New Or Used Restaurant Equipment - Which One Is Right For You?

It goes without saying, but running any restaurant is pricey– and there’s no getting around that. I mean, simply buying a few pieces of equipment can blow a pretty sizable hole in your pocket.

So it’s easy to understand the temptation of buying cheaper, used equipment. However, if you make the mistake of buying used at the wrong time, it could backlash and cost you more money in the long run.

That said, we need to help you avoid that situation whenever possible. After all, as fellow operators, we want to see you and your restaurant. Below, you can find a ton of information on the benefits of buying new and used equipment!

Benefits of buying new!

1.   Little to no maintenance.

The restaurant business is full of ups and downs– day and night.

That kind of activity requires your equipment to be at its best at all times. So if there was one big advantage of buying new equipment, it would be the confidence and peace of mind knowing that your equipment won’t break when needed– it’ll have the mojo to keep going through the business shifts.

2.   Great performance.

Beyond reliability, you can count on great performance from new pieces of equipment– given that they’re fresh off the factory line without a dent or hiccup in sight. That said, the odds are more than good that the new equipment will beat the old in a performance test.

In fact, a new piece of equipment may have the grit or fine-tuned controls needed to complete a quality dish. The only thing that you need to do is let loose!

3.   Energy-saving.

The biggest hurdle to buying new equipment is the cost. However, as technology advances and equipment becomes more and more energy-efficient, you may save money in the long run!

I know that can’t be easy to believe– I know that it’s never easy to cough up a lot of money for investment. But if you think that buying new equipment can only be a money pit, this point shows that you’re not quite hitting the nail on the head.

Benefits of buying used!

1.   Save money– a lot of money.

I know. This one is obvious, and we even grazed it a little before. Yet, it’s so important that it deserves its very own point.

A restaurant can spend anywhere from 40 thousand dollars to 200 thousand dollars– or even more! Granted, that depends on a multitude of factors. However, one of the most important is whether that restaurant buys their equipment new or used.

So, the money that you stand to gain is massive, and there’s a long list of other areas in your restaurant that could benefit from a little more funding.

2.   The potential to get a good piece of equipment for a steal.

Did you know that 60 percent of restaurants don’t make it out of their first year of business, and 80 percent go under within five years? That can be discouraging to know, but it can also be to your advantage!

You see, a lot of those restaurants will buy new equipment that goes straight to the market once the business goes under and for a much lower price than retail. After all, used is used– no matter how long it was for.

So with a little patience, you could land yourself a good deal on a piece of equipment that’s like new.

3.   Write the price off!

Many people are under the impression that they can only write off new equipment on their taxes.

But in reality, it just has to be new to you! Both shiny new, off the factory floor, and used equipment qualify as a Section 179 deduction, which means that the government will allow you to deduct the full price of the equipment!

So, let me ask: new or used?

You’ve seen the benefits of new equipment and used equipment. There’s only one step left, and that’s to make your decision.

No matter which way you feel yourself swaying, I’m confident that you and your restaurant will prosper in the long run! So, do it! Get your equipment, set the kitchen up and remember, you always buy used first and new later!