How to Set Up a Commercial Kitchen

When designing a restaurant kitchen, efficiency and workflow should be at the top of your list of priorities. The kitchen is the heart and soul of the restaurant. Let’s walk through some key elements in prepping a commercial kitchen.

Yes Chef!

When planning a restaurant it’s easy to get swept up in front of house design. After all, it’s what your customers see and if you’re hiring a designer they generally tend to focus on the dining area. To avoid any oversights be sure to involve your chef in the planning of your restaurant. Chefs know best when it comes to kitchen equipment and how much space is required for a job well done. Keeping your chef in the loop throughout the building process will help to avoid the headaches of “not enough prep space” or “lack of room.”

It’s important to plan for growth, you never know when your kitchen is going to need to expand or if you’ll need to add dining space.

The Menu

In a restaurant kitchen the best way to approach design is to build your kitchen around the menu. Create a list of all the ingredients needed for each dish and the steps involved to create them. Use this list when placing equipment, tools, shelving, and even trash cans, so that the set up is streamlined to suit your recipes and procedure.

For Your Health

Health codes, fire codes, and employee protocol must be considered when creating a commercial kitchen. These regulations can govern anything from the size and temperature capacity of hot water tanks to the location of food storage areas. These regulations vary from state to state so be keen to the differences along state lines.

Technology

Tech is key in restaurant design. The old school method of paper tickets printing out as each order goes through the front of house is going the way of the Dodo bird. The days of wasted time handing tickets and orders back and forth are long gone. Investing in a Point of Sale system (POS) that connects to monitors in the kitchen will keep everyone on track and communicating.

Remember to stay organized and do your research before purchasing anything. Keep these tips in mind when you are setting up your commercial kitchen.