Investing in a new business can be the fulfillment of a dream, a way to increase income or even extra income. One thing that every entrepreneur must take care of is to align the anxiety of the dream with the entrepreneur's planning. One business that is increasingly on the rise are burger restaurants, which shows us that investing in a business like this can certainly be very profitable.
Today's burger restaurants have moved on from a fast food snack model that is simple and prepared very quickly, to establishments that deliver rich gastronomic experiences, either with service in atmospheric lounges or by delivery.
This change shows that today there is great concern about the quality of the product served. The quality of the meat is a key factor, but it's no use having the best chef and not having the tools to prepare it correctly.
Likewise, with this change in positioning, it's important to make the right choice and invest in the best equipment to make your burger joint stand out. In this guide, we'll list the essential equipment that acts as the heart and lungs of a burger restaurant.
1. Gas or electric grill
First of all, the griddle is the most versatile piece of equipment in the burger shop. As well as preparing the meat, it can be used to prepare eggs, bacon and even to seal the bread. It gives the establishment agility and is essential for making the Smash Burger, which is a thinner burger with a striking crust and is on the rise.
One of the things to look for when choosing grills is the thickness of the cooking surface. The thicker it is, the greater the heat retention and consequently the greater the productivity, agility and savings on gas or electricity.
The griddle must withstand high demands, and even with the griller putting 30 burgers on it that were previously chilled or frozen, it must maintain the temperature and if it loses it, have the power to regain it quickly, otherwise, instead of sealing the meat by grilling it, it will be cooked and a lot of liquid will be lost, losing juiciness and flavor, leaving it with a lighter appearance.
Finally, to speed up and facilitate the cleaning process, always look for plates with drawers for waste and grease
2. Char Gas Broiler
Some burger restaurants focus on the griddle, others on the broiler and some use both, depending on the menu and the restaurant's proposal.
With operation as simple as a griddle, the broiler is very similar to a barbecue, but with less smoke production. The Broiler is ideal for taller burgers and leaves a slightly smoky flavor in the meat, very reminiscent of the taste of traditional barbecue. This can be a great flavor difference.
When choosing a broiler, it's important that it has high-efficiency burners and heavy grates made of cast iron, which retain more heat, guaranteeing a perfect browning on the meat.
3. Gas Fryers
Experts recommend choosing fryers with a cold zone, which only use oil, as opposed to fryers that use water and oil, which are a constant risk of accidents and fire, and which, as well as being dangerous, are banned in many countries.
The cold zone acts as a space for debris from the frying process to accumulate, keeping it away from the burners and heat exchange so that it doesn't carbonize and turn the oil into an unhealthy substance.
Look for professional fryers. There are fryers on the market with 4 burners that guarantee a quick return to temperature when working with frozen or chilled products.
Fryers with thermostat temperature control not only guarantee total control over the temperature of the oil, but also have a safety system that does not allow the temperature to exceed the “smoke” temperature, which degrades the oil with the risk of combustion.
In this way, there is an economic advantage in opting for gas fryers over electric ones, since in practically all regions of Brazil, gas costs significantly less than electricity.
4. Hoods and Exhaust
Mandatory and necessary equipment to provide safety, well-being and comfort for employees and the working environment, as well as filtering fatty effluents from cooking processes and filtering waste.
As a result, experts always recommend choosing hoods with a fire suppression system such as the Ansul system. Optionally, with long-term savings in mind, choose hoods with Ultraviolet-OGR technology, which breaks down grease molecules and eliminates the need to clean the hood ducts.
5. Cooling system
Refrigerators and freezers will certainly be necessary in your establishment: refrigerators for storing food such as vegetables, fruit, drinks, desserts and meat that is in the process of defrosting, and freezers for storing proteins, French fries and breaded items in general.
First of all, always look for refrigerators and freezers that work with a forced-air system, which, unlike the cold-wall system, ensures that the cold air circulates evenly throughout the equipment's chamber.
In addition, another tip is to look for equipment with stainless steel inside, which, unlike other materials, is much more durable, more resistant to scratches and punctures, does not impregnate smells and is easier to clean.
It's important to consider that a chef's productivity is related to their need to move around the kitchen. The less they have to move around in search of supplies, the more productive they will certainly be. A low drawer refrigerator below the cooking line helps a lot with this, creating an intelligent workflow.
Depending on the operation, it is interesting to have a refrigerated condiment counter, also known as a “prep-table”, where you can leave the items needed to finish the snack, such as lettuce, tomatoes and pickles, within easy reach, speeding up the whole operation.
For your wish list - Ice machine
Other equipment can make a difference to the success of your business, considering that the experience perceived by the customer, the way the drink is served, is a factor to be considered. The quality of the ice can enhance any drink; pure, transparent ice with perfect cubes will be noticed and will show that your burger restaurant is concerned with details.
What's more, you won't risk running out of ice at a peak time and you'll have a much lower operating cost for producing ice than buying bags of ice that could pose a risk of contamination. A quality ice machine produces a kilo of ice at an average cost of 10 cents, including the cost of water and electricity.
To your wish list - Vacuum Sealing Machine
As the business grows, it will be necessary to do single-portion pre-preparation on a larger scale in order to speed up the operation at peak times. To store this food safely, a vacuum sealer helps a lot, as it removes all the air from the product, eliminating micro-organisms that can spoil the food. This increases the shelf life of the food and reduces your operating costs.
As a result, this process can also optimize costs when there is more than one business unit, making it possible to concentrate all pre-production in one place.
Would you like to get to know and test this equipment? Make an appointment to visit our experimental kitchen. Our expert chefs are waiting to give you all the support you need.
