EEL Economic Restaurant Equipment - Phoenix, Arizona

michael houder

We recently bought a used walk-in cooler/freezer combo from EEL. While all the employees I dealt with were professional and helpful, that is where the positive experience ends. We were assured that the walk-in, while used, was in working condition when it was disassembled. When it arrived it was obvious that this was not the case. The issues are almost too numerous to mention in their entirety. They include:

- The copper tubing on the compressors had been clipped off and pinched shut instead of cleanly cut and capped
- All the mechanical units were leaking serious amounts of oil and one of the compressor fans was almost seized up
- The condenser for the freezer was so corroded it was turning to dust
- The wiring had all been redone by a total amateur and inside the cooler compressor the insulation had melted from extreme heat
- Mechanical components were clearly damaged and in some cases not even attached to the casing
- The doors and thresholds on the box were so rusted they were turning to dust
- The freezer floor had been sloppily cut in two pieces for transport
- Most of the panels were damaged, had rusted out cam locks, and/or were growing black mold on the insulation

I had two independent HVAC techs each with over 20 years experience tell me that they would never agree to work on any of the equipment, and that in their professional opinion the entire unit was junk. When I brought these issues and more to the attention of EEL I was told that all equipment was sold as is and they did not offer refunds. Finally, after dealing with a few employees, explaining at great length that the unit was advertised as functional when it was clearly not, and that despite later claims that with a little refurbishment it could be restored when it clearly could not, they reluctantly agreed to a partial refund. The refund did not include the cost of shipping and did include a 30% restocking fee even though they did not want the equipment back. All throughout they never admitted to the obvious poor quality of what they sent me, and continued to insist that this is how business is done in the industry. We only chose to do business with EEL based on a number of positive reviews, but in our case we have no option but to conclude that EEL scammed us out of a significant amount of money. Buyer Beware!

Miranda Whitney

This local, family-owned company is one of the best equipment companies I’ve had the chance of working with. Our representative, Liz, made the shopping process so easy, fun, and positive. This company not only saved me 60% on our large kitchen equipment, but they also make your dream come to life. Not to mention, EEL provides the BEST delivery at an impeccable cost. The delivery team did EVERYTHING they had to ensure my kitchen came to life. They were also so kind, hard working, and they didn’t quit till they got the job done. They took the wheels off my fridge to get it through the door and put them back on, they called in other delivery helpers to help with the ovens to make them fit through the door and they were there within 15 minutes (the ovens? Were in the kitchen in 25), they wrapped everything, were careful with everything, and even assured us that if anything happened to our oven we had a warranty. If you’re in the area and looking to open a restaurant or need a equipment, please contact Liz and the crew at Economic Equipment Locator. You will not be sorry.

Cate Wears

Great place for used or some new equipment. We have used shopped EEL several times. Easy to work with. Very responsive. Would recommend.

Strollin Soda Pops

It's a real mix up of stuff here. The staff member I spoke to was very nice but I noticed they overcharged me. The price on the shelf says $8 and they charged me $17 for 2. A lot of items are not priced so shop at your own risk, the price you're quoted will simply be whatever that staff member feels at that moment. That being said, they have a lot of stuff, so if you don't mind sorting through a lot of used and sometimes dirty stuff, you could probably get some good deals.

Mad Fresh Kitchen

Top notch business, all-around! We have purchased numerous Commercial Refrigerators and restaurant equipment/supplies from EEL. Staff is friendly and prices are fair

Most recently, we purchased a Walk-In cooler box from them. Delivery and installation was completed in 1 day. Special thanks to Nelly and Aracely for great customer service!

Daniel Clark

Updated: The warranty department got a hold of me the next day and had someone come out to swap the broken fridge with a working fridge (same model). Did they just recharge this one and it will slowly leak refrigerant? Possibly outside of the 60 day warranty window? Time will tell but they did address the issue quickly so I updated my review. Still quite an inconvenience so I'm keeping this at 4 stars until the fridge shows it can run for a while. They have a great selection and the service was quick ; just be weary of the refrigerated stuff without testing it first.

Previous: Just plugged in my fridge to find it doesn't work at all. Now all my food and drinks are sitting in coolers. How hard is it to plug the fridge in at the warehouse for 10 minutes to check if its operational before you sell it? I'll update this if/when EEL makes it right.

Steve Gray

Thanks for your great work -- your guys were amazing!  They were hard working and polite..and made sure everything was completed before they left!  You should be proud of their representation of EEL!

Patty “WineIsMySpiritAnimal” Gii

Amazing inventory, well organized and great prices. Customer service is exceptional and extremely accommodating.