Mr. Baker

Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment

Repair It or Replace It? Tips on Buying the Right Piece of Kitchen Equipment

By Dennis M. Baker, President and Chief Executive Officer, Avendra, LLC

Tired of the disruption? Upset that you keep paying hundreds of dollars fixing unreliable equipment? At what point do you stop repairing that 10 year old piece of kitchen equipment and make the decision to buy something new?

Making these decisions can be difficult and buying the right piece of replacement equipment can be more challenging than just purchasing the same item you currently own. Obviously, you want a great price, but there are other considerations as well. Before you buy, here are some ideas.

Look for Consultative Services

How often do you purchase a new stove, refrigerator or ice machine? If the answer is in years and not months, you may need the help of experts who are current on the latest models, energy specifications and trends. By asking the right questions, experts can help you make the most sensible purchase. For example, did your old ice machine provide you with enough ice? Were there times you ran out of ice during specific high volume periods? Perhaps the main issue is properly sizing the ice bin to the ice machine, as well as understanding the amount of ice needed during peak periods. In addition, can suppliers offer other value-added features such as post-sale support and preventative maintenance services, and a nationwide network of authorized service centers?

Product consultants also can share with you what new features might be available across a number of manufacturers. You want to deal with someone knowledgeable in the category who can recommend an alternative type of equipment or brand in order to take advantage of the newest technology or energy-saving features. With energy costs increasing as they are, consider equipment that is EnergyStar rated. You may only purchase a new heated banquet cabinet every 10 to 15 years, but the opportunities for energy savings, even heat distribution, longer holding times without degrading food quality, or knowing what banquet equipment has the best maintenance record may be valuable information that would take you hours of research on your own.

Industry Expertise

Besides specific equipment and manufacturer expertise, do the consultants have expertise in your industry? Some local appliance stores or dealers may know retail or restaurant needs, but do they know the heavy requirements your hotel's banquet department will put on a kitchen? For example, it is worth noting that the staff at Avendra Replenishment Group has over 100 years of combined experience working in the lodging business.

Similarly, in selecting an equipment dealer, their relevant experience can be everything. It might be valuable to seek out a company familiar with the urgent time frames associated with doing business in the hospitality sector, or the unique equipment requirements to meet the needs of an executive chef.

Also, working with companies that understand your customers and what they want can be important. For example, does the company understand how important cleanliness is in the hospitality business? The cleanliness of your glasses is often the benchmark upon which the rest of your organization is judged, so having high-quality, reliable warewashing equipment is crucial. To this end, carefully select suppliers that provide equipment designed specifically to meet and exceed the high standards demanded by the hospitality industry.

Breadth and Depth of Product Offering for One-Stop Shopping

Try to seek out a provider that offers an extensive array of food service equipment suppliers, covering all aspects of your F&B operation, thereby facilitating one-stop shopping for your replacement commercial kitchen equipment needs. Take something as commonplace as beverage equipment. The size, shape, capacity, ease of cleaning and usability features of beverage equipment are all characteristics that are critical and should be closely scrutinized. Considering what are often harsh usage environments and the need for reliability and ease of maintenance, you will likely need to choose from a number of manufacturers in order to address all of your various beverage equipment needs.

"Food Safety" Expertise in Your Kitchen Purchases

Getting the food on the table is only half of the battle that chefs face. Having the food served at the right temperature is an ongoing challenge. As you replace your outdated equipment, ask about features that will help you provide better food safety across all of the scenarios that typically arise in a banquet or dining room setting while still providing operational flexibility and mobility.

Also, look for experts who understand today's food production systems. For example, are they knowledgeable about the features of blast chill systems that safely and rapidly reduce the temperature of cooked foods and provide you with extended refrigerated storage life? Do they know what systems offer the maximum efficiency of food handling with a minimum amount of labor? And, ask your consultant about the latest in food equipment technology, from "combis" to blast chillers to induction ranges, to see what may help you be the most efficient in the kitchen.

Delivery and Freight Charges

Does your vendor offer free freight on nationally-recognized kitchen equipment suppliers? Beware of freight and delivery charges when comparing offers since they can be significant. As gas prices skyrocket, transportation costs are following suit. By avoiding delivery charges you can save hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars in freight costs.

Installation and Special Needs

Usually on large purchases for your kitchen, such as a dishwasher or a walk-in cooler, you will need some sort of installation. Since these are infrequent purchases you may not know who to call to provide installation. Further, you may need an assessment prior to ordering the equipment of what specific space and plumbing requirements are involved. This is all part of the "service" you can get by purchasing through a nationally recognized company that works with hundreds of local installers and service agents to provide expert initial installation and ongoing support including quick response for any issues.

As for special needs, check if suppliers can customize products and features to suit your specific needs. Perhaps start-up and training may be required before the equipment is utilized, or even having the computer controls pre-programmed at the factory (based on your menu or cooking specifications) would be helpful.

Service Record, Maintenance Requirements and Warranties

Serving your guests the highest quality food starts with the basics - the best ingredients and the best equipment. Select nationally recognized suppliers whose equipment is regularly purchased and constantly tested in the marketplace, as well as backed by strong parts and labor warranties. In addition, make sure that all of the equipment you purchase is at a minimum NSF and UL approved, or have equivalent approvals.

In Conclusion

The best advice in replacing equipment is to select a company that can provide you with a broad range of high quality food service equipment manufacturers and equipment and has an experienced staff that you can trust to help you make the right purchasing decision to meet your individual needs.

Dennis M. Baker is president and CEO of Avendra, LLC, a business-to-business procurement company serving the hospitality industry. Mr. Baker was the EVP and GM of The Marketplace by Marriott, a division responsible for developing and implementing a strategy to consolidate and streamline procurement. Mr. Baker was responsible for overall operations, including strategic direction and business planning. He began his career at Marriott International in 1987. He joined Marriott Distribution Services in 1991, which also housed Marriott’s centralized food procurement functions. Mr. Baker can be contacted at 301-825-0500 or Dennis.baker@avendra.com Extended Bio...

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