What To Ask Before You Buy Restaurant Equipment Online

The questions you ask before you order are cheaper than the ones you ask after delivery.

Buying restaurant equipment online, especially commercial kitchen equipment, means comparing a lot more than the number beside the Add to Cart button. Freight, brokerage, unloading, installation, and warranty terms all get added after checkout, and by the time the truck shows up, the delivered price can look nothing like the one you clicked on. As Mark Wallace, VP of Sales at Canadian Restaurant Supply, puts it, buyers need to compare the full delivered price, and in some cases the installed and supported price (not just the number in the cart).

“Buyers need to compare the complete delivered price, in some cases the installed and supported price, rather than just the price beside the “Add to Cart” button.” — Mark Wallace, VP of Sales at Canadian Restaurant Supply

Why The Lowest Online Price May Not Be The Lowest Total Cost

A low sticker price isn't automatically a bad purchase; it just means you need more information before checkout, not less. CRS, a restaurant supply store based in Kelowna, BC, ships smaller parcels with Canpar, Loomis Express, and Purolator, while larger equipment moves through a wider mix of common carriers and dedicated white glove delivery companies, whichever operates best in the region it's heading to. Local Okanagan orders can go through a specific set of carrier options CRS will walk you through directly, once a delivery heads outside that local area, CRS books whichever carrier serves that region well. Standard delivery covers the curb, threshold, or loading dock only. Unpacking, moving equipment indoors, and any gas, electrical, or plumbing hookups are extra, unless they're built into the quote upfront.

Nine Questions To Ask Before You Order

1. Is the equipment certified for commercial use in Canada?

2. Is the manufacturer's warranty valid here, or only in the country of origin? A True Refrigeration compressor, a Cambro unit, and a Norbec walk-in each carry different terms, so check before you assume.

3. Are freight, brokerage, unloading, and delivery included in the price?

4. Who handles a shipping damage or concealed damage claim, and how fast do you need to report it? (Some carriers give you as little as 24 hours.)

5. Are installation, startup, and final connections needed, and are they included?

6. Does the unit match your voltage, phase, gas, water, and drainage?

7. Will it physically fit through the door and into the space?

8. What are the return, freight, and restocking costs if something doesn't work out? (CRS charges 25 percent on eligible returns; special order and clearance items are final sale.)

9. Is it sized correctly for your menu, volume, and use case?

What To Do Next

Run the total delivered cost, not the checkout price, before you buy. If any answer is unclear, ask the supplier directly; a real answer beats a guess once the equipment is on your loading dock.

Contact CRS before you order, check shipping and delivery terms on anything you're about to buy, or browse the Help Centre for answers to common questions.

Canadian Restaurant Supply is a restaurant supply store and commercial kitchen equipment supplier helping restaurant owners and kitchen managers buy with confidence across Canada, backed by over two decades of design, supply, and service work from their Kelowna showroom. Contact CRS before you order online.