Avoid The Common And Costly Mistakes Of Commercial Kitchen Design

Commercial kitchens are a thing of beauty when everything is in its place.

Building a commercial kitchen from scratch costs a lot of money. Huge dollars go into critical pieces like an exhaust system for fumes before restaurant owners can even begin to make the area pretty with appliances and gadgets. Thankfully, Canadian Restaurant Supply’s (CRS) commercial kitchen design professionals are here to ensure no steps are missed during the process that could wind up being costly for you.

It’s a fact: plenty of design errors can emerge when restaurant owners do things without professional guidance, including fumbling on a smooth kitchen traffic layout for efficiency and safety. Commercial kitchen success requires a circular flow for all staff, beginning with the ease of gathering ingredients that filter to the prep areas, to the cooking and plating stations, and finally to the servers taking your delicious food to the diners. Strategic door placement to and from the kitchen is another factor to avoid collisions, as is the hygienic placement of garbage cans for safety. Dishes then need to come back to be washed and used once again, so mapping all the moving pieces in a fluid, logical way must come from an intentional design.

Consider also that kitchens can get very hot thanks to heat-producing restaurant equipment. Taking refrigeration elements out of the building to keep the kitchen space cooler is logical, but only sometimes a priority for restaurant owners as finessing this can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000. However, It’s well worth the investment to keep the kitchen cooler and employees happier and more productive.

We have already mentioned the importance of the exhaust system, which is critical to removing smoke fumes and preventing the accumulation of hazardous grease. This venting comes with a significant price tag, often exceeding $60,000, depending on your kitchen's size. Then, you must factor in the cost of bringing in fresh air to replace the vented air. In the Okanagan, it's highly advisable to incorporate air conditioning to prevent the intake of sweltering hot air, yet this is an expense that restaurant owners frequently underestimate. Fortunately, your CRS kitchen consultants collaborate with engineers who assess the heat generation to determine the necessary air conditioning requirements.

Along with installing the correct number of wash stations, recommending the right type of flooring (just say no to marble!), and suggesting the best in kitchen equipment, the CRS team will also set realistic expectations on how long everything will take. Creating a dynamic commercial kitchen is a lengthy process, and under-estimating the project timeframe is frustrating. While the product supply chain is improving every day post-COVID, it can still be sluggish.

Looking to create the commercial kitchen of your dreams that checks all the safety and efficiency boxes right from day one? Talk to the expertly-trained design professionals at CRS for superior customer service and bring that dream to life!

Keep it cool and confidently nail the refrigeration needs of your kitchen. Work with the very best in commercial kitchen design services and supplies, and reach out to the CRS team today for expert advice and guidance!