One Fat Frog’s quick guide to opening a pizza place.  “What sorts of equipment will I need?” “Can you explain the equipment to me?” “Can you give me some guidance on starting up a pizza business?”  This guide will briefly hit on all all of the above questions.  When you’re done reading it, please feel free to peruse our other guides.

First of all, let’s that about what sort of equipment you will need: good oven (wood burning, stone deck, conveyor), commercial mixer with dough hook, megatop pizza prep station cooler, reach in refrigerator for beverages, refrigerator and freezer for supplies, storage for boxes.  Optional– soda fountain, dough sheeter, kegerator, pizza display warmer, POS systems.

What is a prep station? What is the difference between megatops/ mega-tops and traditional salad, sandwich, deli prep tables?  One Fat Frog has written this short guide to help you understand the basics needed when purchasing a new or used prep station for the commercial kitchen setting.  Let’s talk a little about commercial preparation stations.

A commercial prep station or cooler has a refrigerated area on the top that closes when not in use.  In this area or in these pans is where you would store the toppings (think tomatoes and other condiments).  If you are making pizzas you would store cheese, sauce, mushrooms and black olives in this area. You may find that used make tables are missing this top lid because high volume shops tend rip them off for ease of use.

All of these units have a refrigerator underneath the counter area and a hooded area that covers pans in which you can put cold prep items.  For example if you were making pizza you would put your pineapple, tomato sauce, cheeses, mushrooms, olives in this area.  In fact if you’ve ever been through a Subway sub shop you will have seen a variation on this in their line.  Their sandwich sub prep stations are actually part of their serving line.

Favorite sizes of sandwich prep tables are 48, 60 and 72 inches with between one and three doors; units with four or more doors are also available.  These standard sizes are often found in the used restaurant equipment market.

Now the last question is what differentiates a prep station cooler from a megatop? The main difference is that the megatop has a deeper cutting board area which will hold pizza dough.

Are you dreaming, wishing, planning, arranging to open a bar, restaurant, lounge, catering, concessions stand or mobile food service establishment in Florida or nationwide?  At One Fat Frog Commercial & Restaurant Equipment we have a few tips for you:

• Be familiar with health codes and talk to your inspector before they come out
• All owner’s should have their foodsafe certificate
• Follow through with incorporation and appropriate licensure
• Be aware of your market
• Be aware of your competition
• Have a strong business plan
• Be clear on your mission
• Have back up funding available
• Have resumes / applicants on hand for front of the house and back of the house

Starting a new restaurant, bar, mobile concessions stand or other food service provider?  These brief guides are meant to encourage the initial business planning process.  Thanks to One Fat Frog Restaurant Equipment & Supplies for creating these guides.  Call 407-936-2733 or sales@onefatfrog.com for help.

• STARTUP SERIES: Naming your new restaurant, bar or eatery This guide is excellent for the initial steps of naming your food service establishment.  It gives an overview to theory on naming, branding and planning for the future.

• STARTUP SERIES: Public relations & advertising for the restaurant or bar This guides gives an overview of PR and advertising techniques used, both in and out of the box thinking.

• STARTUP SERIES: Mobile concessions stand, ice cream truck, mobile catering This short guide gives the new business owner items to think about ranging from spatial, power and food lines.

• look for our upcoming guide on financing and partnerships

It is our hopes that these guides encourage you to think outside of the takeout box and allow your business to flourish.  After all, as they say there’s more than one way of looking at a picture.   As always, One Fat Frog remains a major resource for businesses starting up and looking to buy and lease a restaurant with equipment- 407.936.2733 or email sales@onefatfrog.com