Operations
Point of Sale (POS) System
You will need a point-of-sale (POS) system to manage the cash flow of your business. In addition to payment processing, this system may also assist with front of house management and online order processing. Depending on your business size and the type of business you have, here are some POS options to consider:
- Square for restaurants (best for new restaurants)
- Clover (best for quick service restaurants)
- Lightspeed restaurant (best pos for small and medium sized restaurants)
- TouchBistro (best for full service restaurant)
- Toast (best system for Android systems)
- Loyverse (best free post software)
Food system resources
Food-specific resources and services: These encompass a range of support systems including guidance on food safety, regulatory compliance, and access to educational materials vital for food entrepreneurs.
Commercial kitchens: Shared or rented spaces equipped for food preparation, offering entrepreneurs a cost-effective way to start or expand their food-related businesses.
Nimbus
Midtown: 307 West 38th Street, New York, NY 10018, USA
Soho: 30 Vandam Street, New York, NY 10013, USA
Lower East Side: 196 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002, USA
Downtown Brooklyn: 100 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USAhttp://www.nimbuskitchen.com/
Price: Ranges from $25-$48/hr or long term rentals are available for a monthly fee
Offers: Certified kitchen stations, efficient equipment, frequent sanitization, community and event spaces for rent, and onsite storage space (dry, cold, and frozen storage)
e.terra Kitchen
Park Avenue: 1580 Park Avenue, at 114th Street, New York, NY 10029, USA
Third Avenue: 2191 Third Avenue - 3rd floor, at 120th Street, New York, NY 10035, USAhttp://www.eterrakitchen.com/
Price: Requires hourly, monthly, or yearly membership
Offers: Hot prep stations, cold prep/fulfillment stations, dry storage, cold storage, and business support/mentorship
Cook Collective
Location: 999 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA
http://www.cookcollectivekitchen.com/
Price: Depends on booking frequency; $235/shift for 1 shift/week, $215/shift for 2 shifts/week, $195/shift for 3+ shifts/week
Offers: Community and event spaces for rent, 8 customizable prep stations, and storage space (dry, cold, and frozen)
Cypress Hills Community Kitchen
Location: 276 Chestnut Street , 6N, Brooklyn, NY 11208, USA
https://www.cypresshills.org/communitykitchen
Price: Contact for more info
Offers: Teaching/demo kitchen, event space, culinary training classes, and cold/dry storage
LOFT39
Location: 38 West 39 St., New York, NY 10018, USA
http://loft39.nyc/
Price: Priced per hour, discounted for repeat customers
Offers: Event space (accommodates 100 people), teaching/demo kitchen, full kitchen
Employment and Human Resources
As you launch and grow your business, you may need to hire employees. This process includes writing a job description, posting the position on various jobs boards, and completing the necessary legal steps to officially hire new staff.
Business | The State of New York
www.ny.gov
Relevant resources and services such as where to buy furnishings, cutlery, appliances, uniforms etc:
| Balter Sales Company | 209 Bowery, New York, NY 10002 |
| Bari Restaurant & Pizzeria Equipment | 240 Bowery, New York, NY 10012 |
| BH LA Restaurant Equipment Inc. | 919 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 |
| Blue Star Food & Paper, Inc. | 1233 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203 |
| Bowery Restaurant Supply Co | 183 Bowery, New York, NY 10002 |
| Buy & Sell Restaurant Equipment NY | 615 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001 |
| Coney Island Restaurant Equipment - New York | 652 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218 |
| DEPOT Restaurant Supplies | 420 E Tremont Ave, Bronx, NY 10457 |
| Eversys Inc. | 37-18 Northern Blvd., Suite 421, Queens, NY 11101 |
| Five Star Restaurant Equipment | 954 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 |
| H. Schrier & Company, Inc. | 4901 Glenwood Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11234 |
| Ideal Restaurant Supply | 294 Bowery, Suite #1, New York, NY 10012 |
| JB Prince Company, Inc. | 36 E. 31 Street, Suite 601, New York, NY 10016 |
| JCC Restaurant Supplies NYC INC. | 354-A Broome St, New York, NY 10013 |
| JFK Restaurant Equipment Supply | 55 Canal St, New York, NY 10002 |
| JustChair Manufacturing | 59-71 59th Street l, Maspeth, NY 11378 |
| Kerekes Bakery & Restaurant Equipment, Inc. | 6103 15th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219 |
| L&T Restaurant Equipment Inc. | 62 Allen St, New York, NY 10002 |
