Restaurants Helping Competitors Stay Alive
“We look at it like a gift. This was kind of a sign,” says Jessie Vaccarelli.
A sign that Vaccarelli is on the right track. Vaccarelli and her husband cashed in part of their retirement to launch their new bakery in Hamlin. Today, Vaccarelli is picking up some of the items she’ll need.
“Convection oven, work surfaces, all stainless steel equipment, bowls.”
But Vaccarelli is getting help from an unlikely source, her competition.
“Historically, it would just stay for years sometimes in the back of the house and now they need to find a home for it.”
Because of the recession, other restaurants and cooking schools are disposing their kitchen appliances to recyclers like Neal Sherman.
Because of the high demand for these items, Sherman recently put them up on the auction block. And Vaccarelli found exactly what she needed.
“Everything related to food. Front of the house tables, chairs, decor.. small ware back of the house, mixers, ovens grills,” says Sherman.
“When we came here, we got three quarters of what we needed and we spent less than $1,000,” says Vaccarelli.
“People are becoming much more efficient, much more frugal,” says Sherman.
With the moving truck now packed with kitchen supplies, her dreams of baking are almost complete.
“I told my husband he’s got like 2 weeks to get this thing done,he’s got walls to paint.”
Vaccarelli plans to have her opening next month.
Reported by: Jason Frazer
WROC/WUHF
