Navigating Tariffs and Equipment Challenges in the Restaurant Industry

How will tariffs affect restaurants?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Neal Sherman, the founder of the used equipment company Tagex Brands.

President Trump dramatically escalated the tariff rate on imported goods to an average of 27%, according to the Budget Lab at Yale.

That’s expected to have an impact on restaurants. Most restaurant chains source the bulk of their food from within the U.S., but equipment purchases could be another matter.

We spoke with Sherman at the Restaurant Leadership Conference. Sherman's company, which operates a secondary market for restaurant equipment, is expected to be a beneficiary as rising equipment costs lead operators to search for better deals. 

We discuss the potential demand for used equipment as tariffs take hold. We also talk about the state of the restaurant industry and what a difficult economy could do to consumer demand. 

We’re talking tariffs on the podcast so check it out.