Dawnvale is one of the most incredible commercial kitchen designers and builders out there. One of the reasons why their kitchen design work is so exemplary is that they take all factors into consideration before they start building the kitchen. Their attention to detail is unsurpassed.
The following are some factors Dawnvale considers when designing a commercial kitchen:
- Efficient Use of Space
Space in commercial restaurants is a subject of major contention. Most restaurants in cities have to deal with significant space limitations.
The very best restaurants are those that utilize their kitchen space in the most efficient way possible. It will affect the success of the entire operation.
One way to better utilize space is to have portable kitchen equipment that can be occasionally moved to free up space. Another idea is to utilize vertical surfaces that would otherwise remain vacant.
- Simplicity
The hallmark of great kitchen is its simplicity. As Albert Einstein said, “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.”
A great kitchen design should be so that even the worst of chefs could make a meal in that kitchen. Simplicity pertains to navigation and use of space.
Staff, food and preparatory ingredients should move freely through the entire kitchen. It should also be very simple to retrieve any tool or use any equipment in the kitchen.
The entire process from sourcing of ingredients from storage to a waiter picking a meal from the counter should be as seamless as possible.
- Workflow
Great kitchen design should also seriously consider the staff and their work processes. It is typical to see commercial kitchens portrayed as chaotic places but those are only the poorly designed or excessively staffed ones.
Organizing your kitchen well in the design process should eliminate as much chaos as possible. Viable ideas include separating the kitchen by function or meal preparation. The different kitchen layouts will account for this.
Good kitchen design should accomplish a concerted effort from all kitchen staff that results in excellently prepared meals. There should be no confusion, hinderances or collisions in the kitchen.
- Sanitation, Maintenance and Food Safety
When designing a commercial kitchen, it should be the goal to make it as easy to clean the kitchen as possible. The worst fates a restaurant can suffer is to be shut down for health code violations. A lot of these violations are the result of poor design.
All cleaning equipment including washing sinks, racks and drain boards should be designed to be as easily accessible and efficient as possible. Dishwashers should be able to work as quickly and thoroughly as they possibly can.
Food sanitation is also an important part of a restaurant’s operations. Each area of the kitchen should be designed so that it can be easily cleaned and there is minimal chance of coming in contact with harmful substances.
The kitchen design should also allow for easy maintenance whenever equipment needs repair or replacing. Kitchen equipment is bound to break down with such repeated use so by planning for the worst, you will end up having a very efficient commercial kitchen.