Haim Cohen and Moshik Roth reveal: How much does a chef restaurant cost?
The cost of establishing a luxury restaurant has long crossed the boundaries of logic, but the share taken by the kitchen area alone presents figures that would surprise even experienced entrepreneurs.
The cost of establishing a luxury chef restaurant in today's Israel has long crossed the boundaries of logic for novice entrepreneurs. The person providing the key to understanding the figures behind the scenes is Eyal Yakar, CEO of "Kiroskai-Palbam", the leading company in Israel for the production, import, and marketing of professional and industrial kitchen equipment.
Yakar, who has managed the company since 2014 and led its significant growth and innovation, brings with him extensive management experience in both the institutional and retail markets. He presents a sobering picture of the real costs of opening a top-tier establishment:
"Two restaurants opened recently, both Moshik Roth's and Haim Cohen's; it cost them close to ten million shekels. Haim even went a bit above that because the space is much larger."
Within the total budget, the beating heart of the business—the professional kitchen—takes an especially significant share. As Yakar explains, the cost of the kitchen alone ranges between two and three million shekels. The equipment breakdown includes a broad infrastructure: from standard cooking appliances like stoves and fryers to combi-steamers, ice cream machines, and other specialized gear. All these make up the well-oiled machine that operates a fine-dining restaurant, he notes in the podcast "Lakahat LaShabbat".
When it comes to the industry's leading chefs, requirements are exceptionally high, and they do not settle for off-the-shelf products. Yakar describes how chefs like Haim Cohen and Moshik Roth choose the most advanced solutions in the world:
"They went to the Rolls-Royce of manufacturers, the Marrone company in Italy, who did everything tailor-made according to their needs—where the induction would stand and where everything would be placed. They really went to the edge."
Such customization ensures precise ergonomics and maximum utilization of the space.
For entrepreneurs or restaurateurs at the beginning of their path, choosing such luxury equipment involves a huge risk, and Yakar recommends a more cautious approach: "If I were to open a restaurant tomorrow without knowing what the day would bring, I certainly wouldn't go to Rolls-Royce until I understood what was happening." However, when it comes to a business with solid backing and a chef with a string of successes, the economic consideration changes completely: "If there is a stable business here or something where you have a reputation, it is better to buy quality once, and then your ROI (return on investment) will be much better."
