How To Make New And Used Restaurant Equipment Last Longer
Equipment is the lifeblood of your restaurant!
Without equipment, you can’t produce the product, and without the product, you can’t expect the customers to show and keep the doors open.
So you, without a doubt, need to take care of it! Because regardless of whether your equipment is new or used, it’s your equipment now, and it needs to be looked after.
However, we aren’t all born with the innate ability to somehow surmise what a piece of equipment needs to continue functioning as it should– in truth, most of us, we need a bit of advice to keep everything in order.
That’s what we’re providing you with here! We’ll give you the basic tips you need to keep your equipment running smoothly, your product being produced regularly, and most importantly, your customers showing up!
Four tips to get you started and keep your equipment going!
1. Clean, and then clean more.
There are a lot of moving parts in every piece of equipment that you have in your restaurant. But beyond that, there are even more food particles and other grime floating around.
Both of which can easily seep their way into your equipment. That may not be noticeable at first, yet as time goes on, you’ll notice your equipment slowly degrading as a result. In other words, it’s a hefty bill slowly developing.
Fortunately for you and other restaurant owners, you can prevent that bill from coming to collect by cleaning your equipment every day. And I don’t mean the occasional wipe down. You need to ensure you get the grime from between the parts.
As you do this, make sure you’re using the correct cleaning products as well! There are some which may leave a heavier residue than others and do damage over time.
2. Inspect your equipment regularly!
You can even do this while you clean to save time. Just remember to watch out for anything that can impact the performance of your equipment– even in a small way. Things like that can snowball into a significant malfunction.
You can keep an eye on things such as loose electrical connections, worn-out valves or some minor leaks during your inspections!
3. Use the equipment for its intended purpose!
We’ve seen this happen countless times across many industries, and let me say, simply because you own the equipment doesn’t mean that you should abuse it.
You may wonder why I say abuse it– when I say that, I’m referencing the misuse of equipment for tasks that it was never intended to deal with. That could be using a lightweight blender for some heavy mixing– day in and day out.
Simple things such as that will quickly lead to a malfunction, and as you know, a malfunction means a bill. So, avoid by ensuring that your equipment is used for its intended purpose all the time.
If you must use one outside of its intended purpose, just make sure that it doesn’t last long.
4. Treat malfunctions with care!
Restaurant equipment can be delicate. As such, you really don’t want to be too heavy-handed if possible. I’d suggest taking care when you notice a malfunction, and if you can, I’d stop using it until you can determine the issue.
If you continue using it after a malfunction, that may spiral out of control– which is the last thing your kitchen needs or wants.
To sum this point up, treat your equipment like a patient, and you’re a doctor. Find the issue, and only then can you prescribe the treatment.
You’re on the way to long-lasting equipment!
With these tips under your belt, you can rest easy! Your equipment’s lifespan will be maximized, and your restaurant's lifeblood will be further protected.
If you have other questions or curiosities about protecting your restaurant equipment, we have you covered! We’ll guide you through the ins and outs of the whole ordeal! From buying the equipment to ensuring its proper use!
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