Whether you are opening your own local restaurant or are carrying on the franchise of a large chain, the kitchen is what makes the restaurant successful. Restaurant kitchens are where the food is prepped, prepared, and plated, all of which are crucial to a good dining experience. Building a safe and efficient kitchen will help keep customers happy and help kitchen staff stay productive. This blog can be your guide on how to create a quality kitchen while meeting all safety regulations. 

Create Food Safety Zones

Separating the areas of food preparation and cooked food will help you avoid cross contamination. Having designated food zones helps to keep the workspace clean and efficient. Some zones you can include in restaurant kitchens include hot and cold zones, cooked and uncooked, and designated hand washing stations. 

Creating zones in the kitchen will help improve the amount of usable counter space available. Having a cluttered kitchen means that food could come in contact with bacteria or cleaning chemicals accidentally. Zones help make it clear where food needs to stay and where dirty tools can be placed. 

Adequate Ventilation Prevents Disaster

Comfort and safety should be top priority when building a restaurant. Ventilation in the kitchen is a crucial part of the design as it helps with both of these goals.  Ventilation helps to keep smoke, heat, and odors from taking over the kitchen. Removing these will prevent fires and illness in your kitchen staff. 

Exhaust systems, oven vents, and ceiling fans can all be great forms of kitchen ventilation. Working with a contractor to build your restaurant will ensure these important aspects aren’t overlooked in the building process.  

Common Layouts For Restaurant Kitchens 

When it is time to design restaurant kitchens, there are a variety of layout options that can be used for commercial kitchens. Many restaurants opt for these layout types because they help improve workflow while keeping food free from contamination. 

Island Layout

In an island layout kitchen, all the cooking tools are placed in the center of the space. This allows cooks, sous chefs, and all kitchen staff to work from all sides. This is a great option when you want your kitchen to be collaborative. Food prep stations and dishwashing stations are pushed to the perimeter of the room. 

Assembly Line

An assembly line layout focuses on preparing each dish in the right order and keeping employees at one station of the food prep. A central row is used to move ingredients through the different stations. Starting with food prep, cooking, and plating and serving to get the food delivered to the diners. Assembly lines can make food service much faster than other kitchen layouts. 

Zones

As previously mentioned, a zoned kitchen helps keep food preparation and cleaning areas separate. By following this layout, you will be able to have a sanitary kitchen for your staff and guests. 

Gallery Layout

All prep spaces are placed along the perimeter of the kitchen in a gallery style layout. This leaves room in the center of the kitchen to rotate around, servers to enter and exit easily, and cooks to work around each other without harm. 

Compliance With Safety Regulations

We have touched on a few areas of safety and how they can improve your kitchen, but there are many aspects that need to work together in order for restaurant kitchens to pass safety inspections. 

Proper fire safety is one thing that all building inspectors will check for. Fire extinguishers, proper ventilation, and fire suppressors are all needed for restaurant kitchens. Preventing fires and having a fire safety plan will keep your employees safe while working in the kitchen.

Slip resistant floors are another option that can help improve your kitchen’s safety. It is common that food particles or liquids may get on the floor of a commercial kitchen. Slip resistant floors will help prevent injury and make it easier to clean up any messes. 

Waste disposal is another aspect of state regulations. Having proper trash bins, composters, garbage disposals, and keeping the trash from piling up will make the kitchen a better place to work. A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen. 

Restaurant Design From EK Bailey 

Working on restaurant design is something we are passionate about here at EK Bailey. We have helped to design and build many chain restaurants and local businesses in the Ogden, UT area. No matter what size kitchen you are hoping to achieve, our designers can help you determine which layout is best for you. 
No matter the project, EK Bailey Construction is dedicated to quality. Working with our team means no cut corners, durable materials, and up to code layouts. Contact us to get started on your commercial project today!