Understanding The Impact Of Commercial Refrigeration in 2023

In a standard commercial kitchen, what is the single most important feature of the room?
It’s not the customized drawer or aesthetically hip cupboard. Alternatively, it’s the placement of commercial refrigeration: you can make the case that they are truly transformational pieces of equipment in the food industry, and the tipping point in a restaurant’s daily operations. In terms of their bottom lines, most commercial operators don’t need hyper-customized cooling equipment. They simply need reliable refrigeration designed to last 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

I want to take a deep dive into how commercial refrigeration impacts an operator’s budget, operations, and overall success – and why should cooling equipment be a top priority for restaurants and food service in 2023?

What is Commercial Refrigeration?
Commercial refrigeration is not your grandmother’s ice box. Today, commercial refrigeration refers to any equipment used to store food and beverages in supermarkets, restaurants, and specialty food, convenience stores, and other commercial spaces.

This cooling equipment includes basic refrigerators and coolers as well as walk-in boxes, reach-in freezers and coolers, ice machines, racks, beer coolers, and other specialized items.

The Costs of Commercial Refrigeration: Time, Money, and Energy
Since its advent a little over 100 years ago, commercial refrigeration has become a panacea for restaurants. Suddenly, food makers could bulk-purchase and freeze items and design their menus accordingly. In markets of inflation and scarcity, commercial fridges give restaurants the ability to run their businesses in a more cost-effective (and culinarily creative) fashion.

From a consumer standpoint, cooling equipment like reach-ins and kiosks, which used to be limited to airport and convenience stores, are increasingly prevalent in sit-down restaurants and other slower-paced commercial settings. This trend speaks to consumers’ value of convenience, as well as the impact of and expanded grab-and-go culture: one of the many byproducts of the pandemic.

Regardless of where this equipment is installed, commercial refrigeration must operate at all hours of the day, every day of the year. Consequently, this equipment is one of the most substantial drains on the energy grid; and if customers fail to invest in high-quality equipment and maintenance, it’s also a costly endeavor.

Even so, when it comes to commercial refrigeration, time is not money: it’s something far more valuable. Money itself isn’t just a one-time transaction, but an investment in aggressive, detail-oriented maintenance.