Restaurant Kitchen Layout: How To Optimise It

At mentioning a restaurant kitchen, most people think of steaming ranges, sizzling grills, and busy fryers, all ‘seasoned’ with an angry chef barking orders to those under him. While this image isn’t totally devoid of reality, a commercial kitchen is more than just the equipment and personnel who use it. A successful restaurant kitchen is organized in a particular way that maximises performance and efficiency. For theme-based restaurants, it’s important to follow the style, ethics, and layout in the kitchen also. Here are the main points of the well-set kitchen operation.

Cleaning and washing area

This section included appliances and products like sinks, dishwashers, and drying racks. For washing utensils, three-compartment sinks are of great help, while using dishwashers for plates and serving vessels keeps the kitchen running at full steam. The washing and cleaning section should be located near the kitchen entrance, so servers can quickly drop off used dishes, while the proximity of the storage area provides chefs with easy access to clean dishes.

Also Read – Incorporating Quality Dishes: The Secret Of Successful Restaurants

Storage area

The storage area should be divided into non-food storage, cold storage, and dry storage. The non-food storage can be further subdivided into storage for disposables, cleaning supplies, and a section for the clean dishes coming from the washing area. Avoid contamination by keeping sanitation chemicals at lower levels than food, utensils, dishes, and disposable products. Dry storage should contain all non-perishables and other consumables, while the cold storage keeps anything that needs to be refrigerated or frozen.

Food prep area

The food preparation area includes sinks for washing fresh produce, cutting area, and mixing area. In most cases, the food prep section is divided into a section for processing raw food, like processing fresh meats, and a section for sorting batch foods, like vegetables, salad dressings, etc. by having this section near the storage area you make it easier for cooks to grab clean dishes, and move them together with food to the cooking area.

Cooking area

This is the area that makes every kitchen tick. As such, with will contain large pieces of equipment like ranges, ovens, fryers, and grills. Like the other areas, this area can be split into smaller sections like a baker’s station, grilling station, and frying station. Since this is where meals are finished, the cooking area needs to be at the front end of the kitchen, next to the service area.

Commercial kitchen layouts

While there is no perfect solution for all kitchens, there are several basic commercial kitchen design layouts that are capable of blending effective kitchen principles and components. Through working with a commercial construction company which is able to apply an integrated approach and simplify typically complex building processes, you‘d be able to choose a kitchen design that will help you best meet your restaurant business goals.

Zone-style layout

In this kitchen design, the whole facility is set up in blocks where the major components are located along the walls. As mentioned earlier, the arrangement of sections should follow the logical order of food and kitchenware flow: dishwashing and storage, food prep, cooking, and servicing area. This layout enables improved communication and supervision, as the central space is completely open.

Island-style layout

This organization positions the ovens, ranges, and other heavy equipment together in one cluster at the centre of the kitchen, while other sections are lined along the perimeter walls, again following the proper order that enables the circular flow. This layout also promotes communication and supervision, while still leaving plenty of floor space for easy cleaning. Island-style layouts are typically used in large, square-shaped kitchens, but can be modified to fit all kitchen sizes.

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Service area

This area is the final section of a restaurant kitchen, and if your employs serving staff, this is where they will come for dishes and plates to take to customers. If you’re operating a buffet-style or self-service restaurant, the service area is where the food is displayed in warmers for customers to fix their plates. To shorten the distance between finished meals and customers, this area needs to be placed at the very front of the kitchen. 

Regardless of the type of establishment you operate, the kitchen design needs to enable the seamless operation and smooth flow of food from the storage to the guests. Significant parts of every commercial kitchen layout are the dishwashing and dish-storage areas which need to be accessible from both ends of the food preparation cycle.

Also Read:

• 10 Things to Consider Before Starting a Restaurant Business
• Functional Interior Design For Your New Restaurant
• Checklist For Opening A Restaurant