Rethinking Downtime: What Our Research Revealed About Commercial Kitchens & HVAC Systems

Equipment going down means everything slows down — staff, kitchens, customers and more. That’s why we went straight to the source to learn more. In 2025, we surveyed around 1,800 respondents across chain and institution customers to better understand how downtime impacts teams, operations and budgets. Chain customers are made up of respondents from restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores. Institution customers featured respondents in areas like education, healthcare, hotels and corporate.

The results really got us thinking, and they’re already starting to shape how we help customers ensure their kitchens and buildings run smoothly.

Rethinking Downtime: Our Latest Whitepaper

Equipment downtime isn't just a repair or maintenance problem. It also affects productivity, safety and customer experience, creating costs that extend far beyond repairs. In our whitepaper, we break down the data we collected to uncover the biggest risks associated with downtime and share practical strategies for minimizing disruptions and keeping operations running smoothly.

Key Takeaways from the Downtime Survey

Looking for the highlights before diving into the full report? Below, you'll find a brief snapshot of key findings from the whitepaper, including some of the most important data points and insights related to equipment downtime. 

Downtime Is Hitting More Frequently & Harder

For both chain and institution customers, downtime can be a weekly occurrence:

• 1 in 3 customers experience unplanned downtime every week.
• Refrigeration and fryers are the most frequent and most disruptive failures.
• Institutions customers face aging infrastructure and compliance risks — downtime can disrupt meals, inspections and safety.

That’s not even considering the cost! Getting timely repairs can add up fast:

• Nearly 40% of fryer repairs cost $1,000+ in Chains.
• Up to 70% of Institutions don’t know the true cost of downtime — a major opportunity for education.

So What’s Breaking & How Frequently?

According to the numbers, here’s what we’ve found:

• 50% of respondents say their most critical equipment needs 4+ repairs per year.
• 39% of Institutions customers repair HVAC 7+ times annually.
• 55% of Chains customers report fryers breaking down 4+ times a year.
• The equipment breaking down most frequently includes fryers, refrigerators and freezers.

When it comes to preventative maintenance, it seems things aren’t as consistent as they should be:

• Chains show stronger preventative maintenance discipline — over 50% perform monthly preventative maintenance on top equipment.
• Institutions lag due to staffing and time constraints, with quarterly preventative maintenance most common.

When customers are strict with preventative maintenance on their equipment, they can easily cut down on potential downtime. Sticking to a planned preventative maintenance checklist can help save long-term repair costs, unexpected breakdowns and peace of mind.

OEM vs. Generic: What Customers Really Choose

OEM parts are crucial, but how many people choose them: 

• 60%+ of both Chains and Institutions customers say OEM parts are Extremely or Very important.
• 76% of Institutions and 60% of Chains customers choose generic when OEM parts aren’t available.

Buying Local Parts Can Be Draining for Productivity

The last thing a service technician or facility maintenance staff should be doing is wasting time by finding a local part to buy last minute:

• 58% of Institutions and 55% of Chains customers buy parts locally.
• More than half spend 45+ minutes a day traveling or waiting for parts.

When things are properly stocked ahead of time, you can cut down on time trying to find the correct part locally and waste less time on the repair at hand.

What Customers Want Most

Across all surveyed customers, these are the things that keep them loyal:

• Fast shipping
• Deep in‑stock availability
• Easy digital ordering
• Knowledgeable, friendly reps

How Parts Town Is Helping

Downtime is more than just a repair issue. It’s a business issue. We’re committed to helping customers stay ahead of it. This information helps us:

• Build smarter stocking and predictive tools
• Improve digital search, tracking and self‑service
• Strengthen communication around backorders and returns
• Support customers with the right parts, right when they need them

Customers want a solid experience from a company they can rely on. At Parts Town, we understand the importance of keeping a kitchen running and stress-free. That's why we offer fast same-day shipping, the largest in-stock inventory and seamless digital ordering, providing the kind of reliability that turns first‑time buyers into lifelong fans. Learn about Parts Town's difference that helps turn downtime into uptime.