We’re just a couple of days away from ringin’ in the new year. With a new year comes new goals and resolutions, and some like to think of it as a way to start fresh. For restaurant owners, this may mean getting some new restaurant equipment. At ShortOrder.com, you’ll be able to find exactly what you need to start off the new year right — and you’ll find everything at the lowest price possible.

Bunn Coffee Makers

It seems like restaurants that don’t have Bunn coffee makers are few and far between — these coffee machines are typically an essential in restaurants, bars and diners. Customers love hot, fresh coffee, and Bunn coffee makers reliably produce just that. We’re probably all familiar with the standard Bunn coffee makers you see at diners — the Bunn Single-Pot Coffee Maker 13300.0001 — but there are quite a few more models in the line-up. Caterers may find Bunn satellite brewers useful. Check out the Bunn Double Satellite Brewer 27900.0002. This impressive piece of equipment brews 16.3 to 18.9 gallons of perfect coffee per hour.

Manitowoc Ice Machines

Another kind of restaurant equipment that’s often essential to have on-hand: Manitowoc ice machines. Manitowoc is an industry leader, and these are the number-one selling ice machines in America. If you’d like one of these for your own home, that’s okay, too — Manitowoc ice machines are perfect for entertaining at home. Customers have their pick of many quality units that produce different kinds and amounts of ice and vary in size. For large restaurants, don’t miss the Manitowoc Ice Machine SY-1404A-208-1.

More Restaurant Equipment at ShortOrder.com

There’s so much more at ShortOrder.com. Our restaurant equipment inventory is expansive and includes Vulcan ranges, Hobart slicers, Vita-Mix blenders and more. We offer flexible freight terms, and we have a Low Price Guarantee on restaurant equipment so that you have the assurance that you’re getting your order at the lowest price out there.

ShortOrder has a Halloween treat for you! We’re excited to be giving away a 24×48 Stainless Steel Work Table valued at $216 to one lucky follower on Twitter. No tricks, just treats!

How to Enter

1. Follow @shortorder on Twitter
2. Copy and paste the following tweet: “Trick or treat @Shortorder – hope I win a stainless steel table for Halloween! RT and follow @shortorder to enter!”
3. Open to residents of the 48 continental United States only. Employees and their families are ineligible.

Winner will be selected on October 30th, 2009.

Prize: One (1) Eagle Brand Stainless Steel Work Table 24” x 48” – Model number T2448B. Total prize value $216.

There’s a great recent article in QSR Magazine about how with more Americans being diagnosed with celiac disease, customer demand for a gluten-free menu at restaurants is rising.

If you’re a restaurant owner or chef who is considering offering a gluten-free menu, the article stresses taking care to make sure cross-contamination does not happen. You can do this by having a clean prep area for the gluten-free products. Also, flours should be pre-mixed and labeled, and the restaurant staff should be educated about how to handle the gluten-free items. A staff meeting might be a great way to get everyone together to explain just how important it is to keep gluten and gluten-free items separated so as not to cross-contaminate. Another important point QSR mentions is that gluten-free baked items typically have a short shelf life, so they should be prepared in small quantities.

Some restaurants that offer a gluten-free menu may want to ensure that gluten-free items are not contaminated by restaurant equipment used for gluten items. Having restaurant equipment that is dedicated to the production of your gluten-free items is a good way to ensure that there is no contamination.

Mentioned in the article is Chicago’s Swirlz Cupcakes, a store that bakes gluten-free items first and even tests the air for wheat flour and other ambient allergens so that they can work to keep that percentage low. There’s no doubt that customers sincerely appreciate this kind of dedication.

Another example in the article is Nana’s Cookie Co., a company that uses all stainless steel restaurant equipment, separate equipment for the gluten-free items, and they bake them only at certain times and on certain days.

Buy Restaurant Equipment to Make Gluten-Free Items

If you need dedicated restaurant equipment to produce your gluten-free menu items, ShortOrder.com has an impressive selection — and we have the lowest prices out there. From small appliances to Vulcan ranges, we’ve got all you need for your restaurant.

In Canada, restaurant equipment offered at ShortOrder.com like Vulcan ranges, Frymaster fryers and Manitowoc ice machines can be found in countless restaurant kitchens from Vancouver to Quebec.

When shopping for quality restaurant equipment at the best prices, Canada restaurant owners and chefs are among the many who find what they’re looking for at ShortOrder.com. Our Low Price Guarantee on Restaurant Equipment gives our customers the assurance that they’re getting the best price possible on what they’re buying from us.

If you’re a restaurant owner in Canada, restaurant equipment like Manitowoc ice machines may be just what you’re looking for. Available in several models that produce different quantities and sizes/shapes of ice, Manitowoc ice machines are incredibly useful in restaurants and bars.

Vulcan ranges are another favorite among restaurant owners in the US and Canada. Known for being able to withstand tough use in busy kitchens, Vulcan ranges are outstanding restaurant equipment.

Serving up fried foods? You’ve gotta get a Frymaster fryer. We offer many models, and you’re sure to find one that will meet your Canada restaurant’s needs, whether it’s a chicken fryer or the Frymaster MJ45-SD-LP.

More Canada Restaurant Equipment

These are just a few of the many fantastic units we offer at ShortOrder.com, America’s leading online restaurant equipment dealer. Don’t miss Globe slicers, Lakeside utility carts and more!

