If you own a restaurant, the layout of the commercial kitchen might be the least of your worries. From purchasing to employee training and advertising, you’ve got a lot to handle. So why does the layout of the kitchen matter so much? The reason is the layout is able to influence the entire flow of your whole establishment. It’s also vital that you consider which layout provides the most efficient workflow for your commercial kitchen needs.
Even though you are free to do whatever you see fit with your own space, these layouts for commercial kitchens have been proved to be successful. So if you are new to the industry make sure to consider the below designs for your restaurant kitchen to ensure productivity and efficiency.
Assembly line layout
This type of layout consists of a row of stations placed in the centre of the space, usually starting with food preparation and ending with the packing or service station.
The assembly line layout is most suitable for restaurants/businesses that tend to produce the same dish repeatedly, such as burger joints or pizzerias, and where employees are allocated for one dedicated part of the production process.
Zone-style layout
If you have a broad menu or lots of employees, this layout is the most suitable for your commercial kitchen.
The zone-style layout maintains an organised kitchen and makes it convenient for various types of meals to be prepared. If you want the kitchen to run smoothly, the blueprint does require sufficient space and staff, mainly specialised chefs for each station.
However, if you have a small kitchen, this is not the best option. But it’s a great choice for hotel restaurants and large catering kitchens.
Island layout
This particular commercial kitchen design begins with the ring layout but with a central prep or cooking station included. This consists of wash stations, storage units, and food prep counters along the perimeter, with main cooking equipment placed at the centre.
The layout creates a pass-through point for every dish, so it allows and encourages the employees to communicate and guarantees head chef supervision.
Galley layout
In the galley layout, each station and all the commercial kitchen equipment are placed around the perimeter of the space. For very small kitchens, the equipment can be placed along two parallel walls.
But in a spacious kitchen, you can create a ring layout with empty space in the middle. This makes space for many chefs to be in the kitchen, who can easily rotate through different stations at the same time. However, among all these layouts, when deciding which one is most suitable for your business, there are several factors that you should consider;
Space is the most important factor. If you have a small commercial kitchen, an open kitchen and Island layout are something that you should avoid. The best option would be an assembly line or galley layout. A crowded kitchen can quickly lead to inefficiency. Your operations can be hindered by an inadequate amount of space. So it is important that the type of layout you choose fits the dimensions.
Secondly, you should also consider the appliances. Figuring out the grills, dishwashers, fryers and other restaurant equipment you will need to bring your menu to life is a smart thing to do before you configure your commercial kitchen design.
And lastly, communication is quite important as well. Communication is vital to any operations and choosing the most suitable kitchen layout can go a long way toward diminishing or enhancing your employee’s level of communication.
Now that you have an idea of some of the most popular commercial kitchen layouts and points to consider when choosing the right one for your business, you will have no trouble finding the perfect fit. Whichever option you decide to move forward with, we at CKE Stainless are here to assist you. So make sure to contact us and watch us create the perfect commercial kitchen layout for you.
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