It can be hard to plan for a successful cafe or coffee shop opening. The number of items that you will need, from industrial bean grinders, refrigeration systems, flatware and paper products, storage, and many more, can seem overwhelming.
What is your space for restaurant supplies?
The kitchen is one of the largest investments in opening a cafe. Commercial kitchens require industrial-grade equipment that can withstand the demands of busy cafes. A commercial kitchen layout should allow food and beverages to flow smoothly from the prep area to the handoff plane.
A new cafe may have a great location but limited kitchen space. This can dictate the type of supplies that are needed. The six-burner gas range may be desired with a convection oven. However, your kitchen can only accommodate a four-burner range.
Where can you find restaurant supplies?
You can also find great deals on restaurant supplies at auctions. You can find small wares or restaurant equipment such as flatware, dishware, bread baskets, and condiment containers at sales & restaurant supply stores.
There are also great deals available on gently used restaurant supplies like refrigerator units and oven ranges. You should inspect all the used restaurant equipment before you buy them.
Restaurant Supplies Your Cafe Needs
Here's a general list of all the things you need to equip your cafe kitchen.
- Range
- Oven
- Reach in cooler
- Cooler for walk-in
- Freezer (either an upright, chest, or walk-in freezer)
- Saute pans
- Stock/soup pots
- Saucepans
- Baking sheets
- Baking pans
- Tongs
- Spatulas
- Ladles
- Knives for chefs
- Whiskey
- Mixing bowls
- For coolers, inserts made of plastic
- Steam table
- Starter plates
- Appetizer plates
- Salad plates
- Dessert plates
- For walk-in coolers, metal or plastic shelves
- Cleansing rags
- Cleaning buckets, specifically labeled to hold cleaning products
- Rubber floor mats
- Dispenser for hand soap/sanitizer
- Fire extinguisher
You may not need all the items depending on how big your cafe is and what the concept of the cafe is. Other supplies may be needed for your specific cafes, such as an ice cream maker for artisan ice cream, or bread pans for making bread at home.
What is required for opening a cafe?
There are many things that you need to consider before opening your cafe. That is why we have prepared this list of essential commercial restaurant equipment for you.
Let’s start with the first one, namely the food preparation equipment. You need to have a variety of cookware and baking pans, along with other cooking utensils like woks and grills. The most important thing is to buy quality products that will last long and serve you well in the long run.
Also, you will need some tableware too. It should be durable enough to withstand wear and tear over time so that it doesn’t break down easily or get damaged easily. You can also opt for some bar stools if you want additional seating capacity inside your cafe.
You may also need a dishwasher if you have many dishes to wash every day in your restaurant cafe business. This can help save time and energy as well as reduce the amount of cleaning work needed in between every meal service at your cafe business location
The restaurant table is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the cafe. It has to be made of wood. The legs should be made of iron and they must be able to support the weight of customers sitting on them. A good idea is to have a table that can support up to 50 people, so it will serve more than one customer at a time.
The chairs are also very important because they give a place for customers to sit when they are eating their food and drinking coffee or tea. The chair must be comfortable enough to sit on for long periods without getting tired out or hurting your back or neck.
The countertop should be made from laminated wood or stainless steel so that it doesn't scratch easily and can withstand wear and tear over time.
We at Texas Restaurant Supply provide new/used commercial kitchen equipment at a great price. We offer a wide variety of quality, new, and used restaurant equipment, kitchen supplies, furniture, and decor. You can also sell restaurant equipment with us. We pay top dollar for quality used restaurant equipment, kitchen supplies, and hotel and restaurant equipment in Texas and nationwide.
Texas Restaurant Supply
1310 West Main St., Grand Prairie, Texas
(972) 642-0513
