Whether you’re looking to open a restaurant, café or food manufacturing business, there’s a lot to consider beforehand including all the equipment you’ll need. If you’ve done your research, it’s likely you’ll already have a few ideas up your sleeves as to what you’ll need, but we’ve compiled some of the essential pieces you’ll require from the word go.  

It’s important to remember that having the right equipment in place is essential as it can make or break your business. Make sure you spend the time looking into different brands and specifications available, and don’t scrimp financially if possible! You don’t want to have to buy the same piece of equipment twice. 

Cooking equipment 

If you’re opening a restaurant or café, you’ll most definitely need cooking equipment. Whether you’re offering full meals, homemade breads and cakes or takeout, you’ll need ovens, griddles and maybe even stove-top space.  

Depending on the size of your operation, it might be necessary to get multiple ovens, but if space is an issue, a combination oven is ideal as they’re much more compact but still powerful. 

PPE 

Don’t get caught up in buying shiny new equipment, forgetting all about your personal protective equipment. You’ll be handling food and goods that people are going to eat so it’s incredibly important to make sure you have everything you need. Your list of PPE is likely to include things like hair nets, chefs whites, heat protective gloves for handling hot trays and face masks for all your staff. 

Prep station & cutting surfaces 

Prep stations are essential, especially if your menu is vast! Your chefs and employees are likely to want to come in early to get ready for breakfast, lunch and dinner services, so having space available for them to do this will ensure your restaurant or café runs as smoothly as possible. 

No matter the size of your space, stainless steel surfaces are strong enough to handle corrosion, resist attacks from food and meat juices, and can also withstand the harsh cleaning products that are usually used in commercial kitchens.  

Utensils & other general equipment 

You can’t forget about the smaller pieces of equipment either! We’re talking about an array of impressive knives for every kind of chopping you could think of, graters, chopping boards, mixing bowls – if you can think of it, it’s likely you’ll need it. 

With so much to think about, we know that starting your own food business can seem overwhelming, but with our comprehensive list, you’ll be creating exciting dishes and blowing people’s tastebuds away in no time!