Cut Costs by Owning Knives Instead of Renting

 Cutting Costs with Knife Ownership Vs. Rental

Mercer Culinary recently spoke with an operations manager for a busy, multi-unit family dining group with 20 fast casual units. Having good tools for slicing buns and chopping vegetables is essential to supporting their sandwich-based menu. They had been using a knife rental service, but with multiple operating units, the costs of renting quickly added up. They also realized inherent drawbacks of low-quality blades and hidden costs of renting, so they decided it was time to explore the idea of knife ownership and an in-house sharpening program instead.  

When presented with the cost benefit tool provided by Mercer Culinary, they found the savings to be immediate and impressive. “We found that in one year, the real savings was over $20,000,” shared Chad M., operations manager for the group. These savings directly impact the bottom line in an industry where every nickel counts. In fact, Mercer Culinary has developed tools to help any size operation consider knife ownership as a money-saving alternative to using knife rental services.

 

“The kitchen teams are pleased with the quality of their Mercer knives and enjoy the ability to sharpen their knives on demand,” Chad explains, since maintaining sharp knives is a tenet of safety and efficiency in any kitchen.

 

In a recent follow-up 6 months after implementing the program, Chad is pleased with the knife performance and has had team members step up to look after sharpening the knives in-house. This has fostered employee development and contributed to the morale of the kitchen. When asked if there were any drawbacks to the ownership process, Chad mentioned “No issues at this time, and we’ve been pleased by the performance of the blades. They stand up well and perform as we need them.”

 

Chad also mentioned, “In the age of COVID-19, having one less person in our operation contributes to the safety and well-being of our staff. I’m glad we can limit access to just essential delivery and maintenance people.” 

Some things to ask yourself when considering knife ownership versus renting:

• Do you find the knives that the grinding service delivers to be worn and used? Are the handles heavy and uncomfortable? Is there visible pitting and wear on the blades?
• When renting, are you surprised to find hidden fees that were not discussed upfront, including paying full list price for lost or stolen knives ($20 paring knives add up).
• Do you think your kitchen and budget would benefit from razor sharp knives that can be sharpened when needed, with a variety of sharpening tools designed to fit any budget or kitchen?
• Is safety a daily concern? Have you had employees miss work due to injury from knives with edges that dull quickly? 

From single unit family restaurants to large institutions and chains, Mercer and Wallin Foodservice Resources can help your operation find the proper mix of knives and sharpening tools to keep your kitchen cooking safely and efficiently. To see Mercer’s cutlery selection guide, click here.

And if you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, contact us for help cutting costs by owning knives instead of renting.