If you are running a restaurant, the commercial kitchen layout might be the least of your worries. From employee training to purchasing and advertising, you’ve got a lot on your proverbial plate. So, why does the layout of your kitchen matter? The answer might surprise you. Your commercial kitchen layout could influence the flow of your entire establishment. Here’s why:
1. Productivity and Safety
Watch your teamwork in the kitchen on a busy night. Does the workflow glide smoothly from food prep to plate to the server’s tray? Or are the chefs bumping into the bussers and the servers tripping on the vinyl mats? One tray of food spilled can mean loads of lost time and even an injury. Your commercial kitchen space should be set up to avoid accidents by minimizing movement within the kitchen. Aim to get the food made, prepped, and out the door in something that closely resembles an assembly line.
2. Savings
Think of the money you waste on food that isn’t stored properly or used quickly enough because of old appliances and outdated kitchen design. Think of the cash that literally goes down the drain because your dishwashing station isn’t set up for maximum efficiency. Proactively designing your commercial kitchen layout will increase productivity, decrease accidents, and ultimately, save you money.
3. Health Code
Every state has laws on sanitation and food handling safety, and these regulations could factor in the way you design your kitchen layout. For example, do you know how far your wash-sink should be from your food prep area? Knowing your local rules and regulations ahead of time will enable you to design your commercial kitchen with health in mind, and you’ll pass your health inspection with flying colors every year.
4. Employee Satisfaction
Your kitchen team spends hours a day in a single room, which can lead to burnout fast. By strategically designing your restaurant kitchen layout for ergonomics and comfort, you will promote employee satisfaction. Happy, comfortable employees are a sign of a thriving, healthy business.
The design of your commercial kitchen matters to the flow of the entire workspace. At Mise Designs, commercial kitchen layouts are quite literally our business. We’ve helped hundreds of customers design efficient commercial kitchens, maximizing safety and productivity every step of the way.