What to Consider When Adding a BBQ Grill to Your Restaurant

Canadians love barbecue! A BBQ grill can be an excellent addition to a wide range of restaurants and commercial kitchens, due to the versatility and options they provide for preparing your dishes. Grilled or barbecued food is generally believed to taste better than stovetop cooking and it can be a major selling point for your restaurant as well.

If you're looking at adding a BBQ grill to your restaurant, there are some important matters to consider when making the choice. Here are some of the most critical considerations.

Major Considerations When Choosing A BBQ Grill

1. Gas vs. Propane

Chances are you aren't using a charcoal grill unless you're operating a dedicated outdoor BBQ restaurant (and even then, you'd probably have a fire pit.)  For indoor operations, the choices in fuel are gas and propane.

If your restaurant already has gas hookups, then that becomes the obvious answer.  A gas grill costs a bit more than a propane grill, but natural gas is less expensive than propane so the costs will even out over time.  Natural gas is also more ecologically friendly than propane and generally agreed to produce better-tasting food.  Finally, propane is heavier than gas and can present a greater danger if a leak occurs.

The only major reason to use a propane grill is portability since its fuel supply is self-contained and doesn't require wall hookups.

2. BTUs

When it comes to cooking temperatures, higher isn’t always better.  If the temperature of the grill is too high, you could risk burning the outside of the meat while leaving the interior raw (and not everyone likes their steaks rare).  

As a rule, you want 80-100 BTUs for every square inch of cooking space.

3. Number of burners

A gas or propane grill can potentially have anywhere from one to six burners on it - and each burner can be set to a different temperature.  So, broadly speaking, the number of burners on your grill determines how many separate food items you can have cooking simultaneously.  

This factor will be determined by your own expected demand, as well as your kitchen team’s ability to juggle so many food items at once.  There's no guideline here, just what works best for your restaurant and business model.'

4. Accessories

There are a few grill accessories you might be tempted to add onto your BBQ grill.  For example:

• Side burner: Many grills are sold with side burners, which are generally used to heat sauces or potentially smaller vegetables. However, they rarely have precise temperature control. If there's a stove available, skip the side burner and use the stove instead.
• Rotisserie: A rotisserie appliance can be an excellent grill addition since it gives you more options in meat preparation.
• Smoking tray: Smoked meat is tasty but takes a long time to cook. Whether you add this should be demand-driven.

If you want to add a BBQ grill to your restaurant, Zanduco has top-quality options. Browse our full selection by clicking here! You can also call us at 1 (855) 926-3826.