Which is the Best Way to Buy Used Restaurant Equipment?

If you have a restaurant, it’s nice to be able to save some money wherever you can. When it comes to savings, you can really make a difference by buying some—if not all—of your restaurant equipment used. It’s no secret that restaurants go out of business all the time, but they still have a lot of equipment that is in great working condition. They sell it off to resellers like us: Kohn-Megibow Company (KMC Sales).

When we buy used restaurant equipment, we inspect it carefully, clean it, refurbish it (if needed) and research any active warranties. Then, we resell it to other restaurant and food service business owners. Sometimes, regular people buy the equipment for use in their homes. We sell used restaurant equipment in a couple different ways, including direct from our warehouse and at our bi-weekly used restaurant equipment auctions.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each method, so you can determine what is the best way for you to buy used restaurant equipment from KMC:

Used Restaurant Equipment Auctions

Kohn-Megibow has been running auctions in Southern California for over 100 years. Today, we hold a large used restaurant equipment auction every other week. You are able to come in and preview items for sale prior to the auction and during designated auction preview times. That way, you can get a closer look at anything you wish to buy. 

The biggest advantage of buying via KMC auction is that it gives you the best chance of getting the lowest possible price. The auction is a great way to buy the quality used restaurant equipment you need at rock bottom prices that are way less than what the same items will cost you new at marked-up retail prices (or even wholesale rates). There are bidding wars from time to time that might drive a price up and you always risk being outbid by another bidder, so this is something you need to be prepared for when you attend an auction.

KMC Direct Warehouse Sales

We get a fresh stock of used restaurant equipment coming into Kohn-Megibow’s Anaheim warehouse almost every single day. Most days when we do not have an auction, you are welcome to come on by and check out what we have available (calling ahead is always recommended, though). Certain items may be designated for auction sale if they’ve already been advertised. Otherwise, you can buy many pieces of equipment directly from our warehouse floor.

Buying directly will cost you a little more than typical auction prices, but you are eliminating the risk of losing that item you want at the auction. You don’t have to worry about a bidding war or the price going higher than you expect. You get exactly what you want when you need it.

The point is there are multiple ways to buy excellent used restaurant equipment from the KMC Sales team. Whether you attend one of our auctions or buy directly from our warehouse, you will be able to save time and money compared to buying the same equipment new. Visit our website to see the next auction dates, or give us a call at (714) 666-8166 to schedule a time to come in and check out our current warehouse inventory. If there’s something specific you are looking for, let us know and we’ll do our best to track down what you need.