- WebstaurantStore wins on price and selection for online ordering. Restaurant Depot wins if you need supplies today and have a membership. KaTom is hard to recommend given its abysmal customer service record.
- Restaurant Depot requires a business license and charges a membership fee, but their in-store prices on perishables and bulk food items are unbeatable.
- KaTom has a 1.06 out of 5 rating on the BBB with hundreds of complaints. That's not a red flag, it's a flashing alarm.
Three Retailers, Three Very Different Experiences
If you're outfitting a commercial kitchen or restocking supplies, you've probably come across all three of these names. WebstaurantStore, KaTom Restaurant Supply, and Restaurant Depot each take a different approach to selling restaurant equipment and supplies. And the differences matter more than you'd think.
WebstaurantStore is the largest online restaurant supply retailer, with over 500,000 products and warehouse shipping across the country. KaTom is a smaller online competitor based in Tennessee that carries around 100,000 products. Restaurant Depot is a brick-and-mortar warehouse club (think Costco for restaurants) with about 150 locations across the US.
Each one has strengths. But one of them has a customer service reputation so bad that we'd think twice before ordering a napkin from them. Let's break it all down.
Pricing: Who Actually Has the Lowest Prices?
This is what most buyers care about first, so let's start here.
WebstaurantStore
WebstaurantStore consistently has the lowest online prices for commercial kitchen equipment and supplies. Their model is high volume, low margins. They're not padding prices with service fees or markup. A True T-49-HC two-door refrigerator runs around $3,600 on WebstaurantStore. The same unit on KaTom? Often $3,800-4,000. At a local dealer? $4,200+.
They also offer volume discounts on many items. Buy 10+ of something and the per-unit price drops automatically. No need to negotiate or call a sales rep.
KaTom
KaTom's prices are generally 5-15% higher than WebstaurantStore on identical items. They occasionally match on specific products, but across a full equipment order, you'll almost always spend more. KaTom does offer a “price match guarantee,” but actually getting them to honor it can be a frustrating process based on customer reports.
Their pricing isn't outrageous. It's just not competitive enough to justify choosing them over WebstaurantStore, especially given the customer service issues we'll get into shortly.
Restaurant Depot
Restaurant Depot's pricing model is different because you're shopping in person. Their equipment prices are competitive with WebstaurantStore on many items, and sometimes lower on specific brands they stock heavily. But the real value at Restaurant Depot is perishable food, produce, meat, and dairy at wholesale prices. That's where they crush online retailers, because shipping cold chain products is expensive and impractical.
For equipment and non-perishable supplies, Restaurant Depot's selection is much smaller than WebstaurantStore's. You're limited to what's on the floor, and that varies by location.
Price winner: WebstaurantStore for equipment and supplies. Restaurant Depot for food and perishables.
Product Selection: Size Matters
WebstaurantStore: 500,000+ products. This is the clear leader. Everything from commercial refrigerators and ovens to disposable gloves and menu covers. Over 2,000 brands. If it exists in the restaurant supply world, WebstaurantStore probably carries it. Their house brand, Avantco, also offers budget-friendly alternatives to name-brand equipment.
KaTom: ~100,000 products. A respectable catalog, but about one-fifth the size of WebstaurantStore's. KaTom focuses more on equipment and less on disposables and janitorial supplies. If you need a specific model of commercial mixer, they probably have it. If you need a case of biodegradable straws in a specific size, they might not.
Restaurant Depot: Varies by location. Each warehouse carries a curated selection of equipment, smallwares, disposables, and food products. The advantage is you can see and touch everything before buying. The disadvantage is you're limited to what's in stock at your nearest location. If you need a specific model of reach-in cooler, they might not carry it.
Selection winner: WebstaurantStore, by a wide margin.
Shipping and Delivery
WebstaurantStore
Most items ship within one to two business days, with delivery in three to seven business days. They have warehouses across the US, so shipping times are reasonable for most locations. Standard shipping on lighter items runs $5-15. Heavy equipment ships via LTL freight and can cost $200-400+.
