How do I check a restaurant’s kitchen equipment before buying?

Ask for a complete equipment list and match it to what you see. Note the make, age and condition of the ovens, ranges, fryers, hoods, dishwashers and refrigeration, and look for signs of heavy repair: patched parts, mismatched replacements, handwritten warnings. Run each item during a working period, not an empty afternoon, so you hear and feel how it performs under load.

Bring someone who knows commercial kitchens, such as a service technician who works on refrigeration and gas equipment. Ask for the repair invoices and any maintenance schedule, and ask which items have been replaced recently and which are near the end of their life. A good-looking line can hide a compressor that is about to fail.

Then sort out ownership. Some pieces may be leased, financed, or owned by the landlord as part of the premises, and the lease may say what stays when the tenant leaves. If the equipment is a large part of what you are paying for, an equipment appraiser can help you understand its condition and value. Put the final list into the purchase agreement as a schedule.

Key takeaways

• Test every major item under working conditions, with a technician if you can.
• Request repair and service history, and ask what is near replacement.
• Confirm what is owned, leased or financed, then attach the list to the agreement.