Kitchen cleanout. Looking around for good kitchen resources, we came across this great article in the NYTimes: Restaurant Equipment, Dents Included, on the Block.
Here's a clip:
But what is bad news for restaurants can be good news for consumers: almost 70 percent of New York's 23,000 food establishments close or change hands within their first five years....
The result is an active auction industry that liquidates restaurant equipment, often at a 10th of list prices. These proceedings are open to the public and are advertised in newspapers."
The listings are in the NYTimes - Sunday - Job Market Section - New York Region.
It may not be the best way to find a few plates for your collection, but it could be a great way to stock a new kitchen or to find a heavy duty appliance that you couldn't otherwise afford. MGR
I found new restaurant equipment cheaper than I could buy the used stuff...and I didn't have to wonder if it was going to work when I got it home. There are 5-6 good sites out there...but the one with the best price is katom.com and they haven't burned me on anything yet.
But where does one find out about these auctions? Are they listed anywhere?
FF -- "The listings are in the NYTimes - Sunday - Job Market Section - New York Region." You could also load up the article and find out more...
When my family ran our restaurant, we'd hit these auctions in Seattle two or three times a month, just to see what was available and what they were going for. Restaurant equipment often went for next to nothing, often luck if it sold at all! What was fun was the surprises - an 8' tall neon parrot that sold for $20. The problem - the buyer had to get it off the roof. a $1,000,000 audio and lights setup from a strip club sold for $35,000. Crates upon crates of records from the late 70's through the early 80's that sold for under $50, if I recall.
Of course, sometimes you bring that commercial espresso machine home, and realize the only place you can plumb it in is the bathroom.