So you’ve decided it’s time to open your cafe equipment and cafe supplies shop. Congratulate yourself, you’ve made a wise choice. Now comes the hard part, deciding what to sell. Hopefully, after all this research, you’ll be able to select from a list of items that will make you money. To help navigate the complicated world of cheap cafe equipment and supplies and keep prices low, we’ve narrowed down 10 key areas you ought to investigate and relevant questions you must ask yourself to shape your final decisions.
This is the place to inquire about renting or purchasing a commercial or residential refrigerator. While your flatware and other equipment already have the space, it is never a bad idea to double check. Most modern fridges have sufficient room for at least a single large beverage refrigerator or up to three (3) smaller refrigerators.
There are many brands available on the market and a lot of options for a number of needs. Which type of fridge is best for you? This is going to be dictated by such factors as size, style, needs, aesthetics and even how much space you have to work with. The main considerations are the volume of drinks you intend to serve, how cold your drinks need to be and what sort of budget you have. You also need to consider whether you want to be able to incorporate the new cafe pos system into your design or whether you need to build it into your current setup.
Are you replacing your kitchen gadgets such as the coffee machine or barista stand with something more sophisticated? If you’re not changing anything, then you’re fine to stick with the basic appliances. Just be sure to choose only the right equipment for your particular set-up and take heed of safety concerns. You don’t want to end up poisoning your customers or giving them the wrong drinks if you don’t know what you’re doing.
You’ll need to choose between espresso machines and refrigeration units. Espresso machines require their own refrigeration unit, but most of the time it can be purchased separately. When you choose your appliances, be sure that they are capable of both producing hot water and storing it at a low temperature for later use. If you only want one or the other, you can purchase a multi-functional unit that serves both functions. It might cost more initially, but you’ll be able to make coffee and dispense beverages in equal measures at half the cost.
Now, onto the other items on your cafe equipment checklist. For some coffee shops, you may be able to handle most of the responsibility yourself; however, others require a complete POS system. That’s because you will be purchasing and stocking the drinks themselves. The cold beverage portion can be handled by your barista, while the hot beverage portion can be handled by a POS program.
In addition to having a full POS system, most specialty drinks shops also need a full line of commercial grade commercial coffee makers. Coffee machines have come a long way from the days when a simple drip machine was all that was available. Today’s commercial coffee brewers come with several different pre-programmed settings, including regular coffee, gourmet coffee, decaf coffee, and flavored coffee. You’ll want to spend some time looking over the different brands to see which one has the best quality and features.
Finally, another item on your cafe equipment checklist should be a variety of beverage containers. This includes different varieties of glassware for tea, cocoa, and other similar beverages, as well as travel mugs for those special coffee and hot chocolate blend that you love so much! You can buy standard mugs, or you can get creative and buy specially designed travel mugs that feature images of your favorite caffeinated beverage. Whatever special cup of Joe you prefer, you’ll find it among the choices that specialty drinks shops have to offer. Take the guesswork out of serving your customers the best beverages by investing in the right equipment.