Vent: Had to choose between a new walk-in or a bigger hood system for our spot in Tacoma

Our old walk-in was on its last legs and our hood was too small for the new menu. The quote for a new 12x8 walk-in was $28,000, but the bigger hood and ductwork install was pushing $15,000. We went with the walk-in because we couldn't keep losing product. Now we're running the old hood way too hard and the kitchen is a sauna. Anyone else had to make a call like this and how did you handle the other problem later?

3 comments

3 Comments

rileyfox19d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, that's the kind of choice that gives you night sweats... we put off replacing our hood for a full year after a big freezer buy. The kitchen crew started calling me 'Sweaty Boss' because it was like working in a soup can. You just have to laugh while you're saving up for the next fix, or you'll go crazy.

evan40019d ago

But how do you even run a kitchen without proper ventilation?

uma_nguyen2416d ago

Ugh, tell me about it. Our hood died for a week last summer and we had to prop open the back door with a trash can. Everything was sticky, the fire alarm went off twice a day, and I swear my hair smelled like fry oil for a month. It's a special kind of misery.