Used restaurant equipment – should your restaurant consider it?

Finance, Equipment, Sustainability,
By Mike Ellin, Showroom Sales Manager at ACityDiscount

Nothing beats new restaurant equipment in the foodservice industry. Its presence in commercial kitchens is a plus for foodservice entrepreneurs – from manufacturer warranties to general piece of mind.

After all, it’s Friday afternoon at your restaurant, and your staff is preparing for a weekend crush of covers. No time for equipment fails, and no time for service calls!

We realize, though, new refrigeration, griddles, ranges and other items may not fit into every entrepreneur’s budget. That’s why there will always be a need for quality, pre-owned & used commercial restaurant equipment – cleaned and inspected by professionals.

My sales team compiled this list: Five reasons why some of our most successful customers enter the foodservice industry with used restaurant equipment:
 
Lower Capital Expenditures (aka Startup Costs)
Purchasing used restaurant equipment can shrink the cost of a build out as much as 50 percent.

Some of my customers prefer a mixture of new and used restaurant equipment. After all, some items are better to buy new (deep fryers and commercial microwaves, for example), while others are perfectly fine used purchases (prep tables, ranges, griddles, etc.).

Used Restaurant Equipment tips from Bernard “Bernie” McDonough, ACityDiscount.com sales team member
“Having worked as the opening chef on 17 projects, I’m quite aware of the challenges associated with equipment purchases, deadlines and budgets. Unfortunately, most projects tend to fall behind schedule and come in over-budget. Properly-selected used equipment can be readily available and offer great savings and value to the end user, allowing the proprietor the ability to focus on the development of his/her concept and train the staff. Feel free to contact me with any and all of your restaurant equipment questions.”

Safer Entry into Competitive Industry
In 2017, U.S. restaurant sales reached $799 billion, according to the National Restaurant Association's State of the Industry reportThat’s why every year, thousands of entrepreneurs open restaurants for the first time, or add additional locations, growing the U.S. foodservice population to more than one million restaurants.

Unfortunately, business competition and other factors lead to high restaurant turnover. Because of this, some first-time restaurant owners opt for used restaurant equipment.

Lower Equipment Depreciation
The value of used restaurant equipment will not decrease at the same rate as new equipment, which starts to lose value immediately after purchase and its first usage.

Take Advantage of Tax Breaks
Used restaurant equipment qualifies for deductions in the IRS Tax Code. Check with your tax specialist for details.

Environmental Benefits
If you’re an environmentally-conscious buyer, consider used restaurant equipment as a form of recycling… another way to protect the planet.

Shop Smart
Used restaurant equipment, in some cases, may be fairly new, with just a year or two of light usage.

Used Restaurant Equipment tips from Charles Redwine, Business Development:
“Buying used equipment can be a great money saver for our end users, especially scratch-and-dent items (cosmetic damage). They are sure bets that may open up opportunities to add another piece of equipment that did not fit into original budget.” 

Questions about new or used restaurant equipment? Contact Mike, Bernie or the rest of the ACityDiscount.com sales staff at 404-752-6715… press 2 for Sales. Or for a quote via email, contact Charles at credwine@acitydiscount.com.