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Getting a knife rental business going can open up some logistical problems you might not have considered. You’re going to be driving around with hundreds of kitchen knives every day, and that can be tough from a safety and organizational standpoint. As you begin building your route, you’ll want to have a pre-determined system for dealing with dull, dirty knives. You’ll want to have your sharp, clean knives ready to go so you can make the most of your time. You’ll also want to make sure that if you come to a sudden stop that you don’t have a 12” chef...

Our last post was about the general concept of knife rental businesses. We went through the basics of how knife leasing works and the typical arrangements between commercial kitchens and knife rental companies. We talked about the process of getting knives in bulk and then switching them out in professional kitchens. In this post, we'll go into what it takes, equipment wise, to get going. There is a huge, and often confusing array of products for sale that will sharpen knives, even among systems that claim to be for "professionals". They all claim to be the the easiest, fastest, and get the best results. There are also endless opinions and...

We often get asked about contracts when knife rental companies get new accounts. Many sharpeners and rental companies feel that contracts are a good way to ensure that the business and income can be depended on for years. It can keep competition from coming in and taking accounts, and it gives the customer a since of security in knowing that they have locked in pricing for a certain amount of time.  There are some knife leasing companies that have massive, national accounts. These accounts may consist of hundreds, or even thousands of restaurants across the country. These companies are big enough to...

In the first two posts, we discussed the basics of how to get a knife rental business started, focusing on the cutlery and sharpening equipment that you need. In this post, we'll talk about what it takes to go get the business. It can definitely be the most challenging part. There is no one size fits all, easy solution to getting and retaining customers in your knife rental business. There are, however, several things you can do to improve your chances. By building a strong online presence, being aware of what's going on in your local area, and building strong relationships with your current customers, you...