How to Start a Restaurant & Set up a Commercial Kitchen

First Call Catering | Blog | January 8, 2012

How to Start A Restaurant

I thought would just put this piece together on how to start a restaurant for my readers; two questions which most people ask them self’s is…….

(1) How do I choose the right commercial Kitchen equipment for my business?

(2) Do I buy reconditioned or do I get a cheap brand with 12 months warranty?

New Venture Business : Most people who have no experience of business or very little  decide that they wish to open a restaurant so they go to the bank and remortgage there house and decide to buy all new equipment as your excited about your new venture but realistically to fit out a new kitchen you will probably need  £10-£15k small- £30-35k  medium  and £60-100K for large, but when you think that no one sees your kitchen the visual aspect goes out the window, what is more important that its reliability and efficiency , so if your pockets are big and you have nothing to lose buy new but for most of us it not like that, we find in our business that people come to us to buy new forget the one most important aspect of business and I can’t stipulate this point enough is Cash Flow Try and spend money where its is needed IE buy a good reconditioned cooker or buy new as they are  big and heavy and if this needs replacing it’s a big job to do so, with all the larger items consider either buying top named brands which have been  reconditioned from a good reputable dealer  buy new but for the smaller items it’s not so important like commercial microwave ovens, Dough Mixers and Used Commercial Dishwasher (Click To See This Blog).  I see many times people come to us buying new asking for us to buy back as the cash flow just crippled them even though the business was doing great but are shocked to see what we offer back on the item this is because our customers will only pay a maximum on a second hand product.

This is just food for thought by the way and I’m not trying to sell my products to you one bit, He he well maybe a little but really I hope that the info helps a little as its hard out there for businesses at the minute and if you wish to set a restaurant up you need to be armed with all the information as possible and if this blog on how to start a restaurant does help click the Google Plus Button.

I understand when people first start to look at their kitchen they need to first look at the flow of their kitchen, how to make it run efficiently so what might be a good idea is to draw a floor map of their kitchen before they come to us and from that we can direct them better and maybe put some questions to them which they may not have thought which can save them money or give them a contact number for designing a kitchen for them. One of the most expensive parts of a kitchen is the Ventilation system which costs between 6k-20k so try to find premises with a kitchen previously fitted or again find a reconditioned one but as for most kitchens they are usually bespoke systems as they are governed by regulations. But try here for Second hand Catering Equipment, Boo Governments Hay,  but saying that I went  travelling through Asia  recently and you should seen some of  their  kitchens some very dangerous but that didn’t matter the food was all ways exceptional, anyway time has run out so I will do a How To Start A Restaurant Part 2

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Used Glass Washer

First Call Catering | Blog | December 22, 2011

How to maintain a commercial used glass washer

A well maintained commercial Used Glass Washer will have the following characteristics:

REQUIREMENT: Clean on the inside. No glass, seeds, straws, nasty odours, organic build-up and scale [white powder].

PROCEDURE: Remove ALL glass, seeds and straws. Remove nasty odours, organic build-up and scale [white powder] by adding 250mL of  Descaler every 4 weeks, this will ensure no build up or odours.

REQUIREMENT: Spinning, clean wash arms free of glass.

PROCEDURE: Give the wash arms a spin while the machine is off. Do they spin freely? if not find out why the wash arms could be over tightened or there could be glass in the shaft. Also check the wash jets are free of glass, lemon pips or any other debris.

REQUIREMENT: To kill the bacteria the Used Glass washer must use a brewery glass wash detergent and be capable of heating to 65 degrees for wash cycle and 82 degrees for rinse cycle.

PROCEDURE: Glass wash Detergent by ESL ONLY glass wash detergent which is Non Hazardous (reducing OH & S risks) and approved by the major brewers. By using glass wash detergent you increase the glasses capability of head retention and the lacing effect. This product has allowed some venues to claim a perfect score on beverage presentation. A technician should check the rinse and wash temperature on the scheduled maintenance check. As with all used Glass Washers it prolongs the life if you just take care of the item and a decent glass washer are about £1000.

Catering Equipment Used

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Second Hand Dishwasher

firstcallcatering | Blog | December 19, 2011

Washing the dishes after a big meal, one of the most tedious, time consuming ‘chores’ imaginable, however, it is one that theres no getting away from, theres no way around it!

