The 5 Best Places to Buy Restaurant Equipment in Winnipeg
If you’re starting your new business venture in the food industry, you might be looking for reliable kitchen equipment.
Along with planning and creating your business strategy, finding the right place to buy these pieces of equipment might be challenging.
But fret not–our review of the best places to buy restaurant equipment in Winnipeg can help you with your journey. We’ve also included the costs of common kitchen equipment to fully equip you for your venture.
How Much Does Restaurant Equipment Cost in Winnipeg
A complete set of restaurant equipment usually ranges from $40,000 to $200,000.
Your overall cost will depend on some factors, such as the size and scope of your restaurant’s kitchen, the required feature of equipment and its energy efficiency, and the shipping and handling fee.
We’ve summarized the price range of common kitchen equipment in the table below. Note that it’s still best to check out with retailers for exact prices.
The Best Places for Restaurant Equipment in Winnipeg
Before we reveal our picks, here are the factors that we’ve considered in choosing the best places for restaurant equipment in Winnipeg:
1. A Plus Restaurant Equipment & Supplies
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Products | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Services offered | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customers’ feedback | ★★★★☆ (4.2/5) |
A Plus Restaurant Equipment and Supplies has been in the industry since 2000. They’re one of Winnipeg’s leading kitchen equipment suppliers and other nearby locations.
To start, we like that A Plus Restaurant Equipment and Supplies has a wide range of products from kitchen equipment to food preparation tools and other kitchen accessories. With that, this makes them a one-stop-shop for your commercial kitchen needs.
They also carry products from trusted brands, like Steelite International, Victorinox Swiss Army, and Cooper Atkins, just to name a few.
We like that they offer both new kitchen equipment and reconditioned units. This is advantageous for customers who want quality kitchen equipment that are budget-friendly.
They also have a showroom based in the city where you can test kitchen equipment. We think that this is beneficial for customers to evaluate whether their product offerings fit their needs.
However, do take note that their showroom is closed on weekends. So you might want to drop by during their regular weekday schedule instead.
But despite that, we’re still impressed with A Plus Restaurant Equipment and Supplies. Their long-time experience in serving commercial and industrial kitchens has proven their reliability in providing efficient and organized kitchen layouts to their clients.
They also assist in delivering and setting up the equipment for their customers. We think that this is helpful for first-time restaurant owners since they’ll be guided on arranging the pieces of kitchen equipment.
Lastly, their staff are friendly and accommodating. They can help you look for the right kitchen equipment for your needs.
Pros
- Wide range of products
- Supplies new and reconditioned kitchen equipment
- Friendly and accommodating staff
- Provides delivery assistance
- Available for same-day pick-up
Cons
- Closed on weekends
- No pricing available on website
- Mixed reviews online
Customer Reviews
Great place on a decent price
“Love this place if u own a restaurant this is the place to grab your stuffs …you will get every thing to run a restaurant in style..i visited here couple of times and my experience was fantastic staffs are nice you can explain your budget and they gonna help you figure out the best options for you and not to mention they have tons of variety to choose from…great place on a decent price ..and chears to staff”—Arun Albert Jose, Google Reviews
I thank her for making my trips to a-plus smooth and easy
“Sandy (at the order desk) has been absolutely fantastic to work with. She knows her stuff inside and out. I thank her for making my trips to a-plus smooth and easy.
The store is in a heritage building and is centrally located in downtown winnipeg. The shownroom is nicely organized and you can pick up any items in stock on the same day. Paid street parking around the building but you may park in their lot if you’re picking up an order.”—Jaime Grasby, Google Reviews
2. Russell Hendrix
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Products | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Services offered | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customers’ feedback | ★★★★☆ (4.3/5) |
Russell Hendrix is one of the largest kitchen equipment dealers in Canada. They’ve been providing kitchen equipment and supplies for more than half a century now.
They provide a large variety of products, whether equipment or small wares. They also offer design, installation, and custom fabrication services for their customers.
In addition, they also provide parts, services and emergency repairs for commercial kitchens. This makes Russell Hendrix a handy option for restaurateurs.
Customers can become accustomed to the product offerings via a showroom that’s open from Monday to Friday. We just think that it’s a downside that they’re closed on weekends.
However, it’s a great thing that Russell Hendrix isn’t just catering to restaurants and commercial kitchens. They also have a residential division open to the general public.
