Comprehensive Plan for Designing an Efficient Commercial Kitchen

The kitchen is the life force of the food service industry and a commercial kitchen can operate in many facilities: restaurants, schools, hospitals, military bases, corporate offices, event venues, shared cooking spaces, bakeries, central commissaries, test kitchens, and more. There are a lot of different moving pieces to ensure your commercial kitchen is set up correctly and will run smoothly.

First, you'll need to plan a layout that accommodates the types of food you want to make and how you plan to cook them. Then, you need to think about the appliances and cleaning supplies you'll need for a fully operational kitchen. Finally, consider the positions you need to fill in the kitchen and how to find the best people for each job.

Commercial kitchens have many business advantages:

• Commercial kitchens are cost-effective — A commercial kitchen can be more cost-friendly than, for example, getting your corporate events catered over and over again.
• This option is flexible and easier to scale — Commercial kitchens allow you to adapt to changing demands. You can adjust production capacity as your business grows.
• Commercial kitchens provide opportunities for food business ecosystems — If you opt to share your kitchen space, you'll have the opportunity to network with other food entrepreneurs, exchange ideas, and collaborate on campaigns.

Once you decide that building a commercial kitchen is the right move for your business, you need to start the planning process. We'll help you do that in this article by covering everything from design ideas to the commercial cooking appliances you should set up your kitchen with.

How to Establish a Commercial Kitchen

A well thought out kitchen ensures you'll be able to run a successful business and cook some delicious foods. Here are all the steps you need to take to establish your kitchen.

Commercial Kitchen Logistics

Your commercial kitchen may be part of an existing business (for example, a corporate office kitchen) or it can be its own business. If your commercial kitchen will be a new business you’ll need to register the name with your city and work to establish a solid business structure. If you work with an accountant to do this, they'll be able to share information on a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, "S" corporation and general corporation.

Commercial Kitchen Permits and Requirements

Obtain the required permits and licenses needed for your food service operation. Look into a certificate of occupancy, food handler’s license, seller's permit, catering business license, food facility health permit, and employee health permit. You also need to make sure you meet the following requirements:

• Store any chemicals (for cleaning) separate from food
• Refrigeration and freezing equipment must be operating at appropriate temperatures
• Cooking surfaces and floors must be made from a non-porous material that is smooth and can easily be disinfected
• You must have a clean water supply
• Your gas hookups must pass inspection
• Your staff bathrooms must be clean, have non-porous floors, and must be equipped with a hand washing station
• There must be three separate sinks for mops/cleaning, hand washing, and food washing/ preparation
• Everyone cooking must have a food handling license

Commercial Kitchen Design

You need to make optimal use out of your space to have a kitchen that runs smoothly. In order to do that, you'll need to think about how you want the space designed strategically. After you understand your local codes and regulations, consider the following items:

• Consider your menu to assess the specific needs of your kitchen. Commercial kitchens are not a one-size-fits-all design. The way you arrange your space will depend on the food you serve.
• Understand the space you're working with. Take measurements and understand where windows, doors, and outlets are.
• Decide on which configuration will work best for you. Island, assembly line, and open configurations are among the most common options. Do some research to decide which option will best suit your needs.

Commercial Kitchen Equipment

You need high quality appliances that will fit your specific needs and enable you to produce high-quality food. Before you make any selections, make sure to check the equipment's initial cost compared against its projected useful life. Here are some appliances you'll need:

• Ovens — Your commercial kitchen will depend on the quality of your oven. Make sure to keep crucial parts such as ignitors, safety valves, thermostats, ignition modules, pilot burners, and knobs in top condition.
• Fryers — If you plan to make food such as chicken tenders, schnitzel or French fries, a good fryer is crucial. You'll need to make sure the fryer's thermostats, filter pump motors, valves, burners, switches, pressure gauges, thermocouples, and filter paper are always in top shape.
• Griddles — A griddle is a great appliance that can help you cook a variety of different foods. If your commercial kitchen will require a griddle make sure to keep an eye on its thermostat, heating element, infinite switch, and solenoid valves.
• Warming Tables – Warming tables are essential to hold foods at a safe temperature.

Create a Commercial Kitchen Business Plan

If your culinary business isn’t part of an existing business (like a corporate kitchen) it may require additional financing. You’ll need to create a well-written business plan with concept details, market analysis and break-even projections. Take possible problems such as licensing, competitors, and industry trends into consideration as well. Also account for the potential for leasing out part of your space to other local food businesses as a revenue stream. The more detail you provide, the more likely you'll improve potential investors.

Setting Up Your Commercial Kitchen

Once you've done all of the necessary planning and research, it's time get it set up. Here are the steps you need to follow to get you on your way to opening up your business.

Find the Right Location

If you aren’t using an existing corporate or event space that you already have, you’ll need to find a location. After you have defined what you need from your space from a design and layout standpoint, consider the size and location. Make sure you find a kitchen that offers adequate space for cooking equipment, food prep areas, dry storage and frozen or cold storage containers. Consider whether your location will be convenient for food deliveries and trash removal. Also consider if the location makes sense for other food businesses you hope to partner with. Finally, make sure you find the right lease and renting situation for your business's needs.