This situation in particular arises for cafes, restaurants, and any food serving businesses, if you’re in the dream situation whereby your dining room is full every day, you’re going to have a lot of washing up to do, from plates and dishes to glasses and cookware, there’s going to be a lot to clean, and often its simply not practical – just think how long it would take to do it all by hand!

So, then you have two options, pay someone to do a substandard job and complain throughout, or, make a sensible investment, turn to technology, and bring in a dishwasher, much like the fantastic reconditioned pass through dishwasher we have right now in our second hand pass through dishwashers collection.

This Winterhalter GS501 model was taken from a School, and fully reconditioned so that it is in full working order. Made from stainless steel and coming with adjustable feet, rinse aid/detergent pumps, and hood this product represents a fantastic bargain, for sale at only £1200, down from the regular price of around £4500!

So, if you’re looking for an efficient way to get through those piles of washing up, so that you can send the plates back out covered with fantastic food, then check out this great dishwasher in our second hand catering equipment range today.

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Commercial Cookers Second Hand

First Call Catering | Blog | December 17, 2011

The History of Commercial Cookers Second Hand

The first gas Cookers were developed as early as the 1820s, but these remained isolated experiments. James Sharp patented a gas stove in Northampton, England in 1826 and opened a gas stove factory in 1836. At the World Fair in London in 1851, a gas stove was shown, but only in the 1880s did this technology start to become a commercial success. The main factor for this delay was the slow growth of the gas pipe network.

The first Commercial Gas Cookers second Hand

Stoves were rather unwieldy, but soon the oven was integrated into the base and the size reduced to fit in better with the rest of the kitchen furniture. In the 1910s, producers started to enamel their gas stoves for easier cleaning. A high-end gas stove called the AGA cooker was invented in 1922 by Swedish Nobel prize winner Gustaf Dalén.

Ignition Gas stoves today use two basic types of ignition sources, standing pilot and electric. A stove with a standing pilot has a small, continuously burning gas flame (called a pilot light) under the cook top. The flame is between the front and back burners. When the stove is turned on, this flame lights the gas flowing out of the burners. The advantage of the standing pilot system is that it is simple and completely independent of any outside power source.

A modern ignited gas stove

Although most modern gas stoves have electronic ignition, many commercial, industrial or households (especially private student accommodation and properties occupied by pensioners in the UK) have gas cooking ranges and ovens that need to be lit with a flame.

Electric ignition

stoves use electric sparks to ignite the surface burners. This is the “clicking sound” audible just before the burner actually lights. The sparks are initiated by turning the gas burner knob which is on  the commercial cookers second hand to a position typically labelled “LITE” or by pressing the ‘ignition’ button. Once the burner lights, the knob is turned further to modulate the flame size. Auto re-ignition is an elegant refinement: the user need not know or understand the wait-then-turn sequence. They simply turn the burner knob to the desired flame size and the sparking is turned off automatically when the flame lights. Auto re-ignition also provides a safety feature: the flame will be automatically reignited if the flame goes out while the gas is still on–for example by a gust of wind. If the power fails, surface burners must be manually match-lit. Used Catering Equipment Uk

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Second Hand Sliding Door Bottle Fridge

firstcallcatering | Blog | December 15, 2011

Millions of people, all over the globe,  go to a shop every day, and take a cold drink from the fridge, whether its a pint of milk for the family, a few bottles of beer for a fun night in, or just simply a nice cold soft drink to fight the thirst, its a guaranteed way to bring customers in and make money.

So, those of you looking to add the sure fire money maker that is chilled drinks to your establishment, we have the perfect solution for you, a Caravell Sliding Door Bottle Fridge for sale in our second hand bottle coolers range right now.

Whether you’re looking to for a place to store milk or alcohol in an off license, right up to wine in a restaurant, this fridge, which was used in an office license before given to us is perfect for it all, in excellent, full working condition, and is available for only £475, making it a massive cut price bargain to good to miss out on.

So, there you have it, a fantastic, versatile to any shop, company or kitchen, what are you waiting for? check it out in our second hand catering equipment range today.

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Coffee House Blog

First Call Catering | Blog | December 15, 2011

The Coffee House Blog is a brewed beverage with a dark, acidic flavour prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant is colloquially called coffee bean. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatoriallatin America, South East Asia, South Asia and Africa. Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Coffee can have a stimulating effect on humans due to its caffeine content. It is one of the most-consumed beverages in the world.