They also do shipping which takes one to three business days before it reaches your doorstep. It’s easy to track your orders just by logging into your account on their website.
To end, we like that Rusell Hendrix offers credit applications for customers. This helps restaurant owners to purchase kitchen equipment without having to break the bank at once.
Pros
- Showroom is open for the general public
- Offers a large variety of kitchen equipment and tools
- Provides design services
- Available for parts and emergency repairs
- Accepts credit application
Cons
- Closed on weekends
- Some reports on incompetent staff
Customer Reviews
Great for professional chefs or home chefs
“Great for professional chefs or home chefs. Everything you need for your kitchen at reasonable prices. From spoons to commercial equipment, this is definitely a one stop. No infomercial or celebrity lines here, just proper chef gear.”—Jason Komoski, Google Review
It was a nice store to find restaurant accessories, kitchen equipment and cooking products
“It was a nice store to find restaurant accessories, kitchen equipment and cooking products
The staff was very friendly and came over a couple of times to make sure If I had any questions.”—David Waller, Google Review
3. d.a.Niels Gourmet Kitchenware
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Products | ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5) |
| Services offered | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customers’ feedback | ★★★★☆ (4.6/5) |
d.a.Niels Gourmet Kitchen was started by Neil Baker in 1999. You’ll find cookware, bakeware, cooking tools, gadgets, specialty knives, and other kitchen accessories in this shop.
We’re impressed that this shop features an immersive virtual tour of their showroom. This way, it’s easy for customers to be familiarized with the store’s wide array of products before going in there.
Their website has a wide selection of products and brands. They offer products such as food slicers, coffee makers, bakeware, dishware, and home & kitchen decor, among many others.
However, we think that large-scale commercial kitchens won’t be able to make the most of this shop since they don’t provide kitchen equipment that fits the needs of a bigger restaurant.
Nonetheless, if you’re planning on starting a small restaurant at the moment, d.a.Niels Gourmet Kitchen is a great place to buy kitchen equipment. You can purchase kitchen tools and equipment without having to commit to sizeable pieces of equipment.
We also like that they offer knife sharpening services for affordable prices. Straight edge and serrated edge knife and scissors sharpening cost $12.00.
Another thing that we like about this shop is they offer gift registry services. They also offer gift cards in any denomination.
We think that those additional services are ideal if you want to give kitchen equipment tools and equipment as a start-up present.
To wrap it, d.a.Niels is a perfect place if you’re starting out on your restaurant business venture.
Pros
- Immersive virtual showroom
- Provides knife sharpening services
- Wide selections of kitchen tools
- Open seven days a week
Cons
- Doesn’t offer tools and equipment for large scale kitchens
- Doesn’t provide reconditioned equipment
- Products are quite pricey
Customer Reviews
This a great place to pick up your kitchen essentials
“This a great place to pick up your kitchen essentials. Everything is excellent quality and the pricing is good. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the products. I would recommend checking this store out.”—David Waller, Google Review
It’s like a toy store for enthusiastic cooks
“It’s like a toy store for enthusiastic cooks. They have all sorts of kitchen wares, and gadgets and gizmos. Every square inch is full of an amazing variety of kitchen supplies. There’s almost an entire wall of cookie cutter shapes and all types of baking pans. If you are searching for something unusual or an uncommon shape, they will probably have it. It’s the place to go for highend brands and specialty cookware, like Stubb and Le Creuset. A great place to go have a browse, you’re bound to find something fun and useful.”—M Mandal, Google Review
4. The Happy Cooker
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Products | ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5) |
| Services offered | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customers’ feedback | ★★★★☆ (4.2/5) |
The Happy Cooker has been providing kitchen equipment and tools to the community of Winnipeg for over 40 years.
The first thing that we like about The Happy Cooker is their wide range of products and brands. They have different brands of products for every type of kitchen equipment that you’ll need.
Some of these brands are Swiss Army, Le Creuset, Mauviels, All-Clad, and Chef’s Choice, just to name a few.
We’d also like to highlight that The Happy Cooker has flexible payment options for their customers. They offer a lay-away service to pay for your purchases for an extended period.
You just need to deposit 25% of the total price, and the maximum time frame for the lay-away service is three months from the day of the initial deposit.
