It produces nearly every type of product a restaurant would need. Sheeters, spiral mixers, rotating bakery ovens, meat grinders, hamburger presses, supermarket-quality slicers and bun dividers are just some of its products. Located in Salem, New Hampshire, Univex has more than 100 service providers nationwide to ensure that customers have access to technical assistance.
Additionally, it maintains a network of more than 1,000 dealers that carry its products.
Operating a restaurant takes patience, skill and equipment. Lack of any of these qualities will doom an establishment regardless of how good the food is. We can't help with patience and skill but are definitely the recipe for success when it comes to finding the right equipment suppliers.
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