A poorly designed commercial kitchen can cause headaches for staff and can even be dangerous. Because of this, it’s important to consider commercial kitchen design carefully when opening a new restaurant or re-designing an industrial space. With the right layout and other decisions you can optimize workflow and help create a safer place to work.
Here are some principles of commercial kitchen design that will help you keep staff productive and customers happy.
Flexibility and Modularity
Modular kitchens use pre-manufactured modular equipment that can be fit together like a puzzle and be used for a variety of different layouts. The modules are cost-effective and allow business managers to pivot their commercial kitchen design with flexible layout options so they can find what works best. Trends move quickly, and being able to quickly incorporate new food items
Keep It Simple
Do your best to limit the amount of equipment needed in the kitchen to avoid clutter and confusion. It’s also a good idea to group server stations near the kitchen to limit long trips through the dining room.
Kitchen Efficiency and Flow
Commercial kitchen flow refers to the strategic layout of work stations that allows for the movement of food and staff to proceed in a safe and efficient manner. A typical flow for industrial kitchens or restaurants moves from receiving and storage through food preparation and cooking, to plating and serving, and finally to washing and food disposal areas. A well-designed kitchen will keep the flow from backing up and prevent cross-contamination by keeping the areas for preparing and disposing of food separate.
Keeping The Kitchen Clean
It’s essential to keep your commercial kitchen clean in order to stay up to codes and avoid any big problems. Restaurant employees spend a significant amount of time cleaning the kitchen so having a kitchen layout that’s optimized for it can save time and money. Waste disposal bins should be placed in locations that are easily accessible so trash can be disposed of properly.
Another area that is often overlooked is what to do with used cooking oil. Commercial kitchens generally use a significant amount of cooking oil in deep fryers or other cooking equipment and it needs to be disposed of properly in order to stay in compliance with code in many cities and towns. Installing a bin collection system and getting a used cooking oil collection service to empty it out is often the best way to keep things clean.
Efficient Use of Space
Commercial kitchens are busy places so using space efficiently is a must. Figuring out which pieces of equipment are essential is a good place to start. You might decide that you don’t need a large floor model deep fryer because a countertop one will work just fine when it comes down to it. Just be careful not to take it too far, because a kitchen without the proper equipment is also a problem. A well-thought out kitchen design will help make employees’ jobs easier and set your business up for success.