They also provide 10% discounts for seniors and 20% for students. This makes them a more affordable option for buying kitchen equipment.
Although, it’s best to mention that you might not be able to find commercial-sized kitchen equipment and appliances in this shop. However, we think that The Happy Cooker is ideal for residential and small-scale restaurant kitchens.
Nevertheless, we still think that The Happy Cooker deserves a spot on this list. We like that their stores are open seven times a week, making them a convenient option when shopping for kitchenware.
We also like that they provide additional services such as gift certificates and gift registries. In addition, they also have knife sharpening services.
We think that it’s a downside that the turnaround time for this service is quite long. It usually takes four business days before you get your newly sharpened knives.
Despite that, it’s excellent that The Happy Cooker is available for same-day delivery and curbside pick-up.
Pros
- Available for same-day delivery and curbside pick-up
- Offers lay-away service
- Provides senior and student discounts
- Open seven times a week
- Carries wide range of branded products
Cons
- Relatively pricey products
- Limited offers on commercial and industrial kitchen equipment
Customer Reviews
The store owner was very friendly and welcoming
“I was really impressed with the selection at this kitchen shop and felt like it was a great find! The store has a very nice feel with items arranged in nice display, good prices and good quality stock. It reminded me of my favourite kitchen shops in Vancouver, which I’ve missed shopping at from time to time. The store owner was very friendly and welcoming. I’d definitely come back here next time I need something kitchen-y!”Mary F
The Happy Cooker is definitely the place to go when in need of kitchenware
“Excellent service! The staff was super kind and helpful. The Happy Cooker is definitely the place to go when in need of kitchenware – professional or for home.”Lucas Dutkievicz
5. Stokes Think Kitchen
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Products | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Services offered | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customers’ feedback | ★★★★☆ (4.6/5) |
Stokes Think Kitchen is a Canadian family-owned business, and they’ve been in the industry for more than 85 years now. They have two stores within the city–one is located in Outlet Collection, and the other is in St. Vital Centre.
Stokes Think Kitchen carries a comprehensive array of brands and products, and you can find common kitchen tools that you’ll need here.
They have product offerings for cookware, baking essentials, prepping and cooking appliances, and tabletop materials, just to name a few.
However, their products for kitchen equipment are quite limited. They only have small kitchen appliances such as food processors, meat grinders, deep fryers, electric skillets, and espresso machines, among many others.
We think that Think Kitchen is ideal for supplementary tools for a restaurant, such as dinnerware, serve ware, drinkware, barware, flatware & cutlery, and linen & table accessories.
But what made us like Think Kitchen is their frequent sales and deals. They often have discounts of up to 60% for some of their products which are advantageous for practical customers.
It’s also good that they’re available for online shopping. Their website is easy to navigate, making it a fuss-free shopping experience for each customer.
They also offer free shipping on orders $69.00 and above, and the turnaround time for their delivery is around 3-7 business days.
Pros
- Open seven days a week
- Has two branches within the city
- Free shipping on orders $69 and above
- Offers e-gift cards
- Easy to navigate website
Cons
- Limited kitchen equipment products
- Mixed review
Customer Reviews
It has a great variety of items to choose from that are reasonably priced
“Love this store. It has a great variety of items to choose from that are reasonably priced. In addition to your purchase they offer a perk of misc items like cutting board sets, knife sets & hand soap you can purchase for $5.00 at the cash register.”—Chris Picklyk, Google Review
Awesome selection of kitchen tools
“Awesome selection of kitchen tools, everything you could possibly need for any home chef… Counter top gadgets on display with the Think kitchen name brand…A wonderful store too browse through looking for that “wish I had” item for the table to impress guests…”—James Antoine, Google Review
FAQS about Kitchen Equipment in Winnipeg
How to maintain kitchen equipment?
One foolproof way to maintain the quality of kitchen equipment is to check and clean it regularly. It’s also important to schedule professional maintenance services for every piece of equipment.
Another thing that should be done to maintain kitchen equipment is by constantly cleaning and sanitizing it and immediately repairing broken parts.
And that’s it for our list of the best places for kitchen equipment in Winnipeg!
Aside from kitchen equipment, another thing that your restaurant needs are a set of menus and signboards. Luckily, we’ve reviewed the best printing services in Winnipeg for all of your printing necessities.