When designing a restaurant space, keeping the customer in mind is key. Providing the right atmosphere and environment largely determines the guests experience. It is still a restaurant, though, and the real reason people come is the food. Aside from the culinary aspects of the restaurant, the kitchen needs to be performing at maximum efficiency to ensure the best experiences for the guests.
Vue de monde, Melbourne
There are many aspects to commercial kitchen design, but several key rules are always taken into consideration when designing. First, is minimizing movement within the kitchen space. The less movement needed between sections of the kitchen can speed up the preparation process as well as mitigate the chance for accidents. The circulation in the space needs to be well thought out and calculated so that meals move quickly and efficiently through the kitchen to the pick-up point with no problem.
Another point of design that effects the restaurant more than the guests is an energy efficient design. Reducing the space between similar equipment can drastically lower energy costs of the building. For example, keeping all the equipment that requires a hood contained in one area, so the least possible amount of space is needed for the hood itself. Lastly, the general rule on size of the kitchen. It has been found that for every seat in the restaurant approximately five square feet of kitchen space will be needed to properly serve the demand of orders that will come through the kitchen.
Each restaurant requires its own type of kitchen. Each type is specifically designed to match the needs for the chef as well as the constraints of the space. There are four types of commercial kitchen layouts.
Blaze Fast-Fired Pizza, Wichita
1. The Assembly Line Design: This layout is best for places with a small number of dishes on the menu. This is what you will see at most fast food and fast causal restaurants as they are easy to understand and quick to train staff on.
2. The Ergonomic Design: These layouts specialize in speed. Components of the preparation process are all near each other so that food goes out rapidly. For example, putting the fridge with potatoes right next to the fryer for easy access.
Ink Hotel, Amsterdam
3. Zone Design: Each Process in the kitchen is broken up and delegated its own area. Cutting, Cleaning, Mixing, and Prep. You will see these designs in more “sit down” restaurants where there is a greater number of dishes on the menu.
Marriot Café, Sinapore
4. Island Design: The kitchen has a central main island where the cooking is done, the outer perimeter of the room is where the prep and cleaning happens. This will be in higher end restaurants where chefs are positioned at each area with their own set of responsibilities.
Choosing the right layout and circulation for the restaurant is key in order to guarantee an efficient and problem free process for the food to be made. Well-functioning kitchens lead to happy guests. Well-functioning kitchens come from great design.