Coffee Shop Blogc has played a crucial role in many societies. The energizing effect of the coffee bean plant is thought to have been discovered in the northeast region of Utopia, and the cultivation of coffee first expanded in the Arab world. The earliest credible evidence of coffee drinking appears in the middle of the 15th century, in the Sufi shrines of Yemen in southern Arabia,  From the Muslin World, coffee spread to India,  Italy, then to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas. In East Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its consumption, a ban in effect until the reign of Emperor Menelik II Of Ethiopia. It was taken out in Ottoman Turkey during the 17th century for political reasons, and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.

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Second Hand Espresso Machine

firstcallcatering | Blog | December 14, 2011

From providing a lone shot of caffeine for the ultimate wake up call, to being the perfect way to end a nice ‘slap up’ meal, no one can deny that amonst the worlds many coffee fans, the espresso is extremely popular.

As mentioned above, the highly concentrated, miniature coffee style drink is popular for any time of the day, from the moment you wake up, right down to finishing off a night time meal, there’s never anywhere that the espresso cannot pop up, meaning that any restaurants, cafe’s or bars who can provide these little mugs of caffeine are sitting on a definite money maker.

So, it comes with great pleasure for me to announce to you, that right now, we have a fantastic Fracino Romano 2 Grp Espresso Machine for sale in our second hand coffee machines collection right now!

Available for only £1000 ono this machine is 18 months old and in excellent condition, with the following features:

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Second Hand Pizza Ovens

firstcallcatering | Blog | December 13, 2011

From its humble beginnings in Italy many years ago, the pizza has now gone on to become one of the most popular foods in the world, eaten in almost every country worldwide, what begun as a Mediterranean peasants dish has now evolved to so many different forms, everything from deep pan to thin and crispy, meat feast to veggie supreme, this food revelation has infiltrated everywhere from the most upscale restaurants, right down to the takeaway on your street corner, and it isn’t going to go away any time soon.

With something which can be prepared so quickly, topped with pretty much anything, served whole or as slices, and loved by all from toddler to pensioner, any food establishment that doesn’t have pizza on the menu somewhere is definitely going to miss out, however, we have a the perfect solution so that you can bring a slice of the action right to your own business, with a fantastic cheap single phase pizza oven from our second hand pizza ovens section.

This pizza oven is extremely clean and in full working order, so you know you are getting quality, and its a double decker, meaning you can cook two at a time, and who doesn’t want more pizza!?

So, if you’re looking to bring the money making magic, and sensational tastes of pizza right to your restaurant, catering company or cafe, then be sure to check out this great pizza oven, available for only £500 in our second hand catering equipment collection, today!

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Second Hand Panini Grill

firstcallcatering | Blog | December 12, 2011

The panini is the perfect on the go snack to suit today’s hectic modern lifestyle, suitable for a fresh light bite in the summer or for warming you up on the go during the cold winter months, the panini is the ultimate customer grabber for cafe’s and coffee shops aiming to bring in clientèle on the go.

So, for those of you on the look out for a way to bring this tasty toasted sandwich to your own establishment, look no further than First Call Catering, as we have a fantastic second hand panini grill for sale in our second hand griddles section right now!

This ceramic plates grill has come from being used in a coffee shop in London, but is clean and in full working condition, and able to cope with all sizes of panini’s, certain to leave your customers satisfied!

At only £120, down from £600, this massive reduction is to good an offer to pass up, so be sure to check this great item our in our range of second hand catering equipment, today!

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Second Hand Sharp Microwave Oven

firstcallcatering | Blog | December 6, 2011

Living in the hectic modern times that we do, most people want, or need, everything as fast as possible so that they can move on to their next engagement, meeting, or simply have a sit down and relax!

This applies to plenty of walks of life, drive through fast food, ‘pay at the pump’ fuel and self service supermarket checkouts are now common everywhere you go, and this demand for product at pace even spreads to the kitchen, and your very own home.

Rather than being forced to spend hours standing over a hob, these days pretty much any of the most time intensive dishes to cook can be whipped up in a matter of moment thanks to the amazing efficiency of the microwave oven, and we have a fantastic second hand sharp 1000w microwave oven for sale right now, in our second hand microwave ovens section.

This fantastic model provides a range of settings such as express defrost and memory programming, and provides you with an easy way to produce quality food, fast!

Available in our second hand catering equipment collection right now for only £160, this is a great limited time only offer.

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