Designing or coming up with a layout for your kitchen is very important, as it will play a big role in your restaurant. There is no exact layout for a restaurant kitchen.
Every restaurant is different and will work uniquely compared to others, so it is essential to think about what will best suit your kitchen requirements.
However, there are three basic restaurant kitchen layouts to consider, which are very efficient in terms of kitchen components and design principles.
1. Island-style layout
In this layout, the fryers, grills, ovens, and other cooking equipment are placed all together in a single module at the center of the kitchen. Other kitchen sections are designated on the perimeter walls in the correct order to maintain good circular motion.
Any section in the kitchen can be the island, depending on individual needs or requirements. If your restaurant kitchen is open and encourages supervision and communication while also leaving plenty of space to allow quick cleaning, the island-style layout is a great choice.
It is more efficient when implemented in a kitchen area that is large and has a square shape, but it can also be modified and made to work with other sizes and shapes.
2. Zone Layout
The zone layout typically has the kitchen arranged in small clusters and most of the critical kitchen equipment placed along the walls. Just like the island layout, all sections adhere to the correct order giving you a storage area, an area for preparing food, a dishwashing block, etc., thereby providing increased flow.
Supervision and communication can also be handled well in this layout as the center of the space remains open.
3. Assembly line layout
The assembly line layout is well suited for a kitchen that serves a large number of customers and needs to do it as quickly as possible, such as cafeterias and correctional facilities.
It is best suited for restaurants or establishments that have a limited menu that serves vast quantities of the same food type, such as a pizza or sandwich shop. In this layout, the kitchen equipment is organized so that it allows the food preparation area to remain on one end and the service area on the other, all in one line.
The cleaning and storage areas can be placed on the assembly line, ensuring that they remain out of the way. This will make the kitchen very efficient and keep it open for excellent flow and communication.
Most of the time, equipment in a kitchen can be linked together, thereby removing any wasted space.
After you’ve considered the different layouts and components of varying restaurant kitchen designs, there are two important details that you should also keep in mind. These are health codes and ergonomic design.
Ergonomic Design
Sticking to an ergonomic kitchen design layout tends to mean that you have to carefully place all the equipment in the kitchen with effectiveness and comfort in mind.
The fundamental principle of ergonomic design has the employees using as little energy as possible to complete various tasks. This design also applies to other things, such as lighting and equipment selection.
Health Codes
Every state and country has its own health code. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that you have entirely familiarized yourself before you begin designing your kitchen.
