Found in virtually all commercial food establishments, the kitchen is an essential space for many reasons other than just food. Often the nerve center of many commercial restaurants and the face of the brand, a restaurant’s kitchen is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of any establishment.
This is why business owners should always keep in mind the design requirements that a kitchen demands. Aside from being stylish, it must also be functional. It’s easy to get tripped up over the myriad of options that are available to the designer, or to ignore the more obvious questions that one ought to ask when setting up a kitchen; nevertheless the important thing to remember is that there is much more to the kitchen than just food.
Here are some effective tips that can help you when you’re thinking about that commercial kitchen fitout you’ve had your eye on.
Ask the chef.
There’s no better person to ask what a kitchen will require than the person who’s going to spend the most time in it. Your chef (and the rest of the staff) will be calling that kitchen their second home, so of course you’d want to make them comfortable in it. A good kitchen is where ingredients come in at one end and food out of the other; and a good kitchen fitout is essential to making that happen. Ask your chef and staff about the placement of equipment in the room. Do they think they need more kitchen partitions? How about shelving? Do they need fitouts that can move to transport ingredients or a durable one that can support utensils?
Remember your restaurant!
This is especially important for stores with a specific theme. Displays exude as much atmosphere as the walls and lighting do. A unique theme helps attract customers, as human attention is usually drawn to the unfamiliar. Glass cabinets are completely customisable and vary depending on the manufacturer.
Be flexible.
Like fashion, food trends are constantly changing. Your customers will have different demands and appetites depending on many things: the day of the week, the month of the year, whether or not it’s a special occasion – and you need to be ready for such demands. Even the smallest changes like deciding to introduce soups and stews will be a big factor in how your kitchen fitout operates, and it’s best to have it custom-crafted or consult with an interior design expert on how to accommodate such changes in the future.
While it may seem difficult at first to keep track of kitchen fitouts and commercial interior design options, it’s important to remember that a kitchen is not just about the food that goes in and out, it’s also about your staff and the people that come to your restaurant to enjoy the entire experience. So it’s all right to take extra care in how you design and fitout your kitchen. Ask for help, consult with experts, get opinions from the right people. At the end of the day, everyone will have a much more enjoyable experience because of it.
Consult with Speedframe today for advice on commercial kitchen design. With solid backing from interior design experts and industry professionals, we’ll help you make your restaurant a success.