Restaurant Equipment in Canada: Buy, Lease, or Rent For Maximum ROI (2025 Guide)

A profitable kitchen comes down to margins, uptime, and speed. The right investment in restaurant equipment can pay for itself quickly, especially when it is tied to proven menu programmes. Taylor® soft serve and slush typically deliver 70 to 80 percent gross profit, Franke® super automatic coffee programmes can pay for themselves within 6 to 12 months, and Henny Penny® filtration and oil management can reduce oil usage by about 40 percent. When operators in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador combine smart acquisition with OEM-quality service, payback often arrives in months, not years.

Why Investing in Restaurant Equipment Pays Off in Canada

Restaurants across Canada are competing for speed and consistency while dealing with labour pressure and rising input costs. Modern equipment compresses cook times, standardises output, and opens new high-margin categories. A soft serve or slush programme can create an immediate add-on sale at the counter. A pressure fryer can expand into bone-in or tenders without compromising throughput. A super automatic coffee system can unlock premium beverage revenue throughout the daypart.

The financial impact goes beyond sales. Oil reduction, energy efficiency, and automated cleaning reduce operating costs. Predictable financing or rental payments protect cash flow so you can invest in marketing, staffing, and openings. The key is to match the acquisition path with your menu strategy and timeline.

Meet TFI Food Equipment Solutions: Canada’s Trusted Food Equipment Supplier

Meet TFI Food Equipment Solutions. This short video introduces our team, our 60+ year Canadian roots, and how we support restaurants across Ontario and Atlantic Canada with sales, installation, training, and factory-certified service.

TFI Food Equipment Solutions

Watch later

Share

Watch on

Watch video

Option 1: Buy New Restaurant Equipment in Canada

Buying new restaurant equipment in Canada is the most straightforward path when you want long-term ownership, brand-standard specifications, and the latest technology from day one. TFI Food Equipment Solutions supplies factory-new systems from Taylor®, Henny Penny®, Franke®, and Icetro, with full manufacturer warranty, professional installation, and start-up training. You get a clean slate, no prior wear, and the confidence that every component meets current performance and safety standards.

New equipment shines when you’re opening a flagship store, rolling out a standard across multiple locations, or refreshing a kitchen where aesthetics and guest perception matter. It’s also the easiest way to tap into current efficiency gains:

Why Operators Choose This Path

Great fit for: new builds and remodels, flagship locations, multi-unit standardisation, and high-visibility kitchens where consistency and presentation matter.

Option 2: Buy Certified Used Restaurant Equipment

Buying certified used restaurant equipment in Canada is the fastest way to add capacity with lower upfront cost while keeping long-term ownership. TFI Food Equipment Solutions holds a rotating inventory of reconditioned restaurant equipment that is professionally cleaned, inspected, and tested. Units typically include a one-year parts and labour warranty and can ship quickly across Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

Certified used is a strong fit when your menu programme is validated and you want equipment on site with minimal delay. A QSR adding a second Taylor soft serve machine, a c-store adding an additional slush barrel, or a takeout concept moving from open frying to pressure frying often finds certified used ideal. Because the equipment has already proven reliable in the field, you can forecast uptime and output with confidence. Pairing the purchase with planned maintenance ensures you extend equipment life and protect warranty coverage.

Why Operators Choose This Path:

Option 3: Leasing Restaurant Equipment in Canada

Leasing to own prioritises cash-flow control and eventual ownership. It works well for big revenue drivers such as commercial pressure fryers, commercial combi ovens, and commercial coffee machines. Approvals are typically fast with digital applications, and terms commonly range from 12 to 60 months. At the end of term, you keep the asset on your books and benefit from its residual value.

Leasing restaurant equipment in Canada makes sense when a programme has clear ROI and you prefer predictable monthly payments. For example, a 2-basket combi oven that consolidates multiple cooking steps or a high-capacity fryer bank that lifts chicken output during peaks can justify payments through daily contribution margin. Ask TFI to model three scenarios at different terms. A 12-month term accelerates ownership for operators with stronger cash flow. A 36-month term balances payment size with speed to equity. A 60-month term minimises payment size for multi-unit rollouts.

Leasing Benefits:

Option 4: Rent Restaurant Equipment in Canada

Renting restaurant equipment is the most flexible way to launch or test a programme. It is well suited to pilots, seasonal volume, pop-ups, university terms, and c-store summers. TFI offers access to demo and used inventory on rental terms, including month-to-month and fixed terms. When the test proves out, you can extend the rental, upgrade to a different model, or convert into a purchase or lease.

Typical rental use cases include a commercial slush machine to capture warm-weather traffic, a countertop commercial soft serve machine to add a dessert line without a full buildout, or a commercial air fryer to introduce crispy sides without managing oil. Renting compresses time to market. You get real sales data before committing capital.

Rental Highlights:

Protect uptime with TFI Total Care monthly maintenance

Uptime is the foundation of ROI. TFI Total Care is a monthly maintenance programme that aligns planned maintenance, reactive service, parts logistics, and year-round operator training under one predictable fee. There are no overtime charges. Service is delivered by factory-trained technicians who are certified annually and stocked with genuine OEM parts to preserve warranty coverage.

TFI Food Equipment Solutions

Watch later

Share

Watch on

Watch video

For a pressure fryer, Total Care can include scheduled filtration checks, boil-outs, and calibration that maintain crispness and food safety. For a Franke coffee system, it can include proactive replacement of seals and valve kits before wear affects shot quality. For Taylor soft serve, it can include seasonal training refreshers for new staff, which prevents over or under aeration and protects product consistency. The outcome is fewer breakdowns, faster recovery, better food quality, and longer equipment life.

