Restaurant Equipment and Supply for Covington, Newport and Northern Kentucky
Covington and Newport sit on the Kentucky bank of the Ohio River, across from Cincinnati, and they still cook like the German towns they once were. Goetta, a breakfast meat of pork, beef and pinhead oats made popular here by German-speaking immigrants from Hanover, gets its own summer festival, and Covington even has a Goetta Street.
The calendar runs on festivals: Maifest every May and Oktoberfest every September in Covington's MainStrasse Village, Italianfest every June and Goettafest every summer on Newport's riverfront, and an outdoor farmers market on Covington's Washington Street every Saturday from May to October. Out in Boone County, Florence's water tower still says "Florence Y'all."
Since 2015, The Restaurant Warehouse has shipped to thousands of commercial kitchens in every state. Northern Kentucky orders ship from our Columbus warehouse, so Northern Kentucky restaurants get the same low prices and freight delivery right to Covington, Newport, Florence, Erlanger, and Fort Thomas. The most common orders here are griddles, reach-in refrigerators, sandwich prep tables, fryers, draft beer coolers, and food truck equipment.
Goetta: Northern Kentucky's Breakfast Meat
Goetta is a sausage-like breakfast food of German origin, according to the Kenton County Public Library, made from pinhead oats, ground pork, ground beef and spices. It was made popular in the area by German-speaking immigrants from Hanover. Goetta has been made in Covington since 1946, and in 2002 part of West 11th Street near a goetta plant was renamed Goetta Street. Every summer, late July into August, Goettafest takes over Festival Park on Newport's riverfront for two weekends with free admission and dozens of goetta dishes, from goetta mac and cheese and goetta empanadas to goetta pizza and fried goetta balls.
Breakfast diners and brunch spots built around goetta, eggs and hash browns run hard on griddles, with reach-in refrigerators for sliced logs and sandwich prep tables for the lunch rush. Festival booths frying goetta balls add fryers and food truck equipment to the list.
Chili Parlors and Coneys on the Kentucky Side
The regional chili style started across the river in Cincinnati in 1922, when Greek immigrant brothers Tom and John Kiradjieff began spooning a Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce over hot dogs and spaghetti. In 1929 an immigrant who had worked at their parlor opened Northern Kentucky's first chili parlor in Newport, and the order is still counted in "ways": a three-way is spaghetti, chili and a mound of shredded cheese, a four-way adds onions or beans, and a five-way adds both. Coneys, hot dogs topped with the same chili, round out the menu.
Chili parlors keep sauce hot all day on ranges with stock pots, shred and hold cheese in reach-in refrigerators and undercounter refrigerators, and build plates on work tables. Late-night counters add griddles for coneys.
MainStrasse Village, Maifest, Oktoberfest and Italianfest
German and Catholic immigrants came to Covington in large numbers to work in its distilling, tobacco and manufacturing trades. In the 1970s the city turned its west end into MainStrasse Village, a German-themed district of shops and restaurants, with a $2.5 million state grant in 1977, the Carroll Chimes clock tower and its Pied Piper puppet show in 1978, and a formal dedication in 1979. Maifest fills Goebel Park and the village streets for three days every May with food, beer, music and dancing, and Oktoberfest returns every September. Across the Licking River, Newport holds Italianfest on the riverfront every June. Covington Farmers Market adds 30-plus rotating vendors on Washington Street downtown, Saturdays 9 am to 1 pm from May through October, according to the city.
Beer halls, festival vendors and market-driven kitchens need draft beer coolers, back-bar coolers, bar refrigeration, and ice machines for a full weekend, plus fryers for festival food, and pizza prep tables for Italianfest pies.
Restaurant Supply Store in Covington
We ship straight to your Covington restaurant. Most Northern Kentucky orders arrive in 1 to 3 business days from our Columbus warehouse, with free freight and free lift gate service. Will-call pickup in Columbus is available for verified restaurant businesses, but most kitchens skip the trip and let us ship it. Most Northern Kentucky calls are for a fast replacement, like a griddle that quit before the Saturday brunch rush or a reach-in that died in a July heat wave, or for a full package for a new diner, chili parlor, taproom or festival trailer. Tell us what you are cooking and how much space you have, and we will help you size the line.