Set Up and Stock Your Kitchen

Once you've found the right spot, it's time to make it fully functional. At this point, you should have a general layout in mind. Now you can bring it to life! At this stage, make sure you consider everything — appliances, utensils, workstations, ventilation systems, refrigerator units, and food waste. You'll need to make sure you have proper ventilation as well.

After you have your appliances, you can start thinking about storage. You'll have a variety of options to choose from. You'll need kitchen shelves, racks, and carts. Do your research and get them in the size and style that best suits your needs.

Kitchen Layout Rules and Processes

When you have kitchen storage set up, that will enable you a place to store food and ingredients. Once everything is in its place, provide adequate space for food prep and cooking.

Your prep station needs a sink for washing and preparing food, along with an area for chopping, prepping meats, and dressings. Dephna says this area should be near the storage of your fresh ingredients to optimize the flow of your kitchen. That flow should lead easily into the cooking area.

Laying those processes into place will enable you to run a more efficient business. After that, you'll be able to start hiring the right people to staff your kitchen. After you've hired the right group, consider the following tips for creating a more efficient operation:

• Listen to your employees' feedback — Your staff can give you the best input on how well your kitchen is operating on a daily basis. Talk to each staff member and ask for their feedback — and really listen. Their thoughts and opinions can help you improve daily operations.
• Create an employee handbook — This will help create consistent quality throughout your kitchen and build well-established standard operating procedures. Update or modify the handbook whenever it's appropriate.
• Approach prep time more strategically — Prep what you can ahead of time to boost your team's efficiency. Then, put someone you trust in charge of the prepping process. Even something as seemingly quick and easy as sharpening knives will slow you down. Task someone trustworthy with making sure equipment is functional and your kitchen is well-stocked.
• Invest in your staff — Take the time to train your crew to make sure they're the best they can be. Demonstrating that you want to help with career growth will produce loyal employees. When you have happy employees, you'll have happy customers that will always come back for more.

How to Keep Your Commercial Kitchen Clean

The cherry on top of an efficient and organized commercial kitchen is to keep it clean. Here are some tips for keeping it in top shape.

• Create a cleaning plan — Keeping a commercial kitchen clean requires a variety of tasks that need to be done anywhere from daily to weekly to annually. Break these cleaning schedules out into itemized checklists. Some tasks include washing utensils, deep cleaning equipment, and analyzing cleanup required by different menu items. Take notes to keep your team on track.
• Organize separate workstations — Separate workstations based on the food that is being prepared there. As Sani Professional says, "this separation facilitates better organization of the food preparation and the specific cleaning procedures that will help maintain sanitary practices and protect against cross-contamination." For example, the prepping, cooking, and dishwashing stations all require their own unique cleaning processes.
• Train and reinforce cleaning procedures — At their very foundation, commercial kitchens require three basic steps for cleaning processes — clean the food contact surface of visual debris, rinse the area with potable water, and sanitize the surface with multi-surface wipes. All staff members should be trained on how and when to execute these cleaning processes.
• Practice FIFO — FIFO refers to the "first-in, first-out" method. This is an inventory management system in which the items you purchased or prepared first are the ones you sell or serve first. Properly label and organize your ingredients so you can follow this method and ensure your food doesn't spoil and go to waste.
• Clean and repair appliances instead of replacing them — Kitchen appliances are expensive. But if you take the extra care to keep them clean, they'll stay functional for longer. For example, let's say you have a broken water inlet valve in an ice machine. Instead of replacing the whole machine, just learn how to fix the valve.

TL;DR - Proper planning for your commercial kitchen project can save time, money, and future headaches.

Opening up a commercial kitchen takes a lot of work. But if you take a step back to research and plan, it'll come together in no time. Start at the very beginning and consider logistics such as permits needed, required equipment, and the desired layout of your kitchen.

Then, find the right space for your business. Stock it with everything you need and lay out the necessary rules to help it operate smoothly on a daily basis. Finally, create a cleaning, maintenance and organization plan that you can easily execute.

McCombs can help you bring your dream commercial kitchen to life.

McCombs Supply can help you to make dreams of a commercial kitchen a reality. While we do not design and install commercial kitchens ourselves, we can help you equip them! We offer replacement repair parts for dishwashers, microwaves, range-ovens, refrigerators, commercial refrigeration, commercial cooking, and more. We distribute from leading brands in the manufacturer space, such as Robertshaw® controls.

We understand how important it is that every appliance in your kitchen, no matter how big or small, is running in top shape and lasts for as long as possible. At McCombs Supply, we are committed to providing quality products, great customer service, fast shipping, and competitive prices. We're constantly upgrading our cutting-edge technology to ensure we provide customers like you with the very best.

Contact us today to discuss your commercial cooking needs.