Operator Outcomes:

OEM-quality service and repairs in Ontario and Atlantic Canada

TFI Canada offers expert commercial restaurant equipment repair services that support hot side, cold side, and beverage categories across Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The service team uses OEM-only parts. Standard requests target next-business-day response, and urgent issues can be escalated 24 hours a day when a line-down situation risks product loss or service disruption.

Brands with deep bench strength include Taylor, Franke, Henny Penny, and Icetro. Coverage spans fryers, combi ovens, open fryers, air fryers, flat-top grills, soft serve, slush, ice, and super automatic coffee systems. If your fleet includes mixed brands across multiple sites, TFI can standardise PM schedules and consolidate reporting so you can spot patterns and preempt downtime.

What to Buy First for Fast ROI

If you are building a profit-stacked kitchen in Ontario or Atlantic Canada, start with categories that consistently combine high margin and high attachment. A commercial soft serve machine creates an easy add-on at the till and supports shakes and seasonal flavours. Commercial slush machines drive traffic with vibrant, low-labour beverages and can be paired with frozen carbonated options to expand variety. Commercial pressure fryers enable high-quality chicken at scale with built-in filtration that keeps product consistent during peaks. Commercial combi ovens compress cooking steps into one controlled chamber that saves space and labour while improving yield. Commercial air fryers like LightFry produce crispy sides with no added oil, which simplifies training and reduces waste.

These categories often stack together. A chicken programme that uses a Henny Penny pressure fryer, a combi oven for sides and prep, and a Taylor dessert or beverage station creates a balanced ticket with multiple high-margin items.

If you are building a profit-stacked kitchen in Ontario or Atlantic Canada, prioritise these five workhorses.

How to Decide Between Buying New, Certified Used, Leasing, or Renting

Start with timeline and certainty. If your menu programme is proven and brand specs matter, buying new gives you the latest technology, full warranty, and a long service life. If the programme is validated and you want ownership with faster deployment and lower upfront cost, certified used is often the most practical path. When capital is better reserved for openings or marketing, lease to own delivers predictable payments and eventual ownership. If you are still testing or your demand is seasonal, rent to gather real sales data with minimal commitment.

Next, map the decision to cash flow. Build a simple model that estimates daily contribution margin for each piece of equipment. Include consumables, labour savings, energy, oil, and maintenance. Compare that contribution to the daily cost of ownership, the lease payment, or the rental rate. Where contribution comfortably exceeds cost, you have a green light.

Then check brand standards, utilities, and space. New equipment is ideal when you must meet corporate specifications or want the newest efficiency features. Certified used works well when footprint and utilities already match and speed to install matters. Leasing is a fit for multi-unit rollouts that require consistent specs with payment flexibility. Rentals are best when you need a short-term footprint or want to validate volumes before committing.

Restaurant Equipment Decision Guide

Buy New: Choose this when you need brand-spec compliance, the latest features, and the longest service life with full manufacturer warranty. It is ideal for new builds, remodels, and multi-unit standardisation where guest experience and efficiency upgrades are priorities.

Buy Certified Used: Pick this when you want ownership with a lower upfront cost and quick deployment. It is a strong choice for proven programmes that need capacity now, with typical warranty coverage and fast shipping across Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

Lease to Own: Go this route when the ROI is clear but preserving cash matters. You get predictable monthly payments, digital approvals, and end-of-term ownership. It is well suited to high-ROI categories like commercial pressure fryers, commercial coffee machines, and commercial combi ovens.

Rent: Use rentals to pilot a programme, cover a season, or support a pop-up. Month-to-month or fixed terms let you gather real results, then upgrade, extend, or return as your business evolves.

Service Areas and Industries we Support

TFI is one of Canada’s largest suppliers of specialty foodservice equipment programmes, supporting iconic menu items and thousands of independents. Our team of 100+ focuses deeply on Taylor®, Henny Penny®, and Franke® across the regions we serve.

TFI Food Equipment Solutions serves restaurants, c-stores, cafés, QSRs, and institutional kitchens across Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Demonstrations are available in Mississauga and Dartmouth. National distribution allows coordinated multi-site rollouts while maintaining local response.

FAQs: Restaurant Equipment in Canada

What equipment delivers the fastest payback in Canada

Soft serve, slush, premium coffee, and pressure-fried chicken frequently lead. Soft serve and slush programmes commonly reach 70 to 80 percent gross profit. Premium coffee programmes can exceed 80 percent gross profit. Pressure fryers with effective filtration reduce oil costs and support consistent quality at volume.

Should I lease or rent if I am opening a new location in Ontario

Lease if you want ownership with predictable payments and a long-term plan. Rent if you are piloting a concept, tackling a short season, or need to prove demand before committing.

How do I protect warranty and uptime

Use OEM parts and schedule planned maintenance under TFI Total Care. Train staff annually, especially on cleaning and start-up procedures. This protects warranties and reduces preventable downtime.

Do you service outside the GTA and Halifax

Yes. TFI covers Ontario and the Atlantic provinces with both standard and urgent response options.

Next steps

Want a clear, side-by-side plan for the exact model you’re eyeing? Tell us what you’re considering and we’ll map out buy vs lease vs rent with simple cash-flow and payback numbers you can act on.

Curious how it performs in the real world? Book a hands-on demo in Mississauga or Dartmouth and put the equipment through its paces with our culinary team.

Looking to lock in predictable service costs and priority dispatch? Enrol in TFI Total Care to protect uptime with OEM parts and factory-trained technicians.

First contact us by filling out the contact form on our website!