WebstaurantPlus ($99/year) gives you free shipping on eligible items (mostly smallwares and disposables, not freight equipment). It's a genuine money-saver if you order frequently.
KaTom
KaTom offers free shipping on orders over $99 (on qualifying items). That sounds better than WebstaurantStore's shipping policy on paper. But here's where it gets complicated. Many customers report that KaTom's shipping times are significantly slower than WebstaurantStore's. Orders that should take a week can take two or three weeks. And tracking information is often delayed or inaccurate.
For urgent purchases, KaTom's unreliable shipping timeline is a real problem. When your walk-in cooler breaks and you need a replacement part, “maybe two weeks, maybe three” isn't good enough.
Restaurant Depot
No shipping needed. You drive to the warehouse, load up your car or truck, and leave with your supplies that day. For urgent needs (you're out of gloves, a pan broke mid-service, you need cleaning supplies now), Restaurant Depot can't be beat. Same-day availability is a massive advantage.
The downside is you need a location near you. Restaurant Depot has about 150 US locations, concentrated in metro areas. If you're in a rural area, this isn't an option.
Shipping winner: Restaurant Depot for immediate needs. WebstaurantStore for reliable online shipping. KaTom is last place here.
Minimum Orders and Access Requirements
WebstaurantStore: No minimum order. No membership required to buy. Anyone can create an account and start ordering. Some items are sold in case quantities only, but that's a product-level minimum, not a store-wide policy. The optional Plus membership ($99/year) is for shipping benefits only.
KaTom: No minimum order. No membership required. Open to anyone, similar to WebstaurantStore.
Restaurant Depot: This is where it gets restrictive. You need a membership to shop, and you need to provide proof of a business license, resale certificate, or tax-exempt organization status to get one. The membership itself is free (no annual fee), but the eligibility requirement locks out home cooks and hobbyists.
There's a workaround: Restaurant Depot sells day passes through Instacart in some markets, and some locations offer a “guest pass” if you call ahead. But the in-store experience is designed for business buyers.
Access winner: WebstaurantStore and KaTom (tie). Anyone can buy. Restaurant Depot is limited to verified businesses.
Return Policies: The Fine Print Matters
WebstaurantStore
This is WebstaurantStore's biggest weakness. Returns carry a 30% restocking fee. Items must be unopened, in original packaging, within 30 days. You pay return shipping. Defective items go through the manufacturer's warranty process. It's strict, and it's the most common source of negative reviews.
The trade-off is real though. Those low prices exist partly because WebstaurantStore isn't absorbing return costs into their margins. You save on the front end, but you pay on the back end if you need to send something back.
KaTom
KaTom's official return policy is similar to WebstaurantStore's: restocking fees apply, items must be unused, and you pay return shipping. But here's where it gets ugly. Hundreds of customer complaints describe KaTom refusing returns entirely, not responding to return requests, or charging restocking fees on defective items. The policy on paper is one thing. The actual experience is apparently much worse.
Restaurant Depot
Restaurant Depot's return policy is the most generous of the three. Most items can be returned within 30 days with a receipt for a full refund or exchange. No restocking fee on most products. The in-person model makes returns simpler too. You just bring the item back to the store. No shipping, no waiting for a return label, no arguing over email.
Return policy winner: Restaurant Depot, easily. WebstaurantStore is strict but at least consistent. KaTom is the worst experience by far.
Customer Service: This Is Where KaTom Falls Apart
We need to talk about KaTom's customer service. Or rather, the lack of it.
KaTom Restaurant Supply holds a 1.06 out of 5 rating on the Better Business Bureau, with hundreds of complaints about unresponsive customer service, unresolved issues, and orders that never arrived or arrived damaged with no recourse. That's not a typo. 1.06 out of 5. The complaints consistently describe the same problems: long hold times, unanswered emails, refusal to process returns, and charges for items that were never delivered.
