Tips for Commercial Kitchens in Small Spaces

If you're ready to take on this challenge, then this article can help you to begin planning. Below, you will find three essential tips for planning a commercial kitchen that may not be conventional but that can be just as effective as any large operation.

Focus is essential when working with a smaller space. Larger kitchens mean enough nice-to-have equipment that you can afford to be loose with your requirements, but smaller kitchens demand efficiency. Your first step should always be a detailed accounting of your business' specific needs. Focus on your initial requirements and not what you may need for future upscaling.

To help establish your needs, ask these questions:

• What are your daily production requirements?
• How often will you purchase new ingredients?
• How much day-to-day ingredient storage do you require?
• Will you need to store finished food products for any length of time?

The more often you bring fresh ingredients into your kitchen, the less long-term storage you'll require. For small spaces, focus on having enough refrigerated or pantry space for day-to-day operations only. Likewise, avoid purchasing stoves, ovens, and other production equipment that will exceed your staff's daily production ability.

Depending on the size of the space available to you, you may need to forgo some specialized equipment and instead focus on space efficiency. In practice, this may mean choosing ovens with built-in range tops (similar to residential units) or using smaller, countertop refrigerators. While making efficient use of space should be your priority, be sure that your equipment is still sufficient for your business needs.

If you have extra space outside of your kitchen, then consider installing a walk-in refrigeration unit. Although accessing this unit will be less convenient than a large stand-up commercial refrigerator, it may allow you to save some kitchen floor space. By keeping necessities in smaller countertop units, you can help to maintain kitchen flow while also providing more long-term refrigerated storage space.

Be sure not to skimp on sanitation equipment, however. Not only does this help to keep your customers healthy, but it also ensures that you don't run afoul of food inspectors. If necessary, make sacrifices elsewhere to ensure that your sink and other sanitation appliances are easily accessible and meet the needs of your staff.

Your appliances will usually require the most space in your kitchen. Even if you downsize or choose multi-function units, you will ultimately reach a point where their footprint is no longer negotiable. Instead of worrying about what you can't change, focus on getting creative with other parts of the kitchen. To start, try planning the exact workflow you envision for yourself and your staff.

When you have a good picture of how your kitchen staff will work on a day-to-day basis, you can begin to find areas to save space. Can you store some basic kitchen or equipment supplies vertically? Can you purchase appliances with built-in storage space? Can you reduce pantry storage by keeping more ingredients in wall cabinets closer to cooking stations?

The more space you can free up around the kitchen, the fewer sacrifices you'll need to make for appliance selection. As long as you keep your kitchen's workflow in mind during this process, you should be able to reduce clutter without impacting your staff's efficiency.

Starting in a smaller space can seem like a sacrifice, but it doesn't need to be. With proper planning, you can turn your small kitchen into a lean, efficient food production machine. Hawkins Commercial Appliance Service Inc. can help you to realize your goals in any size kitchen. Give us a call when you're ready to get started.