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?

1. Island Kitchen

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. 

2. Assembly Line Kitchen

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. 

3. Open Kitchen

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. 

4. Ergonomic Kitchen

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. 

5. Zoning Kitchen

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:

• Be aware of the space: The kitchen space typically consists of a pantry area, dishwashing area, preparation area, cooking and dispatch area, and storage area. Understanding your kitchen needs in consultation with your chef will allow you to plan, design, build and utilize the space more efficiently.
• Take note of any regulations : Other important aspects that you need to be aware of, are the local food and municipal rules and regulations concerning basic kitchen layout, hygiene, food safety, storage, preparation, and disposal. It is important to get all the necessary information and guidelines before proceeding to design the kitchen, in order to avoid a hefty fine or a possible closure of your restaurant at a later stage.
• Flexibility and modularity: Whether you wish to expand your menu or update it based on the changing tastes and trends, your kitchen should be flexible enough to allow this. Movable racks and adjustable shelving units are some ways to make room for changes in your kitchen.
• Sanitation: Maintaining the health and safety of your restaurant is probably one of the most critical requisites in the day-to-day functioning of the business. While the staff is responsible for maintaining a clean and sanitized working area, the process can be made smoother by creating a kitchen design that makes cleaning easier in the long run.
• Supervision: Supervising a large team in the kitchen can be challenging for the head chef, especially if the kitchen design gets in the way of overseeing the work. If supervision is a priority, go for designs with fewer walls or partitions, providing unobstructed views and open communication spaces.
• Energy efficiency: A kitchen designed to be energy efficient provides both social and environmental advantages, by reducing the overall carbon footprint. While you can opt for kitchen equipment that itself is energy efficient, arranging the equipment in a certain way also plays an important role. For example, store cold equipment away from equipment emitting too much heat, to minimize the need to draw more power.

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).