The restaurant kitchen is the beating heart of any company, whether it’s a large, bustling hotel or a little corner tavern. It’s also one of your biggest investments, and it necessitates weekly cleaning and equipment maintenance. One method to make the most of your space is to organise it logically and efficiently.
But where do you even begin? Thankfully, we’ve come up with some simple restaurant kitchen organisation ideas to assist you.
Keep Small Gadgets in Reach
Organize all of your kitchen’s most-used gadgets into various stations. This eliminates the need for your cooks to rummage through cupboards or shelves in search of minor goods. You should consider hanging the following utensils or cookware:
- Spatulas
- Tongs
- Spoons
- Whisks
- Ladles
- Strainers
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small pots and pans
This is also true when it comes to setting up your bar. Consider the area as a tiny kitchen in your business. On a rack behind the counter, everything from cocktail napkins and straws to corkscrews and rimmers should be easily accessible. This not only improves the efficiency of the beverage preparation process but also speeds up the delivery of beverages to customers.
Use Shelves and Racks
Instead of using closed cupboards and pantries, opt for open shelving and racks. Whether you choose wall-mounted or standalone styles, you’ll be able to keep all of your things within easy reach. Consider allocating storage to certain groupings of items when deciding what belongs where.
Have a shelf dedicated to spices and dry ingredients, for example. To avoid any confusion while cooking or food preparation, make sure each container is clearly labeled. Bread, canned products, oils & condiments, and non-refrigerated fruit can all be stored in the same way. You may even have an entire shelving unit or rack dedicated to organising your cookware by kind, height, and frequency of use.
Create Designated Stations
Consider dividing your restaurant kitchen into distinct stations to produce a more efficient procedure from beginning to end. While there are many different ways to design a restaurant kitchen layout, you should attempt to include these four main stations:
The Prep and Baking Station – Everything from mixing and chopping to rolling and kneading would be done here. That means there should be enough counter space, work tables, sinks, and convenient storage for necessities. Cutlery should be kept in blocks, docks, or magnetic strips, and cutting boards, bowls, spices, and dry ingredients should be kept on open shelving units.
- The Hot Station – All of your cooking equipment, such as fryers, grills, stoves, and warmers, should be kept in this zone. Keeping these devices apart not only streamlines the cooking process but also protects your dishwashers and refrigerators units from grease and heat.
- The Cold Station – Your freezer and refrigerators, whether walk-in or reach-in models, should be kept in this section. Maintain a safe distance between this zone and your hot-side equipment. If they’re too close together, the heat could cause your refrigerated equipment to overheat. It also makes it more likely that substantial grease buildups will damage the condenser coils.
- The Cleaning Station – Dishes, pots, pans, and utensils should all be cleaned in this area. Multiple sinks and dishwashers, as well as shelving units to store everything from scouring pads and brushes to soaps and detergents, should be included in the space.
Depending on the size of your kitchen, you can add more little stations. For a smoother and more efficient operation, consider designating spaces for sweets, salads, and plating. If you have more space, you can divide your prep and baking station into two zones.
Organize Your Refrigeration Units
Keeping goods in refrigeration units is likely the most important tip for commercial kitchen organisation. The way you organise your products not only improves the efficiency of your units, but it also helps keep all of your ingredients and beverages fresh and last longer. For example, by spacing big products 4 to 6 inches apart inside your refrigerator units, you can increase circulation and help minimise hot spots.
It’s also crucial to know where specific products are kept. Meat, for example, should be stored on lower shelves so that any spills fall to the floor rather than contaminating it. To retain freshness and avoid over-chilling or freezer burn, food should be placed away from any fans.
