FSfoodservicenerd
Independent food-business resource

Everything to open and run a food business, in one place.

Honest guidance and real equipment specs, prices and local dealers. Figure out what you need, spec it, price it, and get it permitted — without a sales pitch.

Free & independent. Advice pages sell nothing · equipment prices come from real dealers, clearly disclosed.

What are you working on?

Pick a path — we’ll take you straight to the right tools, data and guides.

Opening a food business
Concept to keys-in-hand — budget, permits, build-out.
Planning equipment
Size it right, spec it, and see what fits your kitchen.
Checking local requirements
Permit fees, plan review & health rules by ZIP.
Comparing prices
Real dealer street prices from independents — no sales pitch.
Improving an existing operation
Cut costs, pass inspections, run it tighter.

Two ways in

Plan, decide & comply
The knowledge side — no products sold.
Start planning →
Equipment, prices & dealers
The catalog side — real specs, real prices.
Browse equipment →

Browse equipment

Refrigeration
reach-in · walk-in · prep
Cooking line
ranges · fryers · griddles
Ovens
convection · combi · deck
Warewashing & sinks
dish machines · 3-comp
Prep & work tables
stainless · sandwich prep
Ice machines
cube · nugget · flake
Bar & beverage
back bar · espresso
Ventilation
hoods · make-up air
All brands
164 brands · ownership map
Find a dealer
1,656 dealers · by ZIP

Free calculators & tools

Cost to openHood CFMFood cost & menu price Labor cost %Break-evenSection 179 write-off Equipment lease vs. buyWalk-in sizingDo I need a hood? Kitchen equipment configurator
What does your health department require?
Enter your ZIP → your county → permit fees, plan review, and food-safety rules.

Start here

Opening a business
How to open a restaurant
The full step-by-step — concept, budget, lease, permits, build-out and opening.
Choosing equipment
Reach-in vs. walk-in
When your volume justifies a walk-in — then compare real models and prices.
Compliance
What to do during a health inspection
Exactly how to handle the visit, pass, and recover if you fail.
From the Editor

Notes from someone who’s done this.

Straight talk on opening and running a food business — by Gene Lansky, founder of FoodServiceNerd. A new piece every few days.

August 12, 2026
What it actually costs to open a restaurant in 2026
A realistic, national look at the real number to open — and where it goes.
See all articles →
Let’s get nerdy 🤓

We dig into the data so you don’t have to.

Original research from our own permit & equipment data — the stuff you can’t find anywhere else. Free to read, free to cite.

New study
What it actually costs to get a restaurant permit in the U.S.
We read the published fee schedules for all 383 counties — and the first surprise was how many don’t publish a price at all.
Read the study →
Independent — and honest about how it works.
Our guides, calculators and requirements data sell nothing and take no cut, so we can answer questions a seller can’t — including “do you even need this?” On the equipment side we aggregate real prices from multiple dealers with links and take no payment to list or rank anyone.