As one of the most utilized spaces in your restaurant, it is vital that your kitchen design is up to the mark. This not only includes well-arranged equipment but also properly planned plumbing and drainage, electrical and gas connections, and heating, ventilating and exhaust provisions. Keeping this in mind, if your restaurant kitchen design has any flaw, it would result in an expensive adjustment, not to mention the operational disruption it would cause for the business. Therefore, it is crucial to have a well-configured kitchen suited for your restaurant.
Configuring your kitchen type
Before you jump onto the process of finalizing the layout of your kitchen, consider the following: Which kitchen type suits your restaurant the most?
An Island Kitchen comprises of a standalone central island unit, surrounded by counter space along the edges. The island is usually equipped with ovens and cooking ranges. For food prep and other activities, the countertop and outer rim are ideal.
An Assembly Line Kitchen functions by aligning all the kitchen activities in one set path. This type of kitchen design is popular among restaurants with a small menu, which usually consists of sandwiches or low-prep meals.
As the name suggests, an Open Kitchen setup is usually customer facing, providing them a glimpse of a part of or the whole kitchen, and how their food is being prepared. While an open kitchen can add to the ambiance of the restaurant, they have a drawback too, i.e. maintenance. Open kitchens need to be well maintained, organised and clean at all times, as customers have a direct view of the working space.
Ergonomically designed kitchens create an organized workspace which involves less movement to complete tasks. These kitchens are aimed at reducing the amount of time taken to prepare meals, along with reducing accidents and wastage, and improving the overall efficiency of your kitchen staff.
A Zonal based kitchen basically divides each part of the kitchen for a specific activity. These include prep, cooking, service, dishwashing, etc. Each of these zones consist of the required equipment, tools and supplies for a task, thereby eliminating the need for kitchen staff to look for these elsewhere.
Once you have selected the configuration of your kitchen, you need to get into more specifics of how it will operate. The following pointers can help you:
No two kitchens are designed the same way, even if they serve the same menu. Designing an efficient kitchen is one of the most important aspects of opening a restaurant. Even if you have a clear idea of your kitchen design, it would be advisable to approach a kitchen design consultant to get professional advice.
Ribbon Consulting can help you design the kitchen in your dream restaurant. For more information, you can email us at info@ribbon-me.com or call us on +971 4360 5758 (Middle East) / +91 98200 07841 (India).