To be clear, every retailer gets some bad reviews. But a 1.06 BBB rating with a pattern of identical complaints spanning years isn't a few unhappy customers. It suggests systemic problems with their customer service operation.
WebstaurantStore's Customer Service
WebstaurantStore's customer service is decent. Not amazing, but solid. They offer phone, email, and live chat during business hours. Pre-sale support is good. Post-sale support is average. Their BBB rating is significantly better than KaTom's, and while you'll find negative reviews (mostly about the restocking fee), you won't find a pattern of orders going unresolved or customers being ghosted.
Their live chat is the fastest way to get help. Phone hold times can hit 15-20 minutes during busy periods. Email responses usually come within 24 hours.
Restaurant Depot's Customer Service
Restaurant Depot's customer service is in-person, which has its advantages. If you have a problem with a product, you walk into the store and deal with it face to face. Issues get resolved faster when there's a person standing in front of you. The downside is that service quality varies by location. Some stores have knowledgeable, helpful staff. Others feel more like a discount warehouse with minimal staff on the floor.
Customer service winner: Restaurant Depot (in-person resolution is hard to beat). WebstaurantStore is a solid second. KaTom is a distant, distant last place.
Warranties and Equipment Support
All three retailers primarily pass warranty claims through to the equipment manufacturer. That means if your new commercial mixer breaks after six months, you're contacting Hobart or Vollrath directly, not the retailer.
WebstaurantStore does offer some warranty support for their house brand, Avantco. Since they manufacture and sell those products, the warranty process is more direct. That's actually a point in Avantco's favor for budget-conscious buyers.
KaTom's warranty process, based on customer reports, is difficult to initiate and slow to resolve. Given their overall customer service challenges, warranty support through KaTom is a risky proposition.
Restaurant Depot occasionally handles exchanges on equipment that fails early, especially on their own store brands. But for major equipment, you're still going through the manufacturer.
Warranty winner: It's a tie between WebstaurantStore (for Avantco products) and Restaurant Depot (for in-store exchanges). KaTom loses again.
Who Wins for Each Use Case
Here's where we stop being diplomatic and just tell you which one to use.
Opening a new restaurant and need to buy everything: WebstaurantStore. The selection is unmatched, prices are lowest, and you can outfit an entire kitchen from one site. Budget $200-400 for shipping on heavy equipment, and you'll still come out ahead.
Weekly supply restocking (disposables, food, cleaning): Restaurant Depot if you have one nearby. The instant availability and no-hassle returns make it ideal for recurring purchases. WebstaurantStore with Plus membership is your second option.
Emergency equipment replacement: Restaurant Depot if they have what you need in stock. WebstaurantStore with expedited shipping if they don't. Don't rely on KaTom for anything time-sensitive.
Home cook wanting commercial-grade gear: WebstaurantStore, no question. Restaurant Depot requires a business license. KaTom isn't worth the risk. WebstaurantStore lets anyone order without restrictions.
Buying food and perishables in bulk: Restaurant Depot is the only real option here. You can't ship a case of fresh chicken breasts cost-effectively. This is Restaurant Depot's core strength.
Best overall for most buyers: WebstaurantStore. It's not close.
The Bottom Line
WebstaurantStore and Restaurant Depot are both legitimate options for different buying situations. WebstaurantStore wins for online ordering with the best prices, biggest selection, and reliable shipping. Restaurant Depot wins for in-person shopping, perishable food, and easy returns. Use both if you can.
KaTom is hard to recommend. The prices aren't low enough to justify the risk, and the customer service horror stories are too consistent to ignore. A 1.06 BBB rating doesn't happen by accident. Unless KaTom is the only retailer carrying a specific product you need (which is unlikely given WebstaurantStore's catalog), there's no reason to shop there.
For most restaurant owners and serious home cooks, WebstaurantStore should be your default for online orders. Pair it with Restaurant Depot for perishables and emergency supplies, and you'll have every base covered at the lowest possible cost.
