Ways to Make Your Commercial Kitchen More Efficient

Happy customers are the key to a successful food business. But before you can satisfy your customers, you must first have an optimized kitchen space. An efficient kitchen will improve staff productivity, reduce costs due to over or understaffing or food waste, enhance the quality of food served, and ensure the desired overall customer satisfaction. In this guide you will find actionable strategies to optimize your layout and workflows, resource and inventory management, equipment selection and use, and more.

a buffet table filled with different types of food

Optimize Your Kitchen Layout

A well-planned kitchen will boost staff productivity and minimize stress and chaos, particularly during peak hours. When considering the optimal layout for your kitchen, consider the size and diversity of your menu, staff size, equipment needed, and of course the size of the kitchen. Aim for simplicity to prevent any unneeded confusion for your staff, and allow for flexibility so you can easily make updates if necessary. Take advantage of vertical space by installing shelves, racks, and pegboards on walls. The layout you choose should have an optimal workflow for your situation, and should allow for easy maintenance and cleaning. Common types include an island kitchen, zone kitchen, and assembly line kitchen layouts. 

Island kitchens feature a central hub for cooking surrounded by storage, service, and cleaning areas. This type emphasizes communication between staff, and is best for a kitchen with ample space. Zone layouts feature specific areas for different tasks, such as prep, measuring, meat, frying, or cooling zones. This layout allows for many dishes to be prepared at once from a diverse menu, but also requires a larger staff. Assembly line kitchens have prep, cooking, and service areas at the front, usually ending in a cashier, with storage and cleaning often behind the main line. Assembly layouts are popular with fast casual and quick service restaurants, with smaller, less diverse menus.

Invest in High-Quality Equipment

Selecting equipment that is made to last will assist you in saving in the long run even though it may cost more upfront. Your equipment will need to be durable enough to handle daily use, frequent thorough cleaning, spills, and more wear and tear. A quality piece of equipment will be less likely to break down and leave you stranded during working hours, and will be more likely to provide consistent quality of food. 

Stainless steel is a great choice for many items, as it offers durability, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and is easy to clean. It is also a nonporous material, meaning there is less chance for cross contamination from bacteria and other microbes soaking into the surface. 

The equipment you select should also be fairly easy to use for your employees. Consider automation when possible, such as for ordering systems, as these can speed up the workflow and reduce chances of human error. 

grey metal rolling rack

Improve Water Filtration Systems

Water is an important component in any kitchen. Beverage dispensers, ice machines, dishwashers, sinks, coffee makers, and more require water. Utilizing a water filter, whether for each individual component or a point-of-entry system, assists in improving the quality of water, ice, and appearance of dishware and cutlery. Carbon and sediment filters help improve taste and odor of water by reducing chemicals and turbidity. UV filtration sanitizes water of harmful organisms like bacteria or viruses, particularly if the water is stored before use. Reverse osmosis, such as using a commercial RO membrane, can provide almost a clean slate for your water, reducing high amounts of TDS, including hard water minerals. Less hard water means clearer ice, cleaner utensils, and no spotty glassware.

Streamline Inventory Management

A big part of a successfully optimized commercial kitchen is adequate inventory management, with the goal being to not overstock for food waste and not understocking for lack of inventory. The first step is to make sure your menu is optimized for readily available produce and ingredients, preferably that can be prepped quickly and efficiently. Next, consider using tech like app-based systems or kitchen management software to track inventory. These systems allow you to track inventory in real time making ordering easier and helping to reduce food waste and costs by tracking what is used, and even what should be rotated out in pantries, freezers, and walk-ins. 

Train Your Staff for Efficiency

Establish clear expectations for your staff in their responsibilities. Make procedures accessible and easy to follow, such as supplying a checklist for employees to reference for prep duties, and make sure procedures can easily be made into memorable routines. Encourage employees to get in the habit of checking stations before each shift, making sure each station has the proper tools, ingredients, and cleanliness for success. Be generous with positive feedback as you work to improve employee efficiency, and provide and encourage open communication between staff and management.

Cross-training employees on different tasks can add flexibility and help avoid panic if you become shortstaffed during an unexpected surge of customers or if some staff cannot make it in. You should take time to monitor your performance, checking for peak times and when it would be best to have less staff. While being understaffed is a problem, overstaffing can be just as cumbersome and inefficient. 

Implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are documents with step-by-step guides for staff to follow regarding their expected performance and duties. Consider SOPs for kitchen service, prep, hygiene procedures, closing practices, and more. SOPs allow for more consistency from shift to shift, timely action from clear expectations, and assist in creating a safer, cleaner work environment. 

Utilize Kitchen Management Software

As mentioned before, kitchen management software can assist in a more streamlined inventory approach. However, these softwares can provide a variety of assistance for optimization of a commercial kitchen. You can update menus online quickly and easily, and link to third party services such as delivery services. Connect to loyalty programs for your customers, plan menus, and manage suppliers. Keep track of finances, track sales, and generate reports by automating accounting. Automate ordering systems for less risk of errors as the customer conveys what they want, and keep them in order. You can even digitize recipes to keep consistency, and allow for easier substitutions and changes from customer requests. 

Focus on Energy Efficiency

Splurging on energy efficient equipment not only cuts down on your kitchen’s carbon footprint, but it can also save you money over time. Look into cookers that require less gas or electricity, fridges that cool more efficiently, and other energy star rated appliances for reduced energy consumption and costs. Some units may even qualify for tax rebates. 

Enhance Communication and Workflow

Establishing a good kitchen layout is the first step in creating a better workflow with enhanced communication. To assist in the workflow succeeding, stations should be laid out in a way that allows for reduced movement. Part of this is ensuring each section is adequately equipped with all necessary tools, ingredients, and cleaning supplies, including extra clean utensils just-in-case. Color-coding equipment can help with keeping the essentials in their proper areas. Stations should also be clearly labeled. Utilizing ticket systems or automated ordering can keep workflow moving smoothly and reduce communication errors.

Maintain Cleanliness and Hygiene Standards

Beyond easy-to-clean equipment and surfaces, there are steps that can be taken for maintaining hygiene standards. Perform thorough cleaning of stations before and after each shift to avoid a buildup of mess later. Schedule regular deep cleanings. Three compartment sinks are an excellent tool for streamlined cleanliness, supplying a section for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing. Maintaining a clean kitchen reduces risks of accidents, cross-contamination, and foodborne illnesses. It also helps equipment run more efficiently, which can also boost service life. 

Conclusion

There are a number of steps that you can take to make your kitchen space more efficient. In the end, it is important that overall you remain flexible. Monitor your staff and overall performance, looking for areas that can be improved, particularly during peak hours. Make sure to also seek out feedback from your staff, and be willing to update layout and workflow as needed. A successfully optimized kitchen results in happier employees and, ultimately, happier customers.