| Lebron Restaurant Equipment and Supply | 3835 9th Ave, New York, NY 10034 |
| Manhattan Restaurant Supply | 122 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001 |
| Master Kitchen Suppplies NYC | 38 Delancey St, #1, New York, NY 10002 |
| MTC Kitchen - Manhattan | 711 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10017 |
| NYC Restaurant Equipment Corp. | 972 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 |
| Restaurant Depot - Canarsie, NY | 10110 Foster Ave, Ste 2, Brooklyn, NY 11236-2140 |
| Restaurant Depot - Hamilton Ave, NY | 566 Hamilton Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232-1034 |
| Restaurant Depot - Oak Point, NY | 100 Oakpoint Ave, Bronx, NY 10474-7650 |
| Roger & Sons - New York | 268 Bowery, New York, NY 10012 |
| Sang Kung Restaurant & Kitchen Supply | 110 Bowery, New York, NY 10013 |
| Summit Appliance | 770 Garrison Ave., Bronx, NY 10474 |
| Sur La Table - 57th & 8th | 306 West 57th Street, New York , NY 10019 |
| Town Food Service Equipment Co., Inc. | 72 Beadel St, Brooklyn, NY 11222 |
| Tri-Boro Restaurant Supply | 1803 Bronxdale Ave, Bronx, NY 10462 |
| Vivreau USA LP | 131 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001 |
| Win Restaurant Supplies Inc. | 318 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012 |
There are many factors and laws to consider when you hire an employee of your business. There are many different State and Federal requirements you'll need to complete when you hire an employee, including obtaining your Federal Employment Identification number (EIN), your state’s Taxpayer Identification number, and workers compensation insurance. The following video highlight employment laws.
As you hire employees, be sure to follow all wage and employment guidelines.
Employee and Customer Health and Safety
Free training, toolkit, and resources to keep food workers and customers safe and healthy during cold, flu, and Covid-19 surges.
Food Worker COVID-19 Health Safety Toolkit
Food & Society at the Aspen Institute is a working partner with the CDC Foundation to provide this toolkit filled with information, resources, and guidance on topics such as COVID-19 safety best practices, vaccine information, and mental health. The toolkit was created specifically to support frontline food industry managers and workers.
Safety First trainings and guidelines
Safety First features several one-page summaries and infographics that distill the most essential information for restaurants around the country to display for diners and staff. Restaurant managers and employees can take a free 90-minute online training course developed with Rouxbe, and healthcare department professionals also have an online training course developed and hosted by Public Health Foundation.
Safety First was developed by the Food and Society Program at the Aspen Institute, with support from Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, and in collaboration with José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, the James Beard Foundation, the National Restaurant Association, the IndependentRestaurant Coalition, and One Fair Wage.
Job Training and Placement Services
Job Ready by Jobs NYC: Offers free and low-cost training programs for individuals looking to acquire new skills for employment, and some of these programs provide job placement assistance (source).
Workforce 1: This platform assists New Yorkers in preparing for and connecting to jobs across NYC's five boroughs with free services available online and in person (source).
Workforce Investment Departments
New York State Workforce Investment Board: This board is part of the Department of Labor and is focused on workforce development in the state of New York (source).
New York City Workforce Development Board: Mandated by federal law, this board ensures the strategic, fiscal, and effective investment of federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) dollars in adult and youth workforce development services (source).
Licenses and Permits
NYC Health Department:
- https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/food-service-establishment-permit
- https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/temporary-food-service-establishment-permit
- https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/nonretail-food-processing-establishment-permit
NYC Restaurant Resource Guide:
Step-by-Step Wizard:
- A tool to get a customized list of requirements for your business, which includes City, State, and Federal licenses and permits needed to run your business.
Operations checklist
Pick a POS system
Hire staff and employees
Conduct food health and safety training