Plans for an Efficient Commercial Kitchen

An experienced restaurateur knows that both the heart and the brain of a successful restaurant rest within its commercial kitchen. Sleight of hand in a busy catering or retail operation may go a long way but engineering the chef’s workstation to not only fit the theme of the food business, but to also consider best food safety practices goes much further. For someone who’s considering entering the realm of hospitality by exploring either catering or retail facilities, it’s best to not assume that a commercial kitchen functions just like a domestic one. When things begin to fall apart in the kitchen, it results in a domino effect that eventually snowballs into outlandish PR. Building a commercial kitchen from scratch or renovating an existing one can be done successfully with a holistic approach.

Some of the components that tend to be overlooked whilst designing and/or renovating a commercial kitchen are: approvals, risk assessments, smart space utilization, equipment selection and placement, process management, food waste management, integrated pest management (IPM), and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).

Approvals

Wouldn’t it be a comedown to have sections of a fully purpose built kitchen torn down only because the scope of activity or the flow of work was not approved by the regulatory authorities prior to commencing the operation? It’s best to be mindful of the local regulation and guidelines pertaining to the food business. There are specific food safety requirements when it comes to storage, processing, and serving certain categories of food products such as halal, certified organic, gluten-free, dairy free, etc. The rule of thumb for franchised food establishments is to not only follow the parent or corporate guidelines but also to reflect the regional food safety regulations. Working with a multi-disciplinary team that comprises members who are well versed in food flow, inventory, engineering and maintenance, fire safety, pest control, cleaning and disinfection, and waste management would not only help gain more insight but also facilitate future growth. Altering or modifying the dining area is comparatively easier than remodeling the commercial kitchen.

Risk Assessments

A good commercial kitchen is designed in parallel with the menu. Based on space availability, the kitchen needs to accommodate a linear workflow to prevent cross-contamination. For instance, modifying the menu at a later stage to incorporate a high risk product such as homemade ice cream presumably would result in the surfacing of various food safety deviations simply because the existing floor plan of the kitchen did not factor in requirements such as storage space, ingredient flow, and processing. Planning remains incomplete without thorough risk assessments and menu analysis.

Smart Space Utilization and Ergonomics

It’s time to uncomplicate. Let’s not see a commercial kitchen as mulligatawny soup.

It doesn’t matter how elaborate and well-equipped a commercial kitchen is, if ergonomics was not a part of the designing process. The lesser the steps involved for members of the kitchen and service team to complete a task, the greater is the efficiency of the team. Also, through the simple principles of ergonomics, one is more likely to reduce the chances of cross-contamination, which is the ogre of any food business. Employee safety and mobility are and should be, of paramount importance. An example to illustrate ergonomics would be the use of under-counter chillers. This limits the need to walk to the allocated walk-in refrigerators frequently and also saves a lot of space. One needs to be mindful of the heights of equipment because a mismatch could not only hinder the process but also result in injuries.

Selection and Placement of Equipment

The food and beverage industry is constantly evolving and that adds to the plethora of commercial kitchen grade equipment to select from. Keeping budget frames in mind, choosing the right type of equipment such as fryers, combi-ovens, under-counter refrigerators, preparation sinks, etc. depends on not just the available space, but also the workforce capacity and of course, maintenance. It’s certainly a good initiative to opt for state-of-the-art equipment if the business can afford it. However, the said investment would prove to be futile if the maintenance and replacement of worn out parts proved to be a daunting task.