If you're considering upgrading your commercial restaurant catering equipment, congratulations! That means your business is doing well and you’re ready to step up the game. 

Over the past six decades of supplying kitchen equipment to businesses in Australia, we have seen so many scenarios of why business owners opt to upgrade.

This guide is for restaurateurs, professional chefs, caterers, and business owners who are looking to upgrade their commercial kitchen supplies.  


Commercial Restaurant Equipment Upgrades Beginner guide

Where to start?

Begin by evaluating your kitchen. That involves your current catering equipment, space, capacity, your chefs, and staff. Will this upgrade make sense for a new transition? Will it make food production faster and more efficient? Will the upgrade benefit the business in the long run? How will this upgrade affect your resources: electricity, gas, and water?  

Consider all those factors before deciding to upgrade. What are the reasons one might need an equipment upgrade? 

An upgrade is for you if your current kitchen equipment are:

  • not energy efficient and cost a lot to run.
  • make the kitchen processes slower and less efficient.
  • falling short of Australian laws and regulations, and,
  • beyond repair or repair costs way more than upgrading.

If you’re looking into updating your menus and your old equipment cannot handle those new items, an upgrade is the best option. If you’re changing the theme or expanding your business, an upgrade would also benefit the new transition. Your commercial kitchen equipment should increase your bottom line. 


Looking at the bigger picture

Before upgrading, you may be wondering how can some kitchen tools equipment and paraphernalia contribute to commercial transactions? Just as with any business transaction, your upgrade should be able to benefit your business in the end. Evaluate the following scenarios:


Resources-wise, are these new equipment going to lower costs?

`Think of utilities - water, electricity, and gas. Are the new equipment more energy efficient than the old one?


Will all - or most of your staff - be able to operate the equipment?

Having commercial catering equipment that’s easy to handle and operate creates a better workflow in your kitchen. Evaluate if the new appliances help improve the important aspects of the kitchen such as speed, process, and quality of production.  


What about liabilities and warranties involve in these new commercial kitchen equipment?

Are the new appliances insured? Will that insurance cover loss of income in case of equipment downtime? Are these commercial kitchen equipment compliant with Australian regulations and laws?


Does it make financial sense to do the upgrade?

Do you have a dedicated budget for it? Will the new kitchen equipment help reduce the overhead costs? How about the utilities? Can the new upgrade address your business pain points? If maintenance is needed, how much would it cost? 


Will these new appliances fit with your workspace?

Equipment’s size will affect your workspace productivity and efficiency. Ensure that the new commercial kitchen equipment fits with the kitchen and its workflow. 

A new upgrade could simply be a new piece of equipment like a brand new bench or a full-scale upgrade complete with new kitchen equipment and amenities. In our experience as a commercial kitchen equipment supplier in Australia, business needs differ from one another.  Most of the time, our clients deem that it's financially reasonable for them to upgrade their kitchen equipment. 

Fortunately, there are upgrade options for businesses. 


Rent, lease or buy commercial kitchen supplies  

Upgrading your professional kitchen is not just another milestone for your business, it also means a huge stepping stone for you as a business owner.  The bottom line is that this new equipment should help increase positive cash flow and make workflow faster and more efficient. 

Here at Leading Catering Equipment, we offer three upgrade options for Australian businesses: rent, lease or buy.  

Leasing is the easiest option to upgrade your professional kitchen. It is quick and easy yet it's not a permanent solution. Renting a commercial equipment is good if you’re trying to test the waters and see if a particular equipment is what you need or otherwise. 

Most of the time, we’d recommend our client purchase new equipment to upgrade their commercial kitchen. This may cost more in the beginning but less in the long term. There's obviously an upfront investment but it also gives you long warranties in case of damage or failure. Once you have bought the equipment, that is yours for life. 

Considering upgrading with Leading Catering Equipment. We’ve got a range of high-performance commercial kitchen equipment, like the bain marie, all compliant with Australia’s regulations and built heavy-duty for commercial settings. 

We can also arrange competitive financing via Silver Chef or arrange commercial restaurant equipment rental through FlexiRent. If you require assistance or advice, please feel free to contact us via email at sales@leadcatering.com