You Better Shop Around

That fall I started to buy equipment for the store.  I had a list of the make/models of all of the sinks, refrigerators, tables & shelf, etc. that we had to have.  I went on a few excursions down south to check out some used equipment, but ultimately I ended up going with mostly new equipment.

My list of places to look for equipment in & around San Diego.  Craigslist was also a great source for me.

"Used is tough, because you can find a deep fryer at a price but maybe it has a small pin-hole leak.  And then you're screwed," Mark, one of the sales reps at Chef's Toys in Miramar told me.  

He'd worked in restaurants for years & gave me a lot of helpful advice when it came to kitchen appliances.

Chef's Toys was like the third retailer I looked at, but it was the first place that had most of right sized fridges & cold tables that I could look at up close to get better familiar with.  

And, they would price match anything I found online.  Which was huge because they had free shipping & most of the good priced stuff I was finding was from an online retailer called KaTom that was located in Tennessee.  When you order big ticket items, shipping can add on hundreds of dollars (as well as tax).

So, I made my list & shopped around for the best quality, with the best reviews & purchased them from the company with the lowest price.  

A few items I did end up finding on Craigslist.  I bought some wire shelves for dry storage from a broker in Vista who said they came from Belmont Park.  I got a six compartment storage locker, which you have to have in a restaurant in San Diego per the health department, for $80 in Escondido.  

My favorite used appliance by far, though, is my Hobart Meat Slicer.  I looked all around & couldn't find a new Hobart for anywhere south of $2000.  But, I got lucky on Craigslist & found one that a guy who had sold his Italian deli was getting rid of.  He wanted $950, but I talked him down to an even $900.  It even has it's own built-in blade sharpener.  It still use all the time & it continues to save us money on meats, cheeses & produce.