Restaurant equipment and restaurant supplies

From fine dining to fast casual, our restaurant culture is evolving. People are eating out more than ever, so choosing the best finance partner to help you launch or expand is paramount. SilverChef provides quality used commercial restaurant equipment to rent, lease or buy with affordable financing options. Sort out your commercial restaurant supplies with flexible options and low upfront costs today.

Flexible finance solutions for restaurants.
so you can choose what suits your venue best.

Rent-Try-Buy®

Rent-Try-Buy® is a 12-month rental agreement, allowing you to try quality commercial restaurant equipment before you buy. Enjoy unrivalled flexibility when it comes to owning and managing your restaurant supplies.

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Lease-to-Keep®

Restaurant financing with Lease-to-Keep gives you the commercial restaurant equipment you need now, with low monthly payments spread over four years. At the end of the term, the restaurant equipment is all yours. Simple. 

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Is your restaurant a franchise?

SilverChef has restaurant financing options designed specifically for franchises so you can limit your upfront costs while getting your equipment and restaurant supplies sorted. Give yourself the best chance for success for your restaurant franchise.

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We'll back your business vision

'We wanted The Tasting Shed to be a shared plate food adventure in Wine Country. A one of a kind space found nowhere else in the world. Starting a restaurant is never easy but SilverChef enabled us to fill the restaurant with equipment from day one. It allowed us to build cash flow and not start on day one with a ton of debt.

'The other great thing is SilverChef enabled us to try bits and pieces of equipment over time. We have just launched a second business, The Maori Kitchen, with help from SilverChef and we are going to open a second brand in March 2020, again fitting it out with the help of SilverChef.'

- Ganesh Raj, The Tasting Shed and The Maori Kitchen

"Find out what our customers are saying"

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There’s no obligation to finance with SilverChef as a result of completing an application. We also won’t run any credit checks without your permission.

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Restaurant equipment - frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need to start a restaurant?

Starting or growing a restaurant is an exciting prospect and no small feat. Start on the right foot combining the best food with the best service, to build a loyal customer base as quickly as possible.

This is only achievable with quality commercial restaurant equipment that will deliver efficiency and quality.  SilverChef provides good quality, stringently tested, commercial restaurant equipment to get you started without massive upfront costs. 

Some crucial restaurant supplies include commercial freezers and fridges, pass through and under counter dishwashers, bain maries, hot food display cases and prep benches to name a few. Depending on your cuisine, we even provide sous vide machines, tandoor ovens and sushi machines.


How to finance a restaurant

So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and open or expand your restaurant. The first thing to do is talk to a financial institution of your choice and secure a business loan for covering operating costs, renovating and wages.  

SilverChef can help alleviate the financial strain by taking the cost of commercial restaurant equipment off the initial capital outlay. If you're looking for flexibility, and you're not 100% sure of the correct size and model of commercial restaurant equipment you're choosing, you could opt for our Rent-Try-Buy product, which allows you to try the equipment in your restaurant before you decide whether to buy, upgrade or return.  

If you know what you want, you're financing more than $10,000 of commercial restaurant equipment, and you've been in business for more than 12 months, you could choose our Lease-to-Keep option. With Lease-to-Keep you choose your restaurant equipment, make monthly payments over a four-year term, and own your equipment at the end.


What are the benefits of renting equipment?

Renting new or second hand restaurant equipment can be a good alternative to buying outright for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are a lot of costs involved in setting up and running a restaurant, so choosing to rent new or used commercial restaurant equipment can leave you more money for running your business and other expenses.  

Secondly, there may be tax benefits to renting commercial restaurant equipment – it’s important you discuss these with a qualified tax advisor before making any decisions.

Finally, with SilverChef’s Rent-Try-Buy you get additional flexibility over typical restaurant equipment rental products. You can decide to upgrade your commercial restaurant equipment in the first 12 months if you need something bigger and better (in the same equipment category e.g. upgrade rented fridge to a bigger fridge); you can also decide to purchase it and get a 50% gross rental rebate on your payments so far (up to 12 months).

At the end of your 12-month contract, you can decide whether to keep renting your new or used restaurant equipment, work towards ownership, or return. Please note that if you decide to purchase your restaurant equipment after the end of your 12-month term, the net rental rebate drops to 25% after 12 months.


What is the difference between leasing and renting equipment?

The difference between leasing and renting has to do with the length of term – with the length of a lease typically being longer. SilverChef offers a rental product, Rent-Try-Buy; and a finance lease product, Lease-to-Keep. They are different in several important ways.

With Rent-Try-Buy, you rent your new or used restaurant equipment and make weekly rental payments for a 12-month term, while retaining the option to purchase your restaurant equipment or upgrade it during the term.

At the end of the 12-month rental term, you can return or continue renting the equipment.

To choose Lease-to-Keep, you must have been trading for a minimum 12 months, and be financing a minimum of $10,000 in restaurant equipment. You sign up for a 48-month term, make monthly lease payments, and at the end of the term you own the restaurant equipment (providing the last payment has been made and you are not in breach of the agreement).


Can I return my equipment before the end of the 12-month contract?

When you choose Rent-Try-Buy to finance your new or second hand restaurant equipment, it’s a good idea to be sure that you’re happy to rent it for the full initial 12-month contract (with the option to upgrade or purchase during the term). This is because, if you decide to return your restaurant equipment before the end of the term, you will still be required to pay all the unpaid rental payments up to the end of contract term.


Who is responsible for servicing, maintenance and insurance of the equipment?

As the renter or lessee of the restaurant equipment, you are responsible for properly insuring it, and arranging and paying for all servicing and maintenance on the restaurant equipment. If your commercial restaurant equipment breaks down this is a manufacturer warranty issue and you will need to contact the manufacturer to arrange repair or replacement as per their terms and conditions.