In this rough economy, restaurants are looking for ways to cut costs, whether it be operating, restaurant equipment or other costs. One company has successfully come up with a way to do this: Church’s Chicken unveiled their latest store prototype — a modular restaurant concept — on April 1, 2009 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. We learned about this in a great recent article in Restaurants and Industry Magazine.

The modular restaurant, according to officials at Church’s Chicken, will cut new-store costs by as much as 30 percent. What’s even more impressive is that it takes just three days for the modular restaurant to be completely finished and ready for customers.

The RI Magazine article noted that the mayor of Lawrenceville, Rex A. Millsaps, proclaimed the day the modular restaurant was unveiled Start Up a Franchise, Start Up the Economy Day. And that’s only fitting, seeing as how the modular restaurant makes it very easy and affordable for people to own and operate a Church’s franchise. Development, insurance premiums and restaurant equipment costs are all cut — and value, safety and quality are not at all compromised.

Franchised businesses are very important to the economy, as they create and employ over 3,153,207 people according to the article. It can be very difficult to get a bank loan today, so keeping costs down helps quite a bit. Some specific ways the new modular restaurant saves on operating costs: low insurance premiums thanks to the building’s steel infrastructure, lower taxes because the steel infrastructure allows the restaurant to depreciate like equipment and installing re-manufactured restaurant equipment. The building is also energy efficient.

Cutting Restaurant Equipment Costs

We at ShortOrder understand how much it takes to open and operate a restaurant. That’s why we offer a Low Price Guarantee on Restaurant Equipment. This gives you the assurance that you’re getting the lowest price out there. We also offer a selection of Scratch and Dent Restaurant Equipment. This restaurant equipment is still good, working equipment. The difference is that it has minor damage from freight. Find all the restaurant equipment you need at ShortOrder.com, from Vulcan ranges to Manitowoc ice machines and Frymaster fryers.

Buying restaurant equipment can be a daunting, even frightening task.  Restaurant equipment is not what you would call inexpensive, so you want to make sure you get the right equipment for your restaurant the first time.  To assist you in this endeavor, we created buyer’s guides on our site which enable you to make the best decision.  However, we thought that we would go a step further and provide you with some tips on buying restaurant equipment.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip One

Make sure you do your research.  When buying restaurant equipment, it is best to go into the shopping mode with a full knowledge of what type of equipment you need, what the average cost is, as well as what features are the most important to you.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Two

One of the most frustrating things that can happen when buying restaurant equipment is getting your new brand new refrigerator or prep table and realizing that you don’t have adequate space for it.  Please measure your space and know the required dimensions of the equipment you are buying.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Three

Confirm if your equipment needs to be gas-powered or electric.  Your new pizza oven wouldn’t do you much good if it was electric and your restaurant was running on gas.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Four

Speaking of electricity – you will want to make sure that your new equipment won’t blow a fuse once you plug it in.  Check your available amps and then make sure that your new icemaker doesn’t require more than you have.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Five

When buying restaurant equipment, whether for a new restaurant or as a replacement, try and not get so excited that you buy more equipment that you actually need or can use.  Do you really need three microwave ovens?

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Six

If you are concerned about your environment, you will want to buy restaurant equipment that is Energy Star rated; which means the steamer or dishwasher you are buying meets the high standards of energy efficiency established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Seven

Just as we mentioned in step one, doing your research is important and knowing the manufacturer of your restaurant equipment is just as important.  Make sure that you are buying restaurant equipment that is manufactured by a respectable company with an impeccable history of quality.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Eight

Know your financial limits when buying restaurant equipment.  Make sure that the brand-new walk-in with all the fun and exciting bells and whistles meets your needs and doesn’t go over your budget.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Nine

Before you go out and buy all the restaurant equipment you could ever want and need, it is best to contact your local health, fire and building code department to ensure your equipment will be code compliant.

Buying Restaurant Equipment: Tip Ten

Finally, you will want to buy your restaurant equipment from a dependable and high quality dealer that stands behind everything they sell.  This is where ShortOrder.com comes in.  At ShortOrder.com you know that you are getting the highest quality restaurant equipment from top manufacturers, such as Vulcan, Hobart, Manitowac, and Beverage-Air.

We hope that these restaurant equipment buying tips were helpful.  However, if you find that you still have some questions; please feel free to give one of our customer service agents a call.  They are more than happy to help.

ShortOrder is proud to announce our Low Price Guarantee on restaurant equipment. This gives you, the customer, the assurance that you’re getting the lowest price on restaurant equipment you buy at ShortOrder.com. We’ll beat any legitimate advertised price from a competing food service equipment dealer for any item in our inventory. And if you’ve found an item priced lower than ShortOrder.com, we will refund 110% of the difference on an identical item from another dealer.

The Low Price Guarantee on restaurant equipment shows ShortOrder’s dedication to being the best place for restaurant owners to go when they need to purchase restaurant equipment from manufacturers like Manitowoc and Vulcan. Profits are suffering due to the high costs of food, so being able to save money on restaurant equipment is a huge benefit. Customers can feel good knowing they’re getting what they need at the lowest price. And if they find the same product they bought at another retailer who is selling is for a lower price, our Low Price Guarantee will refund 110% of the difference.

Whether you buy a Vulcan range, Manitowoc ice machine, Hobart slicer or another piece of restaurant equipment from ShortOrder, you can rest assured you’re getting the lowest price.