Where To Sell Used Restaurant Equipment
Many restaurant owners find themselves with unwanted, used restaurant equipment, whether due to upgrading equipment or closing their doors.
When you need to get rid of used restaurant equipment, selling it can help you recover some of your investment in these pricey pieces and allow other restaurant owners to purchase the equipment at discounted prices.
We’ll provide tips for getting it ready to move at the best price, then explain three options for where to sell used restaurant equipment.
What Is the Resale Value of My Used Restaurant Equipment?
The demand for a particular piece of equipment typically determines the value of the items you want to sell.
For example, restaurant owners will often search for great deals on large, expensive pieces like industrial stoves and hood vents before paying full price for new equipment.
However, restaurant owners will pay more for high-quality, well-maintained equipment that will last many more years than poorly-maintained equipment that might break down or need replacing.
The value can also fluctuate based on the local food scene in your area.
In Texas, where Mexican restaurants abound, there’s a much higher demand for blenders, tortilla warmers, and broilers than specialty items like hibachi grills or sushi fridges.
How Can I Prepare My Used Restaurant Equipment for Sale?
When you’re ready to sell your used restaurant equipment, the first step is preparing it for sale to increase its appeal to buyers and fetch a higher price.
Evaluate the Condition
Before you list your equipment for sale online or contact a local reseller, you must evaluate its physical and functional condition. Ensure that all the features work as intended and that there aren’t any missing components.
If anything is missing or broken, that doesn’t mean the equipment won’t sell, but you’ll need to be transparent about it so there are no misunderstandings or accusations later.
Clean It Up
First impressions matter, so you want your equipment to look as clean and well-maintained as possible, inside and out. If a buyer has to spend time scrubbing grime and grease to get it up to inspection standards, they will likely offer a lower price for their troubles.
Deep clean the interior and exterior of each piece, getting into every nook and cranny. You want it as close to new as possible. Then, do minor maintenance repairs like replacing worn-out knobs and tightening up all the screws.
Gather the Proper Documentation
Providing instruction manuals, service records, and warranties assures buyers that they are purchasing high-quality, well-cared-for, used restaurant equipment.
In particular, equipment still under warranty can often get a higher price because it reduces the buyer’s risk should the piece break down after its purchase.
Where To Sell Used Restaurant Equipment
Now that you’ve assessed the potential value and cleaned up your used restaurant equipment, it’s time to get the best price and recoup some of your initial investment.
You can take three primary sales avenues: local equipment resellers, online listings, and other restaurants. We’ll outline some of the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Equipment Resellers
Most large cities have local, used restaurant equipment resellers who buy the items, refurbish them, then sell them at a discount to other restaurant owners searching for that particular piece of equipment.
Working with equipment resellers is often the easiest way to sell used restaurant equipment.
The main benefits of this method include the following:
- Equipment resellers pay top dollar for your used restaurant equipment.
- They will often pick up and transport the equipment for you, so you don’t have to worry about shipping costs or renting a vehicle large enough to deliver it yourself.
- You don’t have to worry about managing online marketplace listings or haggling with multiple interested buyers over the price.
- You can sell your entire stock rather than parsing it out, making the process faster than other methods.
- There are no payment plans or crossing your fingers that the check will clear. Equipment resellers give you cash in hand.
Online Platforms
With online marketplaces readily available with a single tap, many restaurant owners have tried selling their used equipment through platforms like Facebook, Craigslist, and eBay.
This option can seem the most convenient, as you can take a few pictures of your item, post it with the asking price, then wait for the offers to flood in. However, managing an online sales posting is rarely that simple.
For example, you’ll need to field any questions that come your way about its condition and quality, even if you included that information in the description. You’ll also have to deal with people who want to haggle, offering far under the asking price to get a better deal.
Once you find a buyer, then there’s the question of transportation. Shipping comes with additional, often outrageous, costs while delivering the item takes time and money.
Even if the buyer is willing to pick up, you still have the human factor to deal with, including anything from no-shows to the potential dangers of meeting with people you’ve only spoken to online.
Direct Sales To Other Restaurants
The final option for selling used restaurant equipment is direct sales to other restaurant owners. Some people prefer this route because it “cuts out the middle man” and can potentially net them more on the sale price, but it’s not without drawbacks.
Finding an interested buyer is challenging unless you have an extensive network of other restauranteurs in the area. You’ll likely need to spend time asking around, which can delay the sale process and leave you footing the bill for storage.
You’ll also have to deal with the hassle of negotiating the asking price, which cuts into your returns, and figure out how to transport the equipment from your location to theirs.
Once you tack on the cost of vehicle rentals and gas, you’ve cut into the slim margin of money you would have made over working with a used equipment reseller.
Final Thoughts
Texas Restaurant Supply is the largest used equipment liquidator in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area, with over 35 years of experience and a reputation for paying top dollar for your equipment, whether selling a single item or liquidating all your stock.
Call us today at (972) 642-0513 for our DFW location or (972) 579-4612 for our Irving location, and schedule a pickup for your used restaurant equipment.