The Advantages of Getting Your Commercial Kitchen Equipment from one Company

Q. When it comes to buying equipment, many foodservice operators buy various brands of equipment, leading to a hodgepodge of brands in the kitchen. What’s the problem in doing this? 

A: There are two main answers to this question. The first is that quality brands are important because operators are truly making an investment when they purchase equipment. If a customer is purchasing a hodgepodge of brands in the kitchen, they’re most likely purchasing brands with differing levels of quality. An operator needs to be careful these days because there are a lot of manufacturers who choose to use cheaper, imported materials and manufacturing, which usually leads to a lower-quality piece of equipment. 

The second is if you stick with one brand, you only have one service agent. If you have equipment in the kitchen from different brands, there’s never a one-stop service agent who can service all those pieces of equipment when they go down. One agent might handle a dishwasher but won’t know how to calibrate an oven. 

Staying with the same brand also means you can use a single service agent for a turnkey installation. You don’t have to hire different service agents for different installations, which streamlines everything for the operator. If non-authorized technicians install equipment and make a mistake, it may cost more for the operator in the long run. 

Q: How can buying from a single manufacturer help operators manage costs? 

A: Any operator would agree that downtime equals cost. If you’re using a mixer in your bakery and it goes down, the longer it’s down the more profit you’ll lose because you’re not able to mix and produce your products. For any chef or operator, fast service and available parts are critical in fixing that issue. If you’re purchasing equipment from a single operator, such as Hobart, their service is reliable and will have all the parts on hand to repair your mixer in a timely manner. 

Q. In that area of the kitchen — mixers, slicers and processors — are there really many manufacturers who have a full range of equipment in that category? 

A: No one has the complete line that Hobart has — the company is a single source in food preparation for today’s dynamic kitchen. The full product offering provides equipment for mixing dough and batters, slicing meats and cheeses, along with food processing equipment for preparing fresh vegetables. Hobart makes it easy to serve all the needs of the operator. And, these products are backed by Hobart Service. There’s no other manufacturer who puts more money into training service techs than Hobart.