Why Covington Restaurants Buy From The Restaurant Warehouse
Every piece of new Atosa equipment we sell is run-tested for 24 hours at the factory before it ships. It carries Intertek's ETL Sanitation and cETLus listings, which certify it to the NSF/ANSI food equipment standards and US and Canadian safety standards that inspectors from the Northern Kentucky Health Department look for. Refrigeration comes with a 3-year parts and labor warranty and a 5-year compressor warranty, gas cooking equipment comes with a 1-year parts and labor warranty, and extended warranties are available.
- Free freight on qualifying orders, no lift gate fees
- Built for scrappy startups, food trucks and independent kitchens
- Founder Sean Kearney answers calls, texts and email at (206) 419-5801 or therestaurantwarehouse@gmail.com
Serving Covington, Newport and Northern Kentucky
Covington is our hub for Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties. Restaurants across Northern Kentucky get the same equipment, free lift gate freight and warranty, and they talk to the same team. The Northern Kentucky Health Department inspects food service establishments in all three counties, and most are inspected twice a year, according to the department.
Covington, Erlanger and Independence
Covington and Independence are Kenton County's two county seats. MainStrasse Village fills with festival vendors for Maifest and Oktoberfest, and Erlanger's Dixie Highway mixes sushi, a Mexican taqueria and a pizza pub. Kitchens across Kenton County order griddles, sandwich prep tables, chef bases, and reach-in refrigerators.
Newport, Fort Thomas and Bellevue
Newport's riverfront Festival Park hosts Italianfest every June and Goettafest every summer. Fort Thomas is Campbell County's largest city, and Bellevue's Fairfield Avenue has cafes, Thai food and brunch. Restaurants and bars in Campbell County order bar refrigeration, glass merchandisers, fryers, and ice machines.
Florence and Boone County
Florence, home to about 32,000 people as of 2020, painted "Florence Mall" on its water tower to welcome a mall that wasn't built yet, and when the state said it couldn't advertise it, the mayor had the M turned into a Y for "Florence Y'all." Florence's family restaurants and pizza shops order pizza prep tables, commercial ovens, freezers, and countertop display cases.
Covington Restaurant Equipment FAQ
Do you ship restaurant equipment to Covington?
Yes. The Restaurant Warehouse ships commercial restaurant equipment to Covington and the rest of Northern Kentucky by freight, with lift gate delivery to your door.
Do you deliver to Newport, Florence, Erlanger, Fort Thomas and Independence?
Yes. We deliver across Northern Kentucky, including Covington, Newport, Bellevue, Fort Thomas, Erlanger, Independence, and Florence.
How fast is delivery to Covington?
Most Northern Kentucky orders arrive in 1 to 3 business days from our Columbus warehouse, depending on item availability and carrier routing. Contact us if you need equipment urgently.
Do you offer free freight?
Yes. Free freight is available on select models and qualifying orders. Contact us to confirm freight options for a specific item.
Do you charge lift gate fees?
No. We do not charge lift gate fees.
What types of restaurant equipment do you sell?
We sell commercial refrigerators, freezers, prep tables, griddles, charbroilers, deep fryers, ovens, ice machines, bar refrigeration, and food truck equipment, plus many other categories for professional kitchens.
Can I get help choosing the right equipment?
Yes. If you can't find what you need, call or email us and we'll help you source the right product for your kitchen.
Can I pick up my order?
Yes. Verified restaurant businesses can arrange will-call pickup at our Columbus warehouse. But why lose a day renting a truck, strapping it down and unloading it yourself? With free freight and free lift gate service, most Northern Kentucky orders arrive at your door or curb in 1 to 3 business days. Call (206) 419-5801 to set up either option.
Down I-75, our Lexington page covers the Bluegrass, and west along I-71 our Louisville page covers Louisville and Kentuckiana.
Restaurant Equipment Across Kentucky
The Restaurant Warehouse delivers commercial restaurant equipment across Kentucky from our Columbus warehouse. Find the page for your region: