commercial kitchen business plan pdf

Design a commercial kitchen layout yourself

A commercial kitchen layout can determine the workflow efficiency of a food business.

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The layout for commercial kitchens is the arrangement and flow of activities inside a food facility.

The right kitchen layout helps to keep efficiency and avoid accidents, food wastage, and cross-contamination.

FoodDocs can help you easily create commercial kitchen layouts and a comprehensive digital HACCP plan.

An appropriate and well-planned commercial kitchen layout can improve your operation's efficiency and promote cost savings. Although planning a layout may not be at the top of your checklist when planning to open a commercial kitchen, it is undeniably a priority for any food business. Whether you are planning to build a commercial kitchen from scratch or rent a commercial space, building a conducive layout can help you maximize your operations. 

Accidents, food wastage, and cross-contamination can all be significantly addressed with a careful consideration of the commercial kitchen layout. In addition, the speed and productiveness of your team can be improved if the kitchen layout is made to avoid bottlenecks and allow a seamless kitchen flow.

Learn what makes an effective commercial kitchen layout and how to design a kitchen layout with FoodDocs HACCP software automatically.

In this article, we will go through the following topics:

What is a commercial kitchen?

What is the layout of a commercial kitchen, what are the 6 types of kitchen layouts, why do you need commercial kitchen design.

• How to design a commercial kitchen

Commercial kitchen layout regulations UK and US

Easy tool for creating a commercial kitchen layout.

A commercial kitchen is a food business facility solely dedicated to preparing food for large volumes sent to smaller operating food businesses such as restaurants or smaller kitchens. Other food premises can rent commercial kitchens or opt for leasing options to prepare large batches of food. Commercial kitchens also work with ghost kitchens and catering kitchens, which are establishments that prepare food but are only available for pickup and delivery.

Commercial kitchens are typically complete when it comes to food preparation equipment and cooking facilities and can handle bulk preparations. Correct facilities follow strict food safety regulations, which include proper layout to minimize food safety hazards.

What are the main areas of a commercial kitchen?

To fulfill operations and prepare large amounts of food, a commercial kitchen must have the following main areas and key components in no particular order:

• Receiving dock for raw materials
• Storage area (e.g., Wet and dry storage areas)
• Food preparation area
• Cooking stations
• Service area
• Cleaning area

Since commercial kitchens are mainly cooking facilities that focus on preparing food rather than serving them in-house, a common layout does not have a dining area. Some large commercial kitchens may also have an area where employees can change uniforms.

The layout for a commercial kitchen refers to the arrangement of facilities, restaurant equipment, and routines inside a commercial kitchen. The layout determines careful consideration of the machines' placement and the food handlers' particular kitchen flow.

A commercial kitchen layout must be flexible, efficient, and not prone to accidents . This layout will represent how your team executes a food service process while considering safety and organization. It brings the dynamic elements of a kitchen together to form a cohesive assembly with optimum output.

A kitchen's layout will depend on the available commercial kitchen equipment for use, the target preparation services, and the target number of employees the kitchen will accommodate. The layout will involve the following operations:

• Food receiving and storage
• Preparation and cooking
• Cleaning, sanitation, and maintenance

Based on these operations, the most optimum restaurant kitchen floor plan can be selected. There are many known layouts for a commercial kitchen, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The optimal layout for catering operations may vary from operations for retail food stores. Catering staff is expected to operate differently when compared with retail food service staff.

Some layouts for larger establishments consider storage requirements for washing up facility for employees and drying facilities for washed linens.

Commercial kitchen layouts and design principles may vary depending on the intended production operations of the kitchen and the available space. Despite which layout is used for a commercial kitchen, the efficiency and safety of the operations are always priorities.

Below, we have listed the 6 most widely used commercial kitchen layout examples and highlighted which is the most viable option in different situations.

• Island layout. This kitchen configuration places the meal cooking section and commercial work table space at the center of the kitchen area. All machines and food equipment used for cooking, such as burners, commercial fryers, stock pot range, and baking stations, are collectively placed at the center counter space, with all other parts of the kitchen stationed around it. The food prep station and other sections of the kitchen are placed around the island in a circular flow.

The island design for a commercial kitchen plan promotes communication among the different parts of the kitchen and allows better supervision by the manager. Since the meal cooking area is the last step before delivery, all other areas revolve around this operation. Using the island layout requires an adequate amount of space to avoid obstruction between the different sections.

Commercial kitchen island layout

• Assembly line. The assembly line configuration highlights the central preparation system of cooking a dish with a single line. This line consists of food preparation aspects, meal cooking, and service in a single orderly assembly. The configuration minimizes cross-contamination on surfaces for food preparation from unnecessary interaction once the product moves to the next station.

This common kitchen layout is ideal for the type of restaurant with repetitive operations, such as fast food type of restaurant or quick service facilities. All other operations besides food preparation, such as the bulk storage area and receiving bay, are placed beside the main assembly line kitchen layout. Such a configuration removes unnecessary interaction among employees. The delivery personnel will not have access to the preparation area.

Commercial kitchen assembly line layout

• Zoning layout. Zoning refers to the dedication of ample spaces for each main kitchen component in an organized manner. The zone-style layout is favorable for professional kitchens that accommodate multiple dishes at a time. The zone layout allows food handlers to focus on their tasks.

Commercial kitchen zoning layout

• Ergonomic layout. The ergonomic layout prioritizes the food handlers' ease of movement and comfort. This layout reduces the unnecessary space between closely related operations to minimize movement and save energy. Pieces of equipment and ingredient stocks are stored close to each other to speed up the food service process.

With items near the equipment and catering appliances intended for processing, food handlers would only require a limited space between prep tables to operate well.

Commercial kitchen ergonomic layout

• Open layout. An open layout for a commercial kitchen is one where customers or the front-of-the-house section has visual access to the kitchen. This means that people from outside the kitchen can see the food service process happening inside.

This type of layout provides a unique dining experience, especially for larger facilities, and is increasingly becoming popular in high-end type of restaurant kitchen displays. In an open layout setup, insulation may be a priority to prevent the heat from the kitchen from transferring to the service area. The layout improves the speed of service with the short distance between the kitchen and the delivery area.

Commercial kitchen open layout

• Galley layout. The galley layout is often a good choice for a smaller commercial kitchen with limited space and kitchen environment. It optimizes the space and kitchen functions by placing all stations within the food premises. The layout allows easy access to other sections by providing a common space for movement in the center of the kitchen of any type of restaurant.

Commercial kitchen galley layout

Choosing the correct kitchen layout can improve your operations and optimize your food service process through a conducive kitchen environment. It is a significant operation to ensure your business can work at its best. The wrong kitchen layout can lead to the unoptimized potential of the kitchen and translate as a wasted opportunity. Additionally, this can lead to a higher risk of accidents and increase food safety hazard occurrences in any type of restaurant.

A good commercial kitchen design or layout provides a significant advantage to food businesses. It is a key element in achieving optimum operations and boosting product output. A correct facility layout will reduce the likelihood of problems, such as accidents or downtime due to inefficient kitchen staff and machines.

In particular, a commercial kitchen layout can provide the following benefits to your operations:

• Food safety. A required careful consideration in building a commercial kitchen floor plan is prioritizing the safety of food. This is achieved by analyzing the potential hazards and adapting accordingly to the most efficient layout to minimize food safety hazards. Machines and heavy equipment are properly placed to minimize accidents, and the convenience of clean-up tool placements is considered for faster response times when spills or food particles occur to avoid having a dirty kitchen.
• Time-saving. A clear layout of the entire food facility can help familiarize food handlers with the food creation process. Logical placements of machines, utensil racks, commercial sinks, and storage areas can reduce downtime when food handlers need to operate continuously. The layout serves as a clear-cut instruction for food handlers regarding which areas they are more focused on and which equipment they are allowed to operate.
• Efficient workflow. With an organized layout and kitchen equipment grouping, smooth-running kitchen work can seamlessly flow without unnecessary interruptions from different sections of the commercial kitchen. This can be achieved even with limited space. For example, a dedicated service table and food contact surface will prevent servers from getting in the way of experienced chefs when they need to pack or pick up orders. An appropriate commercial layout can also help managers supervise their team more clearly with better movement.
• Higher output. Fast work means higher output for your operations without obstruction or unnecessary operations and downtime. The kitchen staff can work faster in an organized kitchen while being compliant with food regulations, and products can be delivered on time.
• Boost the house staff morale. Good working conditions are part of having an appropriate commercial kitchen layout. Food employees working in a kitchen with a good workflow can get the job done faster and have a higher sense of accomplishment. Additionally, when the ergonomics of working is considered in making the commercial kitchen floor plan, employees can work more comfortably while having little to no stress and can produce a better quality of product.
• More efficient cleaning. The availability and accessibility of quality cleaning equipment and sanitizing supplies in a commercial kitchen can improve kitchen efficiency. Non-food storage areas, such as kitchen cabinets, for suitable cleaning agents, chemical storage, handwashing compartment sink, and laundry area, apart from being a food safety regulation, all help to keep a food facility free from food safety hazards in busy kitchens. Some layouts also clearly state the materials used for the kitchen and external walls for better visualization. 

The benefits of having a correct facility layout can only be achieved with an appropriate plan. The layout will depend on the operations that the commercial kitchen will target to accommodate. What you need is a versatile solution to building a commercial kitchen layout.

The FoodDocs digital HACCP plan builder features an easy way to create your kitchen layouts and food location plan. Our software can help you create your business layout as easily as using the drag-and-drop method in our application. Additionally, build plans for water and sewerage, equipment, and logistics plans with our software and get a complete HACCP plan with it.

How to design a commercial kitchen?

Designing a commercial kitchen and building a spacious layout requires several careful considerations and restrictions. Every country has its own regulations and public health laws regarding which facilities are mandatory for a commercial kitchen and which are less of a priority.

To help you logically build your commercial kitchen layout plan, use the following steps as a guide:

• Determine the operations needed to complete the selected menu products.
• List the necessary equipment needed for operations while considering the food locations' space and size.
• Layout stations, equipment, and rooms according to the principle of the chosen kitchen arrangement.
• Consult an expert on food safety regulations on a commercial kitchen floor plan and revise the plan accordingly.
• Verify the size of the location and equipment to be installed to ensure the feasibility of the layout.

When designing a commercial kitchen layout, you must consider the following universal factors:

• Target operations, including menu items. Before opening a commercial kitchen, your team formulated a business plan. In this plan, you have already laid out your target operations and the ideal types of dishes to prepare. Your target operations will dictate which machines to procure and the segments of your kitchen layout.
• Available size of the facility and budget . These following factors may act as restrictions and determine the maximum capacity of the commercial kitchen. The facility size can be more flexible if you start the kitchen from construction rather than leasing a space. The kitchen space consideration and your construction budget may also dictate the sizes of the machine and utility equipment to purchase.
• Ease of cleaning, sanitation, and maintenance. A hygienic commercial kitchen design and installation can help reduce the time for cleaning and sanitation and ensure the safety of food. In this case, the design also pertains to the type of materials used, that is if they are easy to clean. In addition, the layout must always consider and prioritize the availability of cleaning stations for more secure food safety compliance.
• Food safety regulations. In some countries, food safety regulations include the number of preparation sinks needed for a safe food operation. These regulations may also include specifications on the type of materials and equipment to use for a commercial kitchen. Always involve your local food safety department in the process to ensure that your layout complies with the significant regulations.
• Workflow. There are several types of layouts for a commercial kitchen. Some layouts highlight communication efficiency, whereas others maximize their use of space. Choosing the correct layout will help achieve optimum material use and potential.
• Machine and equipment placement. The commercial kitchen design for your kitchen space will also significantly vary depending on the size of your machines. If you have very large machines, you may need to opt for a layout that will optimize the ample kitchen space for equipment while still considering floor space for kitchen footprint or traffic.
• Possibility of expansion. All food businesses aim to expand. At some point, after stabilizing the set goal for your commercial kitchen, you would need to open a new food location or expand your business through remodeling. Some business owners set aside unused space for a potential expansion. If you have a larger kitchen, this strategy can help you save the trouble with reconstruction, which will stop your operations.

While considering these factors, build your commercial kitchen floor plan by involving your executive chef, appointed supervisor, and other key employees. As they are the ones working firsthand in the kitchen, they will have valuable input for the layout.

You can consult a commercial kitchen designer to help design your commercial kitchen layout while considering important regulations, such as standards for food storage. Use our digital solution at FoodDocs to effortlessly create your layouts in the most efficient way while considering the location of your food business.

Does a commercial kitchen need a fire door?

The requirement for a fire door can be case-to-case in the US and UK food industries. In general, kitchen traffic doors are not required to be fire doors, whereas the doors that lead to the service area and waste disposal rooms must be fire doors.

Does a commercial kitchen need a floor drain?

Floor drains are vital for a commercial kitchen. A food business must have an adequate drainage system in the U.S. and under the FDA Food Code as well as the building health codes in the U.S. Similarly, the installation of a system that removes waste water quickly to prevent food contamination by bacteria is required by UK regulations .

What is the minimum size for a commercial kitchen?

There is no minimum size for a commercial kitchen. Despite this, the average size of a commercial kitchen is estimated to be 1000 square feet. This information is based on a recent poll to determine the elements that affect the start-up costs for a restaurant. Specifically, the average calculated size for a kitchen is 1,051 square footage.

How many sinks should be in a commercial kitchen?

At a minimum, every commercial kitchen must have two sinks: one dedicated sink for washing and rinsing food equipment and cooking tools and another solely for handwashing . The dedicated sink for warewashing is recommended to be a double or three-compartment sink to wash and sanitize food equipment properly. The dedicated pot wash sink must not be used for other purposes to avoid the accumulation of food waste. 

Apart from food preparation sinks, a separate janitorial sink with hose connections is also recommended. This janitorial sink must be placed away from the food preparation area to prevent water droplets from contaminating cooked and raw products. All types of preparation sinks must have a regulator for water temperature. Correct water temperature in sink is essential for proper cleaning.

Depending on the size of your commercial kitchen, the number of dedicated sinks may increase. All preparation sinks must be properly labeled to dictate their purpose and avoid cross-contamination of products .

How to build a commercial kitchen?

Building a commercial kitchen is almost similar to creating any other food business. The main difference is that a commercial kitchen least prioritizes having a service area since the establishment focuses on producing big batches for other food businesses.

A commercial kitchen would require a business plan that contains all of the necessary plans for the establishment, including:

• Company profile
• The kitchen layout and restaurant concept
• Menu and type of food to offer

In addition to the business plan, you would also need to procure food equipment and large machinery to operate high volumes of orders. In compliance with regulations, you would also need to secure licenses and permits, such as the following:

• Business license
• Employee health permit
• Conditional use permit
• Food handling permit

After securing licenses and permits for a food establishment, your commercial kitchen operations must have an established food safety plan to address food safety hazards. The most widely known and effective food safety plan is the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plan or HACCP plan . With the help of AI, you will get your HACCP Plan done within an hour.

Instead of using the traditional way of building a food safety plan that takes months of preparation, verification, and implementation, you can create one ready for implementation immediately.

Automatically created HACCP plan from FoodDocs

Commercial kitchen installation

Commercial kitchen planning also entails choosing the correct materials for your infrastructure and the equipment and utensils used for your food establishment. Based on prerequisite programs, kitchens must be built in accordance with minimum food safety standards. The materials used to build the kitchen must be hygienic, easy to clean, and will not attract accidents. This commercial kitchen design principle must be applied from the kitchen walls up to the smallest details, such as your electrical outlets.

Consider the following points for the design process of your commercial kitchen:

• External walls must be securely sealed to prevent pests from entering the kitchen.
• Use fire-proof materials for external wall surfaces.
•  Install lockable wall cupboards to maximize the space.
• Choose easy-to-clean solid surface materials for table tops.
• Materials that come into contact with food must not be absorbent of grease and food liquids.
• Plates and other crockery storage areas must be placed near the exit table of the warewashing area to avoid contamination.
• Packaging material 
• Refrigerated storage
• Non-food storage
• Recyclable materials
• Provide an area for commercial catering equipment grouping for easier access. 
• Strategically place frying stations away from other equipment and service tools to avoid splashes. Use a fry-holding bin and heat lamp.
• Invest in large cold holding units to prevent overloading, such as reaching the freezer storage capacity to ensure the safety of food and promote the rotation of stock.
• Place dedicated waste facilities outside the kitchen area.
• For larger facilities, provide enough handwashing and janitorial sinks for convenience and ensure the safety of food.
• Ensure that kitchen lighting is equipped with guards to avoid attracting pests. 
• Add an adequate air ventilation system to prevent having a heated kitchen.
• Install filters to ensure that pests will not enter the kitchen through ventilation.

Designs and materials for building your commercial kitchen must always follow local and federal food safety regulations. Some laws may require particular material grades for safety, while others may be a bit lenient. The design of your commercial kitchen must always prioritize safety for both your employees and the food being prepared.

The difference in the description between businesses may entail differences in governing regulations. Below, we show some of the significant commercial kitchen layout regulations for the US and the UK.

Waste management

United states.

In the US, waste management guidelines are provided under the FDA Food Code to prevent having a dirty kitchen. Some of the key items regarding waste management under this document include the following:

• Machines that dispense liquid food waste in bulk, such as vending machines and refrigerated storage, must have a built-in receptacle for collection storage and easier cleaning.
• The machine must have an automatic shutoff function that will prevent the accumulation of food waste and overflow.
• A dedicated sink for service fitted with a floor drain must be provided for cleaning mops and disposal of liquid waste.
• Comfort rooms must not be used to dispose of liquid waste. Only store food waste in dedicated waste facilities.
• Durable, cleanable, pest-resistant, leak-proof, and nonabsorbent trash receptacles must be provided with appropriate lids.
• A designated prep storage area for holding food waste must be located separately from the kitchen equipment and tools area.

United Kingdom

Similar food waste regulations concerning the kitchen layout are provided by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK . They are backed by other food safety laws, such as the Water Industry Act 1991 . This law mainly identifies mishandling food waste and dirty items, including the uncontrolled discharge of fats, oils, grease, and other examples of food wastage, as a criminal offense. 

The FSA provides regulations on managing food waste through a proper layout for food premises, such as the following:

• Commercial kitchens and other food establishments must have adequate and hygienic storage space for food waste and waste storage containers.
• Receptacles for served-but-uneaten food must be in close proximity to the dedicated sinks for washing,
• Leftovers can be reused if processed and stored correctly.
• Waste cooking oils must be properly disposed of. They can block drains and cause other food contamination problems.
• Laws on how to handle animal by-products for England , Wales , and Northern Ireland .

Fire safety

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provides codes and strict standards for food establishments in the US. Since the commercial kitchen environment is filled with fire hazards, regulations are strict. For example, commercial cooking equipment in a kitchen requires an individual protection system, as stated under NFPA 96. Under this code, all cooking equipment must have a hood or a duct system.

The code also specifies that high-risk food environments such as broilers, cold storage equipment, and dry storage space must have fire suppression systems. It also specifies the need for exhaust fans, grease containment, and the frequency of cleaning hoods.

In the UK, fire regulations require clear and properly placed fire exits, extinguishers, proper ventilation systems, and alarms to suppress any cases of fire within the kitchen environment. These restaurant fire safety measures must be clearly represented in the layout. Regulations also require that doors and other openings have the same fire rating as commercial kitchen wall surfaces.

Employee and food safety

In determining the layout of commercial kitchen, the safety of food handlers and the food being prepared are priorities. The kitchen environment must always include careful consideration of safe working conditions for every employee and how to minimize food safety hazards.

As a law in the UK, commercial kitchens are subject to establishing a HACCP food safety plan . This food safety plan identifies and addresses food safety hazards before they occur. Other laws that pertain to food safety in the UK include The Food Safety Act of 1990 and the General Food Law Regulation (EC) No 178/2002.

In the US, food establishments dealing with meat and poultry are mandated to have individually established HACCP plans. A comprehensive risk-based preventive program is required under the Food Safety Modernization Act for other food products prepared in a commercial kitchen. 2

To help you maintain compliance with food safety regulations, use our free resources from our HACCP plan template hub.

A complete and accurate layout or floor plan for a commercial kitchen is essential to your documentation and correct facility plans. Some food establishment owners hire experts to draft, visualize and implement the commercial kitchen layout as the task requires knowledge of safety regulations and even ergonomics. Building a floor plan for your commercial kitchen can cost you a lot, even before you start your operations.

FoodDocs can help you automatically create your commercial kitchen layout and food location plans with our digital solution. The solution can get the job done as easily through the following:

• Set up your commercial kitchen address, and the software can automatically create a food location plan for you.
• You can easily drag and drop points to create your own kitchen layout.
• You do not need external applications to build your kitchen layout, and the plan can be done in just a few minutes .

Kitchen layout plan in  FoodDocs

In addition to a floor plan, our digital solution can help you comply with other water and sewage systems regulations, equipment plans, and logistics . These plans use a similar drag-and-drop method to build a layout in minutes.

This digital solution is part of our main food safety software. FoodDocs strives to help food establishments effortlessly create food safety plans. Our digital HACCP plan builder was developed to automatically create a comprehensive digital HACCP plan with the following benefits:

• The software would only require you to answer a few basic questions that will describe your operations to our software.
• With the HACCP builder software, you can create the digital HACCP plan in 1 hour, taking into account your local regulations and other similar companies.
• You can get a complete and customizable HACCP plan even with limited knowledge of food safety and without the need to hire a consultant.

Did you know that our system will automatically generate a HACCP plan with the following components based on your answers?  

• Relevant standard operating procedures
• Prerequisite programs
• Basic flow chart diagram
• Hazard analysis
• Critical control points with appropriate critical limits
• Monitoring procedures
• Corrective action plan
• Verification system
• Recordkeeping and documentation system

The entire process of making your digital HACCP plan can be done in just 1 hour. You can get a comprehensive plan normally done for months in just a few steps, and it can already be implemented immediately.

Our system aims to make all components of food safety accessible for all food premises. Allow our software to help you set up your commercial kitchen for success. The best part is that you can try the software for free .

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How to Design a Commercial Kitchen Layout for Your Restaurant

By Katherine Pendrill

Whether you’re opening a new restaurant or renovating your current one, there’s a lot of thought that needs to go into your commercial kitchen layout. While it might not get as much attention as your dining room floor plan , a safe and efficient restaurant kitchen layout is just as essential to a great guest experience.

A well-thought-out commercial kitchen layout not only allows your back-of-house (BOH) team to produce high-quality meals, but it also improves your entire team’s speed and efficiency – something that translates into a better experience for all your guests.

Of course, no two restaurant kitchens are the same, which means you’ll need to design a commercial kitchen layout that complements your restaurant’s (and your team’s) unique needs.

To help you go from blank slate to your dream commercial kitchen floor plan, this article will cover:

• The basics of designing a commercial kitchen layout for your restaurant
• 7 key elements of a great restaurant kitchen layout
• 6 common commercial kitchen layout examples
• Key considerations for your own commercial kitchen floor plan

As mentioned, no two commercial kitchen layouts are exactly the same, which is why it’s important to understand some key elements of your restaurant before diving headfirst into design.

Consider Your Menu

Unsurprisingly, the first thing you need to consider is your menu. After all, your kitchen is where everything on your menu is stored, prepared, and cooked, so your kitchen design will be entirely dependent on what kind of food you’re serving.

And while there are certain elements you’ll find in most commercial kitchens, the equipment you use and the way your space is arranged will be dictated by what’s on the menu.

Before you move forward with any commercial kitchen designs, speak to your chef about their needs. Your chef knows your menu best and can help you determine what kind of storage is required, your restaurant equipment list , how big the kitchen needs to be, and what the best flow is for the space. Your chef can also provide input on what you don’t need so you don’t end up with pricey kitchen technologies that never get used.

Understand the Space

As a general rule of thumb, the standard ratio for dining room to kitchen space is 60 to 40 , with the smaller portion reserved for the kitchen. Of course, this can vary dramatically based on the type of venue you’re running and the space available. If you’re working with a small restaurant kitchen layout, you may have to make some compromises. 

Take measurements of the kitchen space you have available before you begin drawing up designs. And keep in mind it’s not just a matter of square footage. You also need to account for things like windows, electrical outlets, fire escape doors, and more.

Know Your Local Health Codes and Safety Regulations

Lastly, you need to understand your local health and safety codes inside and out. Check with organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and your state’s Department of Public Health to find out the current standards for food storage, safety, preparation, disposal, etc.

You’ll also need to secure all the proper restaurant licenses and permits for your commercial kitchen. This can include everything from your certificate of occupancy, to things like a wastewater permit or dumpster placement permit.

You should also keep in mind that these standards and the licenses will differ depending on where your restaurant is located. Before moving ahead with your commercial kitchen layout design, speak with a local inspector to ensure you’re fully compliant with the laws in your area.

Know exactly how to get each license and how much it’s going to cost.

7 Key Elements of a Restaurant Kitchen Layout

Now that you have a better idea of what you need and the kind of space you’re working with, you can begin thinking about the distinct elements that will make up your restaurant kitchen layout.

When planning out your commercial kitchen layout, you have to make sure your design fulfills your restaurant’s basic needs and the flow between those spaces. Generally, there are seven basic functions that your kitchen should fulfill:

1. Delivery

Every kitchen needs a delivery space where products can be received from vendors. Make sure your kitchen has a clear loading area for shipping and receiving (ideally with ample parking space). While this area should be close to your storage spaces to reduce spoilage during offloading,, the delivery point should not be within the main working space of the kitchen.

Your restaurant’s kitchen will need to store a variety of items, including cooking tools, place settings, and your actual ingredients.

Make sure your kitchen has appropriate storage space for all of these items, including pantries for dry goods, and commercial fridges and freezers for perishable foods. You’ll also need cupboards for tools and place settings such as glasses, plates, utensils, and linens.

3. Food Prep

Depending on the kind of food your restaurant is preparing, you’ll likely need several different food preparation areas – this is especially important if you cater to guests with food allergies or strict dietary requirements.

When designing your food prep areas, ensure each has appropriate counter space, cutting tools, and storage for any additional tools. You will likely also want separate washing areas for food so your ingredients never come in contact with your dirty dishes.

Keep in mind that food prep areas should be placed close to a refrigerator so BOH staff can quickly and safely store perishable ingredients until they are ready to be used. 

This is where the action happens. After food is prepped, it will be moved to your cooking stations. These areas should be equipped with the appropriate equipment for the volume and type of food you serve. Most restaurants have gas range-oven combinations in their cooking stations, as well as commercial fryers. However, your restaurant might also have additional cooking equipment for special dishes.

Each cooking station should also be equipped with a digital kitchen order system (also known as a kitchen display system or KDS). This is a tablet or screen that displays digital order tickets sent directly from your restaurant POS system . This piece of technology is essential to provide a seamless line of communication between your front-of-house (FOH) and BOH teams, ultimately helping to decrease ticket times and eliminate errors.

Once your dishes have been cooked, they need to be properly plated and garnished before they are handed off to servers who will deliver them to your guests. This area should be as close to the dining room as possible so there is less distance for staff to travel from the kitchen to the dining area. It’s also a good idea to equip your service area with heat lamps that will keep food warm until it is picked up by servers.

6. Dish Return

All the dishes that leave your kitchen will eventually have to come back. Your commercial kitchen should have a dedicated dish return space for FOH staff to drop off dirty plates, utensils, and other items. This area should not only have enough room for staff to stack dirty dishes ready to be washed, but there should also be adequate waste disposal for any leftover food.

7. Cleaning

From dirty plates to the kitchen equipment itself, there’s a lot of cleaning that goes on in a commercial kitchen. Make sure your kitchen has a distinct cleaning area equipped with three-compartment sinks, commercial dishwashers, and drying racks.

6 Commercial Kitchen Layout Examples

Your next challenge is actually arranging these seven elements.

Though every commercial kitchen floor plan is unique, there are a few restaurant kitchen layout designs that can serve as a good starting point. Below are six commercial kitchen layout examples you’ll find in most restaurants:

1. Assembly Line Layout

Just as the name suggests, the assembly line kitchen layout focuses on the assembly of each dish. 

In this layout, there is a central row or island organized in a single line. This allows ingredients to move seamlessly from a food prep station, through to cooking, and finally, a service area where the completed items are picked up and delivered to customers.

The benefits of the assembly line layout include:

• Accommodates multiple workers at once, each focusing on an individual task
• Ideal for high-volume, quick service restaurants with limited menus and systematic preparation
• Seamless flow of ingredients from one station to the next creates kitchen efficiencies that allow for faster service 

The assembly line layout is best for fast food and fast casual restaurants with systematic preparation, like Chipotle or Sweetgreen.

2. Island Layout

Another popular commercial kitchen layout is the island layout. In this configuration, the meal is at the center of the action. This means that all the kitchen equipment dedicated to cooking, such as ovens, ranges, and fryers, are all centered in the middle of the kitchen in an island-like setup.

In an island layout, all the non-cooking stations, such as the dishwashing station and food preparation areas, are pushed up against the perimeter of the kitchen. 

The benefits of the island layout include:

• The meal becomes the visual and functional heart of the kitchen
• The circular flow of the kitchen allows chefs to congregate in the same area, thus improving communication and supervision of staff
• An island layout can make for easier cleaning

The island design is the best restaurant kitchen layout for venues with ample kitchen space for staff to move around.

3. Zoning Layout

If you opt for a zone-style layout, it means your kitchen will be divided into separate zones for each activity (e.g. food prep vs dishwashing). Or, these zones will be based on each kind of dish that’s being prepared (e.g. a salad station vs the pastry station). In this kind of setup, you might need a dedicated KDS for each zone.

The benefits of a zoning layout include:

• Allows BOH staff to divide and conquer so each person can focus on their area of expertise
• Allows many different types of dishes to be prepared at the same time
• Leaves a wider open space in the center of the kitchen that can promote better flow

The zoning layout is best for restaurants with diverse menus and a wide variety of items that need to be prepared, such as hotel restaurants, catering kitchens, event space kitchens, and sometimes even ghost kitchens . However, this restaurant kitchen layout is not a good option for small kitchens because it doesn’t allow for much multi-tasking. 

4. Galley Layout

In a galley commercial kitchen layout, all the different stations and kitchen equipment are positioned along the perimeter of the kitchen. If the kitchen is very tight, this might mean everything sits along just two parallel walls.

The benefits of a galley layout include:

• In a larger kitchen, the ring layout leaves an empty space in the center that allows staff to easily rotate from one area to the next
• In smaller kitchens, the galley layout makes the most of the limited space available

The galley layout is best for a venue with a small restaurant kitchen layout and few staff, such as a food truck.

5. Open Layout

Of all the commercial kitchen layout examples, perhaps the most unique option is the open kitchen design.

An open kitchen layout means that the commercial kitchen is open to the dining room so customers can see all the action that takes place behind the scenes. Diners are big fans of this setup with one Harvard study finding that customer satisfaction went up 17.3% and service was 13.2% faster when customers and cooks could see one another.

If you opt for an open kitchen layout, hot cooking equipment should be kept as far away from customers as possible. In some cases, it might make sense to add a glass partition between the service area and the dining room. 

The benefits of an open layout include:

• Customers can watch as their meal is cooked, which provides entertainment and can improve the perception of quality
• Creates a larger and more open dining space
• Can speed up service because there is less distance between the kitchen and customers

Open kitchen layouts are common in high-end restaurants where watching the chefs work is part of the experience. 

6. Ergonomic Layout

One last commercial kitchen layout to consider is the ergonomic layout. In this case, ergonomics are top of mind, which means making sure staff are comfortable and need to move as little as possible to complete their tasks.

In an ergonomic restaurant kitchen layout, cooking equipment and supplies are placed within close proximity to one another. This ensures that employees don’t need to be reaching, crouching, bending, stretching, or walking around to get what they need. 

The benefits of an ergonomic layout include:

• More comfortable physical working conditions for BOH staff
• Reducing movement in the kitchen improves speed and efficiency
• Separate workstations and dedicated traffic aisles reduce accidents

The ergonomic commercial kitchen layout is ideal for restaurants with unorthodox kitchen layouts where conditions might be more strenuous for staff. 

Key Considerations for Your Restaurant Kitchen Layout

Once you’ve decided on a floor plan based on the commercial kitchen layout examples listed above, you’re ready to start planning the actual design details. 

No matter which commercial kitchen layout you choose, you should take the following into consideration as you draw up your designs.

Space Efficiency

First and foremost, you should be thinking about how to make the most out of the space you have available. This means knowing exactly what you do need, and understanding what nice-to-haves you don’t need. Even if your kitchen only takes up a quarter of your whole restaurant, look for creative ways to make the most of the space you do have.

Every commercial kitchen layout should be designed with workflow in mind. This means arranging the space in a way that accommodates the movements taking place inside the kitchen on a day-to-day basis. When the flow of all the stations in your kitchen move in a logical direction, it not only reduces confusion, but it can also prevent accidents.

Even if you’re working with a small restaurant kitchen layout, your design should account for the flow from delivery and storage all the way through to cooking and cleaning.

Flexibility & Modularity

While your restaurant kitchen layout should be designed with your existing needs in mind, remember that your menu will change. Your kitchen should have some elements of flexible design that can accommodate future menu changes. This might include shelving units, racks, and prep tables with wheels, so you can rearrange your space as needed.

Sanitation & Safety

Proper sanitation and safety measures are essential to protecting your customers and your staff. And in the wake of COVID-19, it’s become even more clear that proper restaurant cleaning is non-negotiable.

When designing your space, keep sanitation top of mind by consulting your local health codes and food safety regulations. You’ll likely find strict standards that will dictate your commercial kitchen layout, such as how far food prep areas must be from waste disposal stations, where handwashing stations should be placed, and more.

And don’t just focus on food safety and sanitation. Your commercial kitchen layout should also be designed with the safety of your staff in mind as well. This means ensuring you have proper fire exits, floor drains, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and more. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may also have to take additional precautions such as adding floor marking to promote social distancing, or adding screens to separate workstations.

Supervision & Training

Your kitchen design should also take into account how your BOH team will supervise and train new employees.

This is especially important for restaurants with a large kitchen staff where there might be a need for someone like an executive chef to oversee the work being done. If this is the case in your restaurant, consider using fewer walls or partitions, so supervision is easier and staff can easily communicate with one another.

Though some restaurant kitchens might be more tech-forward than others, just about any venue can benefit from a kitchen display system (KDS) or kitchen printer . With a KDS in place, your entire BOH team can see every ticket generated, providing all the information they need to quickly and accurately confirm order details – a system that’s much more efficient than using just paper tickets or chits.

Energy Efficiency

It’s no secret that commercial kitchens use a lot of energy, and the bulk of that energy consumption can be broken down into two main categories: HVAC and cooking. Cooking consumes approximately 35% of the energy a restaurant uses, while heating and cooling use up approximately 28% of energy costs.

To keep the bulk of your energy costs down, equip your kitchen with energy-efficient kitchen appliances. You should also consider the arrangement of this equipment in your space to improve efficiency. For instance, place your cold storage equipment far away from your cooking stations so your fridges don’t need to work harder to compensate for extra heat.

Air Ventilation

As noted, your restaurant HVAC system is also a major source of energy consumption in your restaurant. If your restaurant already has an HVAC system installed, make sure this system is inspected by a professional to ensure everything is in working order. In some cases, upgrading your outdated HVAC can make a huge difference in your overall energy consumption (and costs).

Not to mention, your HVAC system is also essential to maintaining a safe commercial kitchen space. When planning your commercial kitchen layout, take into account all the different aspects of your HVAC system, including the makeup air units that replace air exhausted by kitchen hoods and the ductwork that circulates hot and cold air.

Maintenance

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in planning your commercial kitchen layout is not accounting for maintenance. At some point, all of your kitchen equipment will need to be repaired or replaced, and you need to ensure there’s room for that maintenance to be done. 

Wherever possible, make your kitchen modular so you can move certain pieces around and access any equipment that might break down, such as refrigerators, ranges, etc.

Finally, but perhaps most importantly, design your restaurant kitchen layout with simplicity in mind. The key to a successful restaurant is an efficient kitchen, so don’t hinder your staff’s work by making your kitchen difficult to navigate. Keep things simple by designing a commercial kitchen floor plan that prioritizes function above all else.

Remember, just because your guests won’t see your kitchen, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it the same care and attention as your dining room and interior design . The key is not to think of your restaurant as front of house vs back of house , as both are equally important to consider. A well thought out commercial kitchen layout not only makes it easier for your BOH staff to do their work, but it also leads to a more efficient restaurant overall – something that’s good for your guests and for your bottom line.

Katherine is the Content Marketing Manager at TouchBistro, where she writes about trending topics in food and restaurants. The opposite of a picky eater, she’ll try (almost) anything at least once. Whether it’s chowing down on camel burgers in Morocco or snacking on octopus dumplings in Japan, she’s always up for new food experiences.

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Checklist for Starting a Kitchen Business: Essential Ingredients for Success

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How to Protect Intellectual Property Rights

No matter whether you are an employee, an employer, a small business owner, and entrepreneur, an artist, or a corporate executive, it pays to know a few things about intellectual property- the stuff we know, think up, learn, or create, that is valuable to us or could be valuable to other people. This list is designed to give an overview of different types of intellectual property, how they can be protected, why you will want to know, and why the system works the way it does.

1. What do we mean by "Intellectual Property"?

Intellectual property is created or discovered. It includes things you write, invent, design, discover, speak, sing, sculpt, draw, learn over time, etc. Some examples of intellectual property are: a political campaign plan, a list of 10000 people who play golf, the McDonald's golden arches, the process for making Prozac, the styling for next year's Cadilacs, the recipe for Coca Cola, the design for the Pentium computer chip, and the theme music to a James Bond movie. You might create intellectual property yourself, or you might purchase it or hire someone to create it. Any way you slice it, intellectual property is something that cost someone some effort to bring into existence, and it often isn't something the creator wants to give away for free. The creation of intellectual property is a big part of what we call "progress" in the world. To protect those who take the time and the risks to create these things that move the world forward, laws have evolved to protect different kinds of intellectual property in different ways. Different forms of protection for intellectual property include patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

2. Patents -

There are several types of patents. The two most common types of patents are utility patents and design patents. Under the present laws, most utility and design patents last 20 years from the date of application (if they issue). You don't get your patent automatically just by applying for it. There are certain "tests" your patent application must pass in order for your patent to issue. Whether your patent application passes these tests is decided by a government official called a patent examiner. This can take many exchanges between you (or your patent attorney or agent) and the patent office. Your legal patent rights to the intellectual property you are patenting don't start until your patent issues, which usually takes between six months and two years from the date of application. There are a myriad of options when pursuing patents. The short-term expenses associated with these options can range from a few hundred dollars, well up into the tens of thousands of dollars. Having a patent consultant or coach to advise you on these options can be invaluable. Often a patent consultant or coach can outline a strategy that will work well for your business, and avoid some or all of the high attorney's fees that are often associated with applying for a patent. An invention does not need to be a work of genius to be patentable. The patent system was designed to protect people's hard work and creativity. It was designed to encourage businesses to undertake new developments, even when these developments require the risky investment of time and money. The patent office is a branch of the United States Department of Commerce. Patents exist to promote the growth of technology and business, and keep our country's economy strong. Utility patents cover what many of us are used to thinking of as "inventions", such as the incandescent light bulb, the zipper, the stapler, the pop-top can, the twin-blade razor, or the process for making a drug. Utility patents can also patent an improvement to something that already exists, such as halogen light bulbs, which are an improvement over regular light bulbs. Design patents usually protect the artistic form of something functional, such as a child's sled designed to look like a caterpillar. While the sled is not a new invention, the form looking like a caterpillar may be attractive to kids, and may let you sell more sleds, thus being an innovation worthy of protection.

3. Trademarks -

Trademarks are far simpler than patents. Trademarks are used to protect intellectual property such as brand names, logos, etc. You don't have to apply to anyone to have trademark rights. Something can be your legal trademark as soon as you declare that it is (there are specific legal ways to make this declaration), provided a few conditions are met. The first condition is that no one else is using the trademark for a similar use. The second condition is that the trademark is not a descriptive phrase that people might use normally, such as "soft facial tissue". The third requirement is that you USE the trademark (for instance, by printing it on things you sell, or in your advertising literature). Printing "TM" as a superscript or in parenthesis next to the thing you are trademarking is a sufficient legal declaration to give you your rights, providing you have met the listed conditions. You may also want to register your trademark. This puts your trademark into a public record, which will show up to anyone who tries to register such a trade mark later without knowing about yours. This is a useful way of putting people on notice of your rights. Trademarks don't expire in a set time like patents, but if you stop using your trademark, you can loose your rights to it.

4. Copyrights -

Copyrights are even simpler than trademarks. You can copyright anything you write (like a book, a newspaper article, a marketing report, or a song), simply by stating (again in a specific way, and usually at the beginning or end of the material) that you reserve the copyright to the material. You can also copyright photographs, artworks, drawings, sculptures, etc. When you declare your copyright, you need to say who the copyright belongs to, and it is also customary to include the year of the copyright . A typical copyright notice might be "Copyright 1997 by Lee Weinstein, All rights Reserved". A more detailed copyright notice appears at the end of this Top Ten list.

5. Trade Secrets -

Trade secrets may appear to be even simpler than copyrights. To keep something a trade secret, you either don't tell anyone, or you require everyone who you do tell to sign a document acknowledging that the intellectual property they received is a trade secret, and promising to keep it secret. A great example of a trade secret is the recipe for Coca Cola. If the recipe were patented, then when the patent expired, everyone would have the right and the know-how to make a soda that was exactly identical (though under different names, since the name Coca Cola is trade marked). Kept as a trade secret, the recipe has been much more valuable, but keeping a secret that valuable may not be simple. Keeping patentable intellectual property as a trade secret can be risky. If someone else independently invents the invention and does patent it, the original inventor may loose the right to make his own invention! The law works this way in order to promote things being disclosed so they can eventually be used by all.

6. Offensive Rights -

Does this mean that your rights are offensive to others? Well, maybe sometimes. What this really means is that having reserved your rights with a patent, trademark, copyright, or trade secret gives you the right to go on the offensive against anyone who infringes on your rights. The bad news is, it's up to YOU to do this. There are no "Intellectual Property Police" running around looking for people who plagiarize your book, bootleg your songs, steal your customer lists, and copy your logo. You (or your attorney or representative), have to contact infringers, present your demands, negotiate, or take them to court, etc. The other bad news is that if you don't follow the rules to properly protect your intellectual property, you run the risk of loosing your rights (or, equivalently, giving them away). Having a coach to keep your awareness up in this arena can make a big difference and save a lot of headaches.

Predict Your Future. Don't use a crystal ball to make predictions of your business. By carefully assessing the historical trends of your business enterprise, as shown in your records for the previous five decades, you can forecast for the year ahead. Your record of earnings, your experience with the markets in which you market, and your general knowledge of the economy should allow you to forecast a sales figure for the next calendar year. When you have a Sales forecast figure, make up a budget demonstrating your costs as a proportion of that figure. Within the following year, you can compare real P&L figures to your budgeted figures. Thus, your financial plan is an important tool for determining the health of your business. Make Timely Decisions. Without actions, predictions and decisions about the future are not worth the paper they're written on. A decision that does not lead to action is a poor one. The pace of business demands timely in addition to informed decision making. In case the owner-manager is to stay ahead of competition, you must move to control your destiny. Powerful Decision making in the small business requires several things. The owner-manager should have as much accurate information as you can. With these facts, you should determine the consequences of all feasible courses of action and the time demands. When you have created the decision, you have set up your company so the choices you make could be transmitted into actions. Control Your Business. To be effective, the owner-manager must be able to motivate key people to acquire the outcomes intended for within the price and time constraints allowed. In working to achieve outcomes, the small business owner-manager has an edge over large business. You can be flexible and fast while many large businesses need to await committee action before a decision is made. You do not need to get permission to act. And equally important, bottlenecks to implementing new methods can receive your own personal attention. One of the Secrets is in deciding what things to control. Even in a small business, the owner-manager shouldn't try and be all things to everyone. You should keep close control on individuals, products, money, and any other tools that you consider significant to maintaining your operation pointed toward profit. Manage Your Folks. Most companies realize that their biggest expense is labor. Yet due to the close contact with employees, some owner-manager of small businesses don't pay enough attention to direct and indirect labor costs. They tend to consider these prices in terms of people rather than relate them to gain with respect to dollars and cents. Listed below Are Some Tips regarding personnel handling: Periodically Review each position in your company. Have a quarterly look at the job. Is work being replicated? Can it be organized so that it motivates the worker to become concerned? Can the tasks be given to another employee or employees and a position eliminated? Can a part-time individual fill the job. Play A modest private mental game. Imagine that you must get rid of one worker, If you needed to let one person go, who'd it be? How can you realign the jobs to make out? You could get a true solution to the fanciful problem is potential to your financial benefit. Usage Compensation for a tool instead of viewing it as a essential evil. Reward quality work. Look into the potential for using raises and bonuses as incentives for greater productivity. By way of example, can you envision bonuses like morale boosters during seasonal slacks or alternative dull periods? Remember There are new ways of controlling absenteeism through incentive compensation plans. By way of instance, the owner-manager of a little company eliminated holidays and sick leave. Rather, this owner-manager gave every worker thirty days annual leave to use as the worker saw fit. In the end of the year, the workers were paid at regular prices for the depart that they didn't use. To make up for the yearlong pay, the employee had to establish that sick leave was taken solely for this purpose. Non-sick leave had to be applied for in advance. Because of this, unscheduled absences and overtime pay were decreased significantly. Additionally, employees were happier and more productive than they had been under the older system. Control Your Inventory. Do not tie up all of your cash in stock. Utilize a perpetual inventory system for a cost control rather than a system just for taxation purposes. Establish use patterns or purchase patterns on the materials or items which you have to stock to keep the minimum number needed to provide your customers to preserve production. Excessive inventory, while it is finished product or raw materials, ties up funds which could be used to better advantage, for instance, to open a new sales territory or to buy new machinery. Centralize your Buys and avoid duplications. Be a comparative shopper. Verify orders . Get the price and amount straight right away. Assess what you Receive for quality and condition. Assess bills from providers against quotations. You don't wish to be the victim of their mistake. You should, However, keep 1 fact in mind once you install your inventory control system. Don't invest more on the control system than it will yield in savings. Control Your Products. From charge of inventory to control of products is however a step. Ensure your sales people recognize the value of promoting the products which are the most lucrative. Align your service policies along with your own markup in mind. Arrange your goods so that low markup things need the least handling. Control Your Cash. It is good policy to handle checks and cash as though they were perishable commodities. They are. Cash in your protected earns no return; and it Can be stolen. Bank promptly.

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How to Set Up and Run a Commercial Kitchen: A Start to End Checklist

Owning a food business is no easy feat. There are so many things to take into account, from the food itself to the marketing and everything in between. But one of the most important aspects of any foodservice business is the kitchen. The kitchen is where the magic happens, and if it’s not up to par, your food business will suffer; with careful planning and execution, your kitchen can run like a well-oiled machine. 

A commercial kitchen is a great investment for anyone looking to start out or expand their culinary business , however, managing one can be daunting. Here’s our start to end checklist on how to set up and run a commercial kitchen , so, whether you’re an experienced restaurateur or a complete novice, read on for everything you need to know…

How to find the right kitchen for you

To help you make the right choice for your food business, follow the below points when considering the ideal kitchen space…

There are many options to consider when it comes to finding the right commercial kitchen to rent . These include dark kitchen s , delivery kitchen s , catering kitchen s and central production unit s .

Once you know what type of kitchen you need, think about the size of your food business and how much space you will need. Start researching kitchens in your area that fit your criteria.

The kitchen should be big enough to accommodate your staff and kitchen equipment, but also small enough to maintain efficiency. You’ll need adequate space for cooking equipment, food prep areas, dry storage and frozen or cold storage containers . Be sure to find a commercial kitchen that can accommodate your business plan.

Is the lease available flexible enough to suit the needs of your business? Leased commercial kitchens can be hired as single production units or large-scale commercial catering spaces. If you’d like more privacy in your operation and want to have more control, a longer-term lease is recommended for your foodservice business.

Before deciding on the kitchen you want to rent , make sure to ask about rental requirements – the required insurance level, the charge per hour/day/month, available appliances and storage materials, and whether space is shared or dedicated. 

Setting up and stocking your kitchen​

Now you’ve found your perfect kitchen, here’s how to make it fully functional…

Plan your layout: kitchen designing

It’s a good idea to plan your kitchen layout before designing or building it – this will help you determine the best placement for appliances, utensils, workstations, ventilation systems, refrigerator units and food waste. You’ll need to ensure the space is big enough to accommodate all of your cooking equipment and that it has adequate ventilation.

Kitchen appliances

Once you have planned the layout of your kitchen, you need to fit it out with the right catering equipment. If you’re just starting out in the foodservice industry and your budget is a little tight, we recommend hiring catering or restaurant equipment initially, before buying it. Make sure you have everything from ovens and stoves to mixers and blenders.

Kitchen storage

There are many different options when it comes to commercial kitchen storage. Kitchen shelves, racks and carts are all available in different sizes and styles. Additionally, mobile storage units improve your organisation and are also an efficient option to transport food and equipment.

Managing your kitchen

Here’s what to do on a day-to-day basis to keep your kitchen running smoothly…

Food storage

You will need to store non-food items, dry food, and cold food in separate areas. Be sure to store your goods near the delivery area; this will give you the ability to put away things quickly. Check out our food storage safety tips .

Your food prep station should include a designated sink for washing and preparing food. You will also need an area for chopping, prepping meats, and dressings. This area should be near the storage of your fresh ingredients to help your kitchen flow effectively.

Your assembly line should easily flow between prep and pass. Have a limited number of staff working in this area to avoid any health and safety mishaps.

Cleaning and washing

All cleaning products must be stored and prepared in an area separate from your food to prevent cross-contamination. 

Kitchen staff

One of the most essential parts of any catering or restaurant kitchen is the staff that operates it. Make sure you have reliable kitchen staff who can manage your kitchen effectively . You need to ensure your staff follows all health and safety regulations, and everyone cooking must have a food handling licence. 

While many jobs in a restaurant kitchen are entry-level positions, such as dishwasher or prep cook, others require years of experience. When hiring head chefs, sous chefs and cooks, look for experienced people who can work as part of a team and who can handle and prepare all types of food.

Regular food safety training is also of paramount importance in any commercial kitchen.

Health and safety rules and regulations

When it comes to running a commercial catering kitchen , there are a number of important rules and   regulations to follow to ensure your kitchen is safe and sanitary and of course practical…

Food hygiene rules

Food safety and hygiene are of utmost importance in any kitchen. When running a commercial kitchen, preventing food poisoning and keeping your customers and staff healthy is essential. Foods such as meat should be cooked thoroughly to remove the risk of harmful bacteria and always ensure raw meat doesn’t come into contact with ready-to-eat foods .

Fire safety regulations

The vast majority of commercial kitchens rely on cooking appliances that adhere to fire safety regulations . So, regularly charging and testing fire suppression options in the ventilation system and fire extinguishers is a must.

Sanitation rules

The rules and regulations created by the health department require commercial kitchen owners to make sure that all the surfaces in their premises are disinfected and clean for food safety. Commercial kitchens should also have a different sink for washing your hands.

Gas safety regulations

Gas appliances in your kitchen must be CE-marked to show that they are safe to use. All commercial kitchens need to have a natural gas fitted and interlock system. The interlock system makes sure that gas passes safely into your pieces of equipment, preventing accidents, explosions, and carbon monoxide leaks.

Are you searching for your perfect commercial kitchen? At Dephna, we offer complete flexibility and 24-hour access with commission-free deliveries . Enquire now to book a visit . 

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The Complete Guide to Commercial Kitchen Design

You have a culinary vision you need to bring to life. Whether opening your first restaurant or expanding a chain, designing your commercial kitchen is a big undertaking. There’s a lot to consider, from food prep areas to storage space, from functionality and throughput to aesthetics. But there’s so much more to designing your kitchen than layout.

Continue reading to learn the basics of designing your commercial kitchen.

Before You Design Your Commercial Kitchen

You can see it: the stainless steel appliances, the efficient use of space, the potential.

While we’re glad you’re looking forward to designing your next restaurant, it’s not the first step in opening or continuing your restaurant empire. Here are a few things you should consider first.

1. The Space

Your location is everything. It’ll determine who you’re serving and have a significant impact on the success of your restaurant. It could even impact the type of food you’ll offer.

In addition to the geographic location, it’s important to consider the physical space. Are you building from the ground up? Are you retrofitting a second-generation space ? The answers to these questions will determine everything from your timeline to your budget to your final restaurant layout.

2. The Menu

This is the fun part. While you don’t have to have every side and garnish perfected before designing your kitchen, it’s best to have a concept down and a solid understanding of the food you’re serving.

Why? Because there is no “standard” commercial kitchen. There are common elements (prep tables, pot washing stations, etc.), but not all kitchen floorplans are alike. Each is (or should be) designed to fit the menu and concept like a glove. Quick-service restaurants need speed and maximum throughput. Fine-dining kitchens need segregated stations to maintain structure. And you can’t have a pizzeria without a pizza oven.

If you haven’t yet, meet with your chef and foodservice team to nail down the menu and start making strategic decisions about the kitchen flow.

3. Local Health Codes & Safety Regulations

Before any design starts, research the rules, regulations and safety codes you need to consider. Food safety is regulated at the federal, state and local levels, and you have to adhere to all of them.

Start with federal-level regulations and work your way down.  OSHA  has safety rules for the placement of fire alarms, exits, and walkway widths, while the  FDA  lays out food safety concerns.

It’s best to set an appointment with an inspector before you begin construction, especially when dealing with local-level regulations. Navigating these rules can be time-consuming and costly, especially when fixing mistakes. Simplify the process by reaching out to commercial kitchen design experts early.

Check out more of these considerations before you break ground on your commercial kitchen >

Feeling overwhelmed? We’re here to help. We have all of this information and worked into our process. Turn to the experts  and we’ll streamline and simplify your commercial kitchen design.

Where Should You Start

You have the space and the menu, and you have a good handle on safety codes. Congratulations, you’re ready to design your professional kitchen. Here’s where you should start.

1. Take Measurements

You need more than square footage to start planning your kitchen layout. Consider everything from doorways to plumbing to electrical outlets. These will all need to be taken into account when creating your new design and determining the budget and timeline.

Even the smallest measurements count (and they’re the easiest to forget). Think about the space between light switches and the doorway or the distance between the kitchen and the bathroom. These things all need to be a certain distance to meet the codes, so every measurement is essential.

For the best and most precise visualization of the space, consider 3D scanning services. Trust us — it’s worth the investment .

2. Decide on the Kitchen Layout

You need to determine how your professional kitchen will work. Part of this is predetermined by the type of restaurant you’re operating. An assembly line works in small spaces and quick-service restaurants, while fast-casual chains might prefer an open configuration.

Here are some examples of common kitchen layouts:

➔ Assembly line : Great for restaurants that produce a similar type of product over and over again. Think sandwich shops or pizzerias. Each part of the process has its own station, and every cook is assigned a specific task for speed and consistency.

➔ Open kitchen/open configuration : This style shows off your kitchen and food preparation to the customers. Use it to show off fresh products, extreme cleanliness, or a unique concept to entertain your customers.

➔ Island kitchen layout : If you have the space, consider a kitchen with appliances on the perimeter and a central command center in the middle. You can use the island for food preparation, finishing touches or expediting orders. Just make sure you have enough space, so the island doesn’t become an obstacle for your staff.

➔ Zoning layout : This involves dividing your commercial kitchen into zones based on tasks. A place for food preparation, a place for sauces, for dishes, etc. While this style keeps the kitchen organized, it can be challenging in small spaces.

➔ Galley layout : In this configuration, equipment and stations line the walls, leaving an open space in the center. This works well for small kitchens as it maximizes available space without overcrowding your back-of-house staff.

➔ Ergonomic : Everything in this floorplan style is designed for the comfort of your employees. Ingredients, utensils and equipment are all grouped for each task, so your BOH staff moves as little as possible. Not only does this improve your staff’s comfort level, but the limited movement also improves efficiency and reduces accidents.

Your kitchen space isn’t the only layout you’ll need designed. Your restaurant floorplan has several other vital components before you’re ready for any construction. See what else your commercial kitchen floorplan needs.

3. Pick Your Kitchen Equipment

Another fun but often overwhelming task is selecting and buying your commercial kitchen equipment.

Here are some potential items to consider:

• Refrigerators
• Food processors
• Dishwashers
• Exhaust systems
• Ice Machines
• Walk-in Coolers
• Combi Ovens
• Refrigerated Display Cases
• Beverage Equipment
• Char broilers
• Convection Ovens
• Hot Holding Cabinets
• Steamtables
• Refrigerated Prep Tables
• Stainless Prep Tables

There are also many other specialty kitchen equipment pieces you should consider to meet the specific needs of your menu.

Which items you choose will greatly impact your commercial kitchen’s design and determine how much space you have left for other food preparation aspects. You’ll also want to design the kitchen flow so every BOH member can easily access the equipment they need.

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Don't Forget These Kitchen Design Tips

➔ Design for delivery and takeout : Third-party delivery changed the game for the restaurant industry. If you didn’t do takeout before the COVID-19 pandemic, chances are you do now. Make sure you have a place to keep food warm that’s convenient for customers and third-party delivery drivers to access.

➔ Ensure safe sanitation: You can’t simply add a trashcan and a sink and call it a day. Health codes dictate how much space there should be between food preparation and disposal and other necessary safety measures. While many codes will require the vigilance of your staff, you can use the design process to set your team up for success.

➔ Stay flexible: While you’re making tons of tough decisions now, you want to leave room for changes in the future. Consider using a modular kitchen system that can evolve with your menu.

➔ Be energy efficient: Now’s the time to focus on energy efficiency. Buy low-energy appliances when possible, and design the space to minimize energy usage. Your bottom line will thank you.

➔ Enable supervision & communication: How will your BOH and dining room communicate? Are there walls in the way that’s preventing supervision? Think about how easy or difficult it’ll be to manage the day-to-day realities of running a restaurant.

Putting It All Together

We know this is a lot of information, and putting it all in one design can be overwhelming. That’s when it’s time to get the experts involved. Our designers have listened to restaurateurs’ concerns and absorbed these considerations into their processes. You’ll get to weigh in on the details you love and leave the rest to us.

Reach out to our designers and let us bring your culinary vision to life.

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How to design a commercial kitchen: the complete technical guide

How to design a commercial kitchen: the technical guide with 6 fundamental rules, a practical example, dwg files and a 3D model produced with an architectural BIM design software

This week’s insight will focus on how to design a commercial kitchen starting with consideration on reference standards and dimensions, flows and areas of activity planning.

Download the 3D BIM model (.edf file) of a commercial kitchen

Click here to download Edificius, the architectural BIM design software

A commercial kitchen design  (or more generally professional kitchen ) is typically the result of an intense teamwork, where the people involved will need, first of all, to arrange spaces and functions in an efficient manner.

On the one hand, the chef will indicate the needs required within the premises, the flows, the area of activities and its arrangement . On the other hand, the designer will arrange the spaces, in compliance with safety and environmental regulations, waste disposal, minimum dimension requirements.

In any case, it is of primary importance to define the type of catering activity and the target customers.

Reference standards for designing a typical commercial kitchen

Reference Standards to consider when drafting a commercial kitchen project are mainly relating to hygiene and food preservation to ensure food safety for customers. Consequently, these regulations also affect the architectural design and spaces arrangement within a kitchen for restaurants. Designers should refer to national and local regulations dealing with this matter.

Regarding HACCP ( Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points ), the reference standards are:

Reference standards in Europe for restaurants/on the hygiene of foodstuffs

• Regulation EC n. 852 of 29 Aprile 2004 (you can download the regulation in all European languages)

Reference standards in the United States for the restaurant industry

• Food Guidance & Regulation by FDA ( Food and Drug Administration )
• HACCP guidelines and regulations
• Download the FDA’s “Food establishment plan review guideline”

Reference standards in the United Kingdom for the restaurant industry

• The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 (as amended) (and equivalent regulations in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland)
• The Building Act 1984
• Food Safety Act 2004
• Download a useful summary guide for commercial kitchen design created by  Aluline

6 Rules for designing a restaurant kitchen

The kitchen is the area intended for meals preparation and, for this reason, it should have certain characteristics to allow the staff to work with efficiency and safety, thus ensuring that the correct flow is achieved, and to safely prepare, store and display food.

First of all, appropriate dimensions and a correct areas arrangement will entail hygienic safety of food processes, from the arrival of raw materials to supplying ready meals, saving resources and time.

The correct workflow should be:

• access to raw materials -> pre-cooking preparation -> cooking -> possible food garnish -> service

Areas intended for washing and preliminary processing of meat and vegetables must always be identified. These sectors, depending on the size of the kitchen complexity, may consist of independent rooms, rooms separated from the rest of the kitchen using washable panels or, areas that are functionally well defined.

You should always prefer a square shape or structured so as not to have narrow areas or bottlenecks that would result difficult to sanitize.

1. Designing a c ommercial kitchen: standard dimensions

The minimum size of a kitchen with accommodation up to 50 seats must be, at least, 20 square meters including the washing area. For greater receptivity, 0.5 square meters per seat are calculated.

Furnishings must be positioned to allow cleaning and sanitation of the premises.

2. Lighting and ventilation

Lighting and ventilation should be appropriate and directly communicating with the outside .

Moreover, all openings must have anti-insect and rodent nets.

The kitchen must also have cooker hoods that should vent fumes outside.

The hoods can be of two types:

• wall mounted or with flue outlet air extractors
• with activated carbon filters and wall outlet

The choice is free, what is crucial is that all cooking tops, fryers and rotisserie ovens have a hood.

3. Flooring and walls

The floor must be of smooth, washable and impermeable material, with rounded corners and light color edges that are inclined towards a siphoned gutter with a fine mesh grid.

Walls must be smooth, washable, disinfectable and in light colour with rounded corners. Also, they should be tiled or enamelled with epoxy resins up to 2 m from the ground.

The kitchen can be connected to other rooms such as pantry, washing area, cold storage area etc., having half of their surfaces taken into account and added to the calculation of the parameter 0.5 sqm / area.

4. Pantry and storeroom

The pantry must be located in an independent room or in the basement, as long as it is healthy and with sufficient height.

It must consist in a room that is not accessible to the public, intended solely for food storage in special cold stores and where no food handling is possible. Floor and walls must be smooth and washable.

The deposit must be equipped with suitable and sufficient shelving made of washable material, destined to contain non-perishable foodstuffs.

4 types of equipment can be used in the kitchen for food storage:

• a cell or refrigerator for cooked products , ready meals and semi-finished products
• a cell or refrigerator for meat
• a cell or refrigerator for vegetables
• a cell or refrigerator for other foods such as processed meats, milk and dairy products.

It is sufficient to have a single freezer for frozen food, however, 2 are preferable.

5. Dishwashing area

No food processing is allowed in the room or area intended for washing pots and pans. The minimum area surface must be 5 square meters and, in special cases, it can be included in the same kitchen space.

6. Plants and equipment that need to be installed when designing a kitchen for restaurants

Plants and equipment must be tailored according to the needs and types of food prepared and facilitate cleaning and disinfection (for example, it is preferable to have the cooking island installed in the middle of the room and raised from the ground).

The work surfaces, the storage shelves and all the elements in a commercial kitchen should be made of materials which are smooth, continuous, suitable for contact with food, easily washable and disinfectable.

Steel tables

Tables for food preparation must be made of stainless steel and are standard kitchen appliances, since the food being prepared, especially meat, must be processed on such materials. Stainless steel preparation tables can be free or connected to other equipment, depending on the kitchen configuration.

Professional cooktops in a catering business are standard equipment that should be ideally be arranged at the center of the kitchen.

Generally, the central module is made up of multiple burners, where grids can alternate with plates. Each burner can be controlled by means of its own knob. More ovens should be built in the stove to work efficiently, while a kitchen hood appliance should necessarily be installed on top of the stove.

Sinks must be in stainless steel or ceramic with non-manual taps (pedal or photocell). Meat and vegetable sectors must have their own sink and their own work surface and must be equipped with specific tools that can be used only after careful washing.

The professional dishwasher is paramount as it allows to prevent the spread of diseases and bacteria caused by food.

Fridges are mandatory for any restaurant because many food products must be kept at a minimum temperature, as required by the food safety parameters.

Freezers are essential for food storage, as food cannot always be used immediately.

Blast chilling

The blast chiller is the tool that allows you to quickly lower the temperature of freshly cooked food or raw food, allowing an ideal storage in freezer or refrigerator. Although not mandatory, it is recommended .

Kitchen flow

It’s essential to pre-plan how traffic flows in a kitchen for restaurant: from delivery to cooking to serving to washing, there is a process you must plan for. Mapping out your kitchen with these steps in mind minimises basic errors. Where possible, it is necessary to provide a double access way to separate the routes for clean dishes (out towards the dining room) and dirty dishes (entering towards the washing area).

These two routes should always be clearly defined and never be in conflic t so as to guarantee a good work flow and room hygiene.

Finally, waste containers should always be provided. They should be easily accessible, equipped with a foot opening and not involving direct hand contact with the lid for the staff. Waste management is key to hygienic operations.

Floor plans and sections in DWG format and project 3D model in EDF format of a commercial kitchen

Here are project drawings and 3D model of a commercial kitchen ready for download.

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Business Plan Template For a Ghostly Kitchen: Complete Guide

• February 24, 2023
• Food & Beverage

Whether you’re looking till raise funding off private investors or to get a loan from a bank (like a SBA loan) for your ghost kitchen, you will need to how a solid economy draft.

By this article we go through, step-by-step, every the varied sections you need in is ghost kitchen business plan. Use this template to create a complete, clearer real solid business plan that get you finanzierung. operations the planning; product development; building, sales and marketing ... Ghost Kitchens: Food businesses that make food inside a video kitchen space ...

1. Ghost Kitchen Executive Summery

The executive summary of a business set gives a sneak peep of and information about your business blueprint to lenders and/or investors.

If the information i provide here is not concise, informative, and scannable, potential lenders plus investors will lose interest.

Though the leiter summary is the primary and the most important section, computers must normally be the last section it write because it will may the summary of different sections included int the completely plan. This will lead us to have a brick and mortar. Restaurant within 2-4 years. 4. Target market. Our target guests will be anyone whom enjoys quality, sustainable ...

Why do you need a business plan for your spook cooking?

The function of whatsoever employment plan is to secure funding the one of the following choices:

• Obtain bank loans or security a lending from other lenders (such as a SBA lending )
• Obtain private financial starting financial funds, angel investors, etc.
• Obtain a public or private grant

Instructions to write your ghost kitchen’s executive summary?

Insert ghost kitchen the not like a regular restaurants and hence, the information which goes into the business plan will disagree slightly. You can always how a popular layout that includes:

• Business overview : introduce respective company and tell wherefore to want to open a ghost kitchen. Speak about to menu and what problems your solve. Also, mention one location, target delivery partners, and the legal structure of your ghost kitchen.
• Market analysis : provide a deep market analysis that backs the decision to frank an ghost kitchen. The market analysis will contain information like who your competitors are, your stars and weaknesses, destination audience, dining ordering trends, etc.
• People : mention who are the executive real enigma your have selected them along with their relevant industry adventure in the food and restaurant industry. Also, speak about your staff requirements and the betreuung hierarchy.
• Treasury plan : instructions much profit and revenue do you expect in an next 5 past? When will yourself reach the break-even point and start making profits? E is idea to include a chart depicting thine key financials how as revenue, gross profits, and net profit
• Public ask : what loan/investment/grant can you seeking? How much do you need? How long will this previous?

Spirit Cookhouse Economic Model

All you need to get funded

All they need to get funded: startup charges, profits, breakeven, charts, valuation

Rated 4.8/5 of 5,900+ downloads

Rated 4.8/5 starting 5,900+ downloads

2. Ghost Kitchen Business Overview

In this segment of to business plan, you will describe you ghosting kitchen. Enclose of following resources:

• What inspired you to zu for a ghost kitchen commercial?
• What products you exist offering press what problems do they solve?
• Who is is target audience?
• Where are you located and why did thou choose that location?
• What is your firm structure both who are your key partners?

Let’s look at different system that your must insert:

Start by explaining why them selected the business both what is your suffer on the industry. Is exists okay up not have any experience. As long as you can show fondness and as long as they could prove such your business is walked to solve some problems, it are good to go. The twin things which you must prove are: Place and Commercial Kitchen-Based Businesses and Nutrition ...

• Your passion for food & restaurant businesses
• Feasibility of this business

You may be passionate about cooking and/or you may have a professional culinary degree. Any way, as long the him can tv your knowledge, expertise, and passion in one direction, information will is a good start.

Feasibility will look include various aspects such include:

• The degree starting racing she becomes face
• The popularity of online food ordering in your area
• Availability of the food consignment partners
• The choose of food thou are going to sell

For model, if you are living in the suburbs with closed-knit communities involved in more social exchanges and family and/or community feasts, it are most probable not running to order food online. Even the handiness of food delivery partners may be a feature.

Go the opposed, if you want go operate your ghost kitchen in an zone where most of the residents are office goers, it is highly likely that she will frequently order online till save total. SEEDS FOR CHANGE KITCHEN INCUBATOR OVERVIEW ...

Similarly, people involved in high-stress jobs may crave comfort comestibles and there may not be suffices options forward them. Opening a phantom bar in such a locality will be a success.

b) Business Model

This is where him want present the following:

• The type of kitchen you want (free-standing and completely customizable, sub-leased restaurants, or shared commercial kitchens)
• Choice out which localization (must be in a safe place with easy access for delivery partners, easy waste management and product, protection permits, etc.)
• If you want in use your own take fleet, speak about the number of delivery staff her will need, the vehicles desired, the technology you intend to use with navigation, more.
• A inform of your order management and payment processing system

When you have a once business model in mind, spell that. For instance, to may decide to have multiple menus with various names and food types such as Emir’s Shawarma, John’s BBQ, The Kyn Grills, etc. Contact Bulletins | Charleston, SC - Official Website

For moreover information on the different types about business models there are for ghost kitchens, reading our complete guide here .

This is one sub-section show you define respective chef concept and provide some information concerning the edit point you have selected and reasons.

Here are a very toys you need to comment:

• Will the food you are services the voices with the locality and thy target customers?
• Will your food items withstand travel? For example, if you want the sale Swiss free, it might not be ampere good key because they may become soggy quickly to reaching one customer
• Are your products targeting any particular age group? For example, Sex X and Millennials could gravitate more towards comfort lunch.
• Wherewith do you intend to bundle your food?
• With will be your vendors for supplies?
• What will may your branding, menu layout, etc.?

d) Pricing Strategy

This is the segment locus you define to pricing strategy. You may quote discounts on bundled products. You may have a higher cost working than your competitors since using organic items. Similarly, you may be charging slightly higher for providing bio-degradable containers and packaging material.

You must also speaks about the greatest advantageous items to with expected profit side for all products you want to divest.

A awards chart with all major our you are offering can help the investors or lenders to tie choose pricing strategy with your financial planungen. Business Plan Template In a Ghost Kitchen: Complete Guide

e) Target Audience

Give an overview are your target audience or clientele or explain an rationale behind the selection. For example, if you are creating a menu circles Gen X and Millennials, then there must be a sizable proportion of join in those age groups in the locality.

If your menu includes more breakfast and noon items then where must be a large-sized chunk of working-class people who don’t have adequate time to cook and desires usually order food from outside. Level 1: Test Level 1 members focus the adjusting to production to a commercial kitchen space. Business planning support has offered nonetheless.

A clear understanding of your target audience is crucial for performance. If her don’t understand your target customers and their needs, potential loaner and investors will not be confidently about investing in your business. First step: research, anwendbarkeit, and business-related plan . ... opening a private commercial kitchen, new or expansion small food businesses can take advantage ...

f) Legal Structure

Finally, your business overview section should specify what type of business structure you want. Is this a corporation or a partnership (LLC)? Any are one capital? Whereby much equity percentage do they own? Is go a Cards of Directors? Provided so, whom? Do they have experience in the services?

If you have selected partners, explain why you have selected them and what positive impact she will own on your business. For instance, you may actually make to make your raw materials retailer adenine partner to your business. This will ensure this you bequeath acquire your supplies at adenine much lower rate than your competitors. This can help you in bring down your prices.

Ghost Kitchen Financial Print

All to requirement to receive funded: setup costs, profits, breakeven, charts, valuation

Rated 4.8/5 from 5,900+ downloads

3. Ghost Kitchen Market Analysis

A clear understanding about the market is absolut must. You must demonstrate your store knowledge on capability loaner the investors, or else they be lose confidence. That’s the target of the market analysis section of your ghost kitchen business plan.

For show, when you propose to sell Connecticut’s popular White Clam Pizza by Colorado where Lamb Chops are famous, is might not work. To, understandability your market and the food preferences of people living there be absolutely necessary.

a) Market Trends

Understanding the market trends is required. This will allow you to identify growth opportunities. Available example, if plant-based bratwurst wrap and cajun fries be popular choices beneath public ordering online, trying toward sell Nashville hot coward sandwiches that fell out of popularity belongs definitely not a good idea.

If you don’t know whatever dish to offer, you can check Grubhub’s ‘State of the Plate’ or Doordash’s ‘State of Flavor’ reports to get an idea of what my become ordering the most. That reports will give you a exhibitor idea.

The goal is to residence informed includes current demands and trends and offer those items. Thou will needing to research your likely customers. The best approach to take this are to interact with them or ask them directly. A SAMPLE BUSINESS SET SINCE

You may ask questions like:

• Which dishes do they usually order online?
• What side dishes plus afters do they usually prefer?
• What are the top alcoholic beverages they order?
• Get do she prefer for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late at night?
• What food positions do group prefer during winter, summer, suspension, and fall?

The more data her gather, the less it be into come up through a home the population will like.

b) Competition

Researching get contest exists important. You must try to locate out:

• Whichever food article they been buy the most?
• Who shall their target audience?
• What promos, offers, and bundles take person provide to maximize sales plus wages?
• Do they have seasonal navigation?
• How many food delivery platforms the have partnered the?
• What is their average price area?
• What type of packaging materials are their using?

How as many matters or points as necessary for your analysis. The more detail-oriented the analysis shall, the beter it is.

You must drawing a strong conclusion based on the input you gather. Here become some examples is that conclusions you can come up with:

• There are no ghost chef in to area which possess periodical menus.
• None of the competitors offer bundled food elements
• None competitor offers multiple menus from different user and different food types

The conclusion you draw must validate your business model and the rationale behind it.

Ghost Home Financial Model

All her need to get funded

All you need to acquire funded: startup daily, wages, breakeven, graphical, review

Ranked 4.8/5 starting 5,900+ downloads

c) Customers

This is where you will give the details are your target audience. Store that the Business Overview section only gave a preview. Additional details will be here in this kapitel. Can you preparing a business plan for a ghost kitchen? Use this template until create a solid business blueprint for your cloud / ghost kitchen.

Customer datas can includes about such as:

• What percentage of the absolute population in the localization make up your target audience?
• How frequently do she order nourishment online?
• What type out food do they usually order?
• What is the average order size?
• At what time concerning this day take they usually order eat internet?
• Are they loyal customers of certain ghost kitchens or do they try out food from different kitchens frequently?
• Do they buy recommended positions (recommended items on your card may carry the highest profit margins)?
• Do they share their culinary experience set social media? Whichever social media platforms do they use?

Feeling free to add such much information as you feel is necessary to validate your business plan. While you will acquire most of the your from your direct targeting audience missions and study, your can get some dates from competitor research and various other informationsquellen as well. Introduction to Begin adenine Small Eat Business for Food Entrepreneurs

4. Ghost Cooking Marketing Strategy

In to segment, yours must explain your strategy for gain customers.

Like is to segment what you basic you customer acquisition strategy. Try to answer who following questions:

• What is your USP?
• Something merchandising channel will you use (online or offline)?
• Do the marketing channels aptly grab the attention of your aim hearing? For instance, young adults will most likely not get attention to TV ads. They are more hooked on social media.
• How do thou intend into track the success of your marketing strategy?
• What is your CAC or customer acquisition cost?
• What has your marketing budget?
• Where introductory promos and offers do you intend to provide for attracting new customers?

Let’s expand a bit on a few questions below:

What marketing channels accomplish ghost kitchens application?

In addition to an food delivery apps, a few commercialization channels ghost kitchens typically use are:

• Social media
• Influencers
• Email marketing
• SMS marketing

You don’t need to use all marketing channels. Yourself can focused on just 2 or 3 and gain expertise in those channels. For instance, if you target audience is mostly on Instagram furthermore Facebook, you must come up with plans to engage with them on this platforms.

About is get unique selling proposals?

In other words, how do you differentiating yourself contrast. competitors? This is very key as you kann need to win customers von competitors.

A few examples of USPs are:

• Price : you may have cheaper prices than competitors
• Specialization : you may may specializing in some specific types of food (e.g. Dim Sum, Korean BBQ, etc.)
• Additional products : it may how alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, special seasonal shakes, etc.
• Combos : i may give chef-recommended food combos and bundles
• Boxing : you may use environment-friendly bio-degradable food packaging

Your USP will vary based on the products him want to sell the the focus audience.

Ghost Kitchen Financial Choose

All you demand to get funded

All you need to get funded: start costs, profits, breakeven, charts, valuation

5. Ghost Kitchen Management

You needs tackle two thingies here:

• The management team and their experience/track record
• The company structure: what are the different teams and with reports to whom?

a) Management

Your kitchen management is vary based about your size, scale, and business scale. For instance, if your are walking for shared commercial kitchens, you don’t need to worry with building or equipment management. For a free-standing ghost kitchen, your will be responsible for anything. Again, for a multi-menu prototype, you may want separate people managing the supply belt. System. • Business Plan. Planning Product and. ProducQon ... business operator unfashionable about a Commercial. Kitchen. Because this corporate does none.

You may have co-founders and/or senior managers. You must explain their roles, too. Apart from that, you must moreover explain their industry experience and mystery the live suitable for those positions. ONE SHARED-USE FOOD PLANNING TOOLKIT | Leopold ...

b) Organizational construction

Notice that even if you can not already hired anyone, they must inclusions to role at least.

Typical role forward a specter cook are: senior managers, cooks (head chef plus junior chefs), housekeepers, helpers, deliver clerical (if you will your own delivery fleet) and other support squad members (HR, finance wenn you run an large operation). ... also business owners by providing purification on a variety of topics. ... Commercial Our Fire Prevention (PDF) · Commercial Food Hood Cleaning ...

You must create them roll and the hierarchy of write. Those will demonstrate to the potential lenders and investors the solid management plan her have in place to operate your business efficiently and successfully. (Former) Enterprise Planning and Marketing Associate ... It unlock their first diner in Antlers, Oklahoma are 1981, and their second.

Create and attach an organizational chart fork a visual understanding of their kitchen’s hr and their reportage lines.

6. Financial Plan

The financial plan is perhaps, the and executive summary, the most important section regarding any ghost kitchen business plan.

Indeed, a solid financial plan tells lenders that your business is viable and can repay the loan you need from them. If you’re looking to elevate equity off private investors, a solid financial plan will prove they your cloud cooking is an attractive investment. Business Plan | Moya's Kitchen Concepts, LLC

There shoud be 3 sections to your financial plan section:

• Your historical financials (only if yours already operate the business and have financial accounts to show)
• The startup costs of your project (if you draft to open a new kitchen, renovate or expand your kitchen, etc.)
• The 5-year financial projections

a) Historical Financials (optional)

By one scenario where you already have some historical financials (a few quarters or adenine few years), include them. A abstract of get treasury statements by the form of charts e.g. revenue, gross profit and earn profit is enough, save the remaining for the appendix. HOME & COMMERCIAL KITCHEN-BASED BUSINESSES ... Add Control Plan - Overview and Guided (pdf); Commercial Kitchen Lunch Processing Operation Guidance ...

If you don’t hold any, don’t worry, most new commercial don’t have any historical financials both that’s ok. If so, jump to Startup Cost instead.

b) Startup Costs

Before we expand on 5-year fiscal projections is one following section, it’s forever best practice to start on listing the startup costs out your get.

For a ghost kitchen, startup costs represent every the expenses you incur to you can real start cooking and build sales. Above-mentioned expenses typically is: buyers equipment, renovating the building, purchases inventory, paying for the lease deposit , etc.

Toward give they a clear overview of the costs you can expect when you open your own dark kitchen, we have laid out below 2 examples: a white label gloom my in ampere kitchen you own (1) and different operating in a collected kitchen you rent (2) . For more general on how many it costs to open a ghost kitchen, read our complete guide there .

Ghost Kitchen Financial Model

All you necessity to obtain funded

All thou need to get funded: startup costs, profits, breakeven, charts, valuation

c) Financial Projections

In addition until startup costs, to leave now need to build a solid financial model over 5 years in your ghost kitchen business design.

Your financial projections should to built utilizing a spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) and presented in the forms off tables and charts in your business plan.

As commonly, maintaining it concise here and save details (for example detailed financial statements, finance metrics, key requirements used for the projections) for the appendix instead.

Your financial projections should answer at least the following questions:

• How more proceeds do you expect to generate go an next 5 years?
• When doing you expect to break even?
• How often cash will you combustion until her get there?
• What’s the impact off an change in pricing (say 5%) on your margins?
• As is thy average customer acquisition fees?

I should include on your 3 financial statements (income comment, balance sheet furthermore cash flow statement). This means you must forecast:

• The numeral of consumers and orders over time ;
• My expected receipts ;
• Operating costs to run the business ;
• Whatever other cash flow items (e.g. capex, debt repayment, etc.).

When projecting your revenue, create sure to sensitize pricing and the number of customers, sales as one small change within these assumptions will have ampere big impact on your sales.

7. Use of Funds

This can the endure section about your ghost chef enterprise plan. Now that our have explained what your mind kitchen is about, the industry, management and will marketing strategy, dieser section must reply an following questions:

• How much funding do you need?
• What monetary instrument(s) do yours need: is dieser shareholders or debt, other even ampere free-money public grant?
• Whereby elongated will this funding last?
• Where else is the money come from? If them apply for a SBA loan for example, where does the other part of the investment come from (your own capital, private investors?)

If you raise debts:

• What percentage of the total grant the rent represents?
• What is which corresponding Debts Services Coverage Ratio ?

If you raise equity

• That percentage ownership will yours sales as part are this funding round?
• What is the corresponding assessment of your business?

Use of Funds

Any business plan should include an clear use of funds section: this shall what you explain how the money will be spent.

Will you spend highest regarding the loan / investor in paying your employees’ salaries and the inventory? Alternatively will it cover mostly the cost for the lease deposit, the renovation and the cooking equipment.

Those are very essential questions you should be able at answer in the blink of one eye. Don’t worry, this should come straight from our financial projections. With you’ve built solid hochrechnung like include our ghost kitchen financial model template , her won’t have any expenses answering these inquiries.

For the use for funds, we recommend using a pie chart like the one-time we have the our financial model template where we outline the main expenses categories as shown below.

All you need until get funded

All you need toward procure funded: startup costs, profits, breakeven, charts, valuation

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The Five Best Commercial Kitchen Layouts: How to Choose Your Design

Which kitchen layout is right for your business.

When building your business’s kitchen, have you ever considered what goes into the kitchen layout? When it comes to commercial food preparation, ergonomics matters. It affects the efficiency of your back-of-house operations, helps you maximize space and optimizes communication amongst your staff. It can also make your kitchen safer.

Let’s examine a few different kitchen layouts and some things to keep in mind in deciding which one is right for your restaurant.

The top five kitchen layouts

There are five commonly used in most commercial kitchens: assembly line, island, zone-style, galley and open kitchen. Each one has unique benefits depending on the style of restaurant you want to open, the type of food you are cooking and the amount of space your building allows for kitchen space.

Assembly line layout

This linear layout begins with food prep and goes down a straight line, culminating with the area in which you serve the food to your customer. This layout is most conducive to fast food restaurants or kitchens with limited menus in which speed and efficiency are the primary focus from a service standpoint.

This layout is simple and makes for a easy communication channel within the food creation process from start to finish.​

Island layout

If space is abundant in your kitchen, then the island layout may be your best fit. This design features the food making portion of the process in the center of the kitchen with all other stations positioned around it.

This set up puts an increased focus on the food creation process and allows for easy communication with the food creation station in the middle, being the center point for all communication. This is most conducive to restaurants with a more diverse menu and a variety of dishes that may take more time to cook than your quick-service sandwich shop or fast-food restaurant.

Zone-style layout

This design categorizes each type of food preparation and creation process and designates a specific zone for it. Think of a kitchen that has a salad station, frying station and pizza or soup station spread out across the kitchen. This layout allows for a variety of different dishes to be created at one time and keeps your kitchen organized by dividing up the food creation responsibilities rather than a straight-lined process.

This is best suited for larger kitchens with diverse menus like hotels, catering stations or cooking for large events. This is not something a small restaurant with limited space should try to implement.

Galley layout

​The galley layout spreads out the various stations in your kitchen across the perimeter of the room, rather than in the center. This is a good fit for kitchens with limited spaces as most of the heavy equipment is placed a long one or two walls of the kitchen and creates enough space for your staff to move around comfortably without getting in one another’s way. The entrance and exit to the kitchen is usually located opposite where the equipment used to make your food rests.

Open kitchen layout

The open kitchen layout is perhaps the most unique design, and the goal of open kitchens is usually to provide a unique dining experience you would not otherwise get and most other traditional restaurants. The food is prepared either directly in front of or within proximity to dining room guests. While it is prudent to keep all cooking equipment that requires high heat a safe distance away from your guests, this style of kitchen brings the behind the scenes work to center stage and brings an element of entertainment to the dining experience. A healthy amount of space is needed to pull off an open kitchen format.

How to choose the right kitchen layout: Things to consider

There are several factors to consider when deciding which kitchen layout is best for your business. Space, appliances, storage and communication.

• Space is probably the best place to start. How much space is allotted to your back-of-house operations is a crucial factor in your decision. If your kitchen is small, an open kitchen is obviously not in the cards and zone style, or island design may not be an ideal fit either. You’ll want to lean toward a galley or assembly line layout. A crowded kitchen can quickly devolve into an inefficient one. An inadequate amount of space can hinder your operations greatly and affect the efficiency of your operations, so you’ll want to make sure the layout fits the dimensions.
• Appliances are another thing to consider. How much equipment will your kitchen need to create all the items on your menu? Figuring out many fryers, grills, dishwashing stations and other appliances your kitchen will need is a smart thing to do before configuring your kitchen layout. If you’re doing a lot of deep frying, will you have room for an indoor used cooking oil tank that can connect directly to your fryers for easy disposal? Or will you need to manually dispose of your grease outdoors? Having a firm handle of the kitchen appliances you’ll need to make your kitchen function properly is important.​

• The storage space you’ll need for ingredients will factor into your kitchen layout choice. How much shelving, pantry or freezer space will your kitchen require? You can’t create your delicious food without the right ingredients and having sufficient storage space ensures you have just that.

• Communication is important when laying out your kitchen’s design. Which areas of your kitchen work closely together? What does your food creation process look like? You don’t want your food runners getting in the way of your cooks just as you don’t want your food prepping staff having to meander through a crowd of people and appliances to pass off the prepared food to your grilling or frying station. Communication is vital to any operation and choosing the right kitchen layout can go a long way toward enhancing or diminishing your staff’s level of communication.

Now that you have an idea of some common kitchen layouts and things to consider when choosing the right one for your business, you should be better suited to find the best fit.

DAR PRO Solutions has an industry-leading selection of used cooking oil equipment that will fit seamlessly into any kitchen layout and make handling your grease easy. Reach out to a DAR PRO representative today and find out how your business can benefit from our program. Call us 24/7/365 at 855-DAR-PRO1 (855-327-7761).

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Commercial Kitchen Design

Introduction to commercial kitchen design

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Cloud Kitchen Business Plan

Online food delivery has become the new norm. People are favoring home delivery over dine-out, so starting a cloud kitchen in this increasing demand is a great idea.

Anyone can start a new business, but you need a detailed business plan when it comes to raising funding, applying for loans, and scaling it like a pro!

Need help writing a business plan for your cloud kitchen business? You’re at the right place. Our cloud kitchen business plan template will help you get started.

Free Business Plan Template

Download our free business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

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How to Write A Cloud Kitchen Business Plan?

Writing a wholesale business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the whole business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

Introduce your Business:

Start your executive summary by briefly introducing your business to your readers.

Market Opportunity:

Cloud kitchen menu:.

Highlight the cloud kitchen products or services you offer your clients. The USPs and differentiators you offer are always a plus.

Marketing & Sales Strategies:

Financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your company. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

Business Description:

Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:

Describe what kind of cloud kitchen company you run and the name of it. You may specialize in one of the following cloud kitchen businesses:

• Single-brand cloud kitchen
• Multi-brand cloud kitchen
• Aggregator cloud kitchen
• Delivery-only restaurant
• Virtual restaurant
• Describe the legal structure of your cloud kitchen business, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.
• Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.

Mission Statement:

Business history:.

If you’re an established cloud kitchen business, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.

Future Goals

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

Target market:

Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.

Market size and growth potential:

Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.

Competitive Analysis:

Market trends:.

Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.

Regulatory Environment:

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your cloud kitchen business plan:

• Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
• Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
• Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
• Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

Describe your menu:

Mention the cloud kitchen menu your business will offer. This list may include,

• Main courses

Quality measures

: This section should explain how you maintain quality standards and consistently provide the highest quality service.

Value-added Services

In short, this section of your cloud kitchen plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.

Pricing Strategy:

Marketing strategies:, sales strategies:, customer retention:.

Overall, this section of your cloud kitchen business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your cloud kitchen business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

Staffing & Training:

Operational process:, equipment & machinery:.

Include the list of equipment and machinery required for a cloud kitchen, such as cooking equipment, food preparation equipment, refrigeration & storage, food holding & warming equipment, etc.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your wholesale business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Founders/CEO:

Key managers:.

Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.

Organizational structure:

Compensation plan:, advisors/consultants:.

Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea.

This section should describe the key personnel for your wholesale services, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:.

Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.

Financing Needs:

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

• Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
• In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
• Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your cloud kitchen business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

This sample cloud kitchen business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful cloud kitchen plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our cloud kitchen business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a cloud kitchen business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful cloud kitchen business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your cloud kitchen business.

How to get funding for your cloud kitchen business?

There are several ways to get funding for your cloud kitchen business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

• Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your cloud kitchen business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your cloud kitchen business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your cloud kitchen business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any cloud kitchen business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

How do I write a good market analysis in a cloud kitchen business plan?

Market analysis is one of the key components of your business plan that requires deep research and a thorough understanding of your industry. We can categorize the process of writing a good market analysis section into the following steps:

• Stating the objective of your market analysis—e.g., investor funding. Industry study—market size, growth potential, market trends, etc.
• Identifying target market—based on user behavior and demographics.
• Analyzing direct and indirect competitors.
• Calculating market share—understanding TAM, SAM, and SOM.
• Knowing regulations and restrictions
• Organizing data and writing the first draft.

Writing a marketing analysis section can be overwhelming, but using ChatGPT for market research can make things easier.

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Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Microsoft Ignite 2023: AI transformation and the technology driving change

Nov 15, 2023 | Frank X. Shaw - Chief Communications Officer, Microsoft

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As we reach the end of 2023, nearly every industry is undergoing a collective transformation – discovering entirely new ways of working due to AI advancements.

Microsoft Ignite is a showcase of the advances being developed to help customers, partners and developers achieve the total value of Microsoft’s technology and reshape the way work is done.

As we round out the year, there are strong signals of AI’s potential to transform work. Take our latest Work Trend Index . Eight months ago, we introduced Copilot for Microsoft 365 to reduce digital debt and increase productivity so people can focus on the work that is uniquely human. What everyone wants to know now is: Will Copilot really change work, and how? Our research, using a combination of surveys and experiments, shows the productivity gains are real:

• 70% of Copilot users said they were more productive and 68% said it improved the quality of their work; 68% say it helped jumpstart the creative process.
• Overall, users were 29% faster at specific tasks (searching, writing and summarizing).
• Users caught up on a missed meeting nearly 4x faster.  
• 64% of users said Copilot helps them spend less time processing email.
• 87% of users said Copilot makes it easier to get started on a first draft.
• 75% of users said Copilot “saves me time by finding whatever I need in my files.”
• 77% of users said once they use Copilot, they don’t want to give it up.

Today, we will make about 100 news announcements that touch on multiple layers of an AI-forward strategy, from adoption to productivity to security. We’ll zoom in on a few key areas of impact below.

Rethinking cloud infrastructure Microsoft has led with groundbreaking advances like partnerships with OpenAI and the integration of ChatGPT capabilities into tools used to search, collaborate, work and learn. As we accelerate further into AI, Microsoft is rethinking cloud infrastructure to ensure optimization across every layer of the hardware and software stack.

At Ignite we are announcing new innovations across our datacenter fleet, including the latest AI optimized silicon from our industry partners and two new Microsoft-designed chips.

• Microsoft Azure Maia, an AI Accelerator chip designed to run cloud-based training and inferencing for AI workloads such as OpenAI models, Bing, GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT.
• Microsoft Azure Cobalt, a cloud-native chip based on Arm architecture optimized for performance, power efficiency and cost-effectiveness for general purpose workloads.
• Additionally, we are announcing the general availability of Azure Boost , a system that makes storage and networking faster by moving those processes off the host servers onto purpose-built hardware and software.

Complementing our custom silicon, we are expanding partnerships with our silicon providers to provide infrastructure options for customers.

• We’ll be adding AMD MI300X accelerated virtual machines (VMs) to Azure. The ND MI300 VMs are designed to accelerate the processing of AI workloads for high range AI model training and generative inferencing, and will feature AMD’s latest GPU, the AMD Instinct MI300X.
• The preview of the new NC H100 v5 Virtual Machine Series built for NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, offering greater performance, reliability and efficiency for mid-range AI training and generative AI inferencing. We’re also announcing plans for the ND H200 v5 Virtual Machine Series, an AI-optimized VM featuring the upcoming NVIDIA H200 Tensor Core GPU.

Extending the Microsoft Copilot experience Over the past year we have continued to refine our vision for Microsoft Copilot, a set of tools that help people achieve more using AI. To go beyond individual productivity, we are extending Microsoft Copilot offerings across solutions to transform productivity and business processes for every role and function – from office workers and front-line workers to developers and IT professionals.

Microsoft is the Copilot company, and we believe in the future there will be a Copilot for everyone and for everything you do. Some of our Copilot-related announcements and updates include:

• Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365: This month, Copilot for Microsoft 365 became generally available for enterprises. Already customers like Visa, BP, Honda and Pfizer and partners like Accenture, EY, KPMG, Kyndryl and PwC are using Copilot. We continue to bring new value, based on learnings from our Early Access Program and other research channels. The new Microsoft Copilot Dashboard shows customers how Copilot is impacting their organization – with insights like those found in our Work Trend Index. We’re introducing new personalization capabilities that help Copilot offer responses that are tailored to your unique preferences and role. To empower teamwork, new features for Copilot in Outlook help you prep for meetings, and during meetings, new whiteboarding and note-taking experiences for Copilot in Microsoft Teams keep everyone on the same page. And customers who need it can now use Copilot during a meeting without transcription retention. When you give Copilot a seat at the table, it goes beyond being your personal assistant to helping the entire team – check out the Microsoft 365 blog for updates across the suite including PowerPoint, Excel, Microsoft Viva and more.
• Microsoft Copilot Studio: AI transformation begins by tapping into an organization’s unique data and workflows. Microsoft Copilot Studio is a low-code tool designed to customize Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 by integrating business-critical data and build custom copilots for internal or external use. Copilot Studio works with connectors, plugins and GPTs, allowing IT teams to steer Copilot to the best data sources for specific queries.
• Microsoft Copilot for Service: The newest copilot to provide role-based support helps businesses accelerate their AI transformation of customer service. Copilot for Service includes Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 and helps extend existing contact centers with generative AI. In customer interactions, agents can ask Copilot for Service questions in natural language and receive relevant insights based on data sources from knowledge repositories, leading to faster and smarter resolutions.
• Copilot in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides: Combining the power of generative AI and mixed reality, this copilot helps frontline workers complete complex tasks and resolve issues faster without disrupting workflow. Available first on HoloLens 2, the hands-free copilot will help service industry professionals use natural language and human gestures to offer interactive guidance through content and holograms overlaid on the equipment.
• Microsoft Copilot for Azure: This is an AI companion for IT that simplifies day-to-day IT administration. More than just a tool, it is a unified chat experience that understands the user’s role and goals, and enhances the ability to design, operate and troubleshoot apps and infrastructure. Copilot for Azure helps IT teams gain new insights into their workloads, unlock untapped Azure functionality and orchestrate tasks across both cloud and edge.
• Bringing Copilot to everyone : Our efforts to simplify the user experience and make Copilot more accessible to everyone starts with Bing, our leading experience for the web. Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise will now simply become Copilot. With these changes, when signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID, customers using Copilot in Bing, Edge and Windows will receive the benefit of commercial data protection. Over time, Microsoft will also expand the eligibility of Copilot with commercial data protection to even more Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) users at no additional cost. Copilot (formerly Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise) will be out of preview and become generally available starting Dec. 1. Learn more here .

Reinforcing the data and AI connection AI is only as good as the data that fuels it. That’s why Microsoft is committed to creating an integrated, simplified experience to connect your data to our AI tools .

Microsoft Fabric is part of that solution. Available now, Microsoft Fabric reshapes how teams work with data by bringing everyone together on a single, AI-powered platform that unifies all those data estates on an enterprise-grade data foundation.

Copilot in Microsoft Fabric also integrates with Microsoft Office and Teams to foster a data culture to scale the power of data value creation throughout the organization. We’ve made more than 100 feature updates since Build and expanded our ecosystem with industry leading partners , and have over 25,000 customers including Milliman, Zeiss, London Stock Exchange and EY using it today.

Unlocking more value for developers with Azure AI We continue to expand choice and flexibility in generative AI models to offer developers the most comprehensive selection. With Model-as-a-Service , a new feature in the model catalog we announced at Microsoft Build, pro developers will be able to easily integrate the latest AI models, such as Llama 2 from Meta and upcoming premium models from Mistral, and Jais from G42, as API endpoints to their applications. They can also customize these models with their own data without needing to worry about setting up and managing the GPU infrastructure, helping eliminate complexity.

With the preview of Azure AI Studio , there is now a unified and trusted platform to help organizations more easily explore, build, test and deploy AI apps – all in one place. With Azure AI Studio, you can build your own copilots, train your own, or ground other foundational and open models with data that you bring.

And Vector Search , a feature of Azure AI Search, is now generally available, so organizations can generate highly accurate experiences for every user in their generative AI applications.

The new GPT-3.5 Turbo model with a 16K token prompt length will be generally available and GPT-4 Turbo will be in public preview in Azure OpenAI Service at the end of November 2023. GPT-4 Turbo will enable customers to extend prompt length and bring even more control and efficiency to their generative AI applications.

GPT-4 Turbo with Vision is coming soon to preview and DALL · E 3 is now available in public preview in Azure OpenAI Service , helping fuel the next generation of enterprise solutions along with GPT-4, so organizations can pursue advanced functionalities with images. And when used with our Azure AI Vision service, GPT-4 Turbo with Vision even understands video for generating text outputs, furthering human creativity.

Enabling the responsible deployment of AI Microsoft leads the industry in the safe and responsible use of AI. The company has set the standard with an industry-leading commitment to defend and indemnify commercial customers from lawsuits for copyright infringement – the Copilot Copyright Commitment (CCC).

Today, Microsoft takes its commitment one step further by announcing the expansion of the CCC to customers using Azure OpenAI Service. The new benefit will be called the Customer Copyright Commitment. As part of this expansion, Microsoft has published new documentation to help Azure OpenAI Service customers implement technical measures to mitigate the risk of infringing content. Customers will need to comply with the documentation to take advantage of the benefit.

And Azure AI Content Safety is now generally available, helping organizations detect and mitigate harmful content and create better online experiences. Customers can use Azure AI Content Safety as a built-in-safety system within Azure OpenAI Service, for open-source models as part of their prompt engineering in Azure Machine Learning, or as a standalone API service.

Introducing new experiences in Windows to empower employees, IT and developers We continue to invest in and build Windows to empower people to navigate the platform shift to AI. We are thrilled to introduce new experiences in Windows 11 and Windows 365 for IT and employees that unlock new ways of working and make more AI accessible across any device. To further our mission of making Windows the home for developers and the best place for AI development, we announced a host of new AI and productivity tools for developers , including Windows AI Studio.

Announcing NVIDIA AI foundry service Aimed at helping enterprises and startups supercharge the development, tuning and deployment of their own custom AI models on Microsoft Azure, NVIDIA will announce their AI foundry service running on Azure. The NVIDIA AI foundry service pulls together three elements – a collection of NVIDIA AI Foundation models, NVIDIA NeMo framework and tools, and NVIDIA DGX Cloud AI supercomputing and services – that give enterprises an end-to-end solution for creating custom generative AI models. Businesses can then deploy their models with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software on Azure to power generative AI applications, including intelligent search, summarization and content generation.

Strengthening defenses in the era of AI The threat landscape has evolved dramatically in recent years, and at Microsoft Ignite we are introducing new technologies across Microsoft’s suite of security solutions to help defenders make the world a safer place.

Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender XDR (previously Microsoft 365 Defender) will be combined to create the industry’s first Unified Security Operations Platform, with embedded Security Copilot experiences. With built-in generative AI, it’s a single, powerful experience focused on protecting threats at machine speed and aiding defenders by simplifying the complexity of their environment.

Additionally, the expansion of Security Copilot embedded within Intune, Purview and Entra will help IT administrators, compliance units and identity teams simplify complex scenarios. In Entra, identity administrators can quickly troubleshoot identity access. In Purview, data security alerts deliver rich context to help resolve problems faster. In Intune, IT administrators can use “what if” analysis to keep business running while improving governance and compliance.

And that’s just a snapshot of what we’ll be announcing at Ignite. As a reminder, you can view keynote sessions from Satya Nadella, Rajesh Jha and Jared Spataro, Charlie Bell and Vasu Jakkal, and Scott Guthrie live or on-demand.

Plus, you can get more on all these announcements by exploring the Book of News , the official compendium of all today’s news, and the product blogs below.

Watch the keynotes and get all the latest photos, videos and more from Microsoft Ignite

The online event for Microsoft Ignite

With a systems approach to chips, Microsoft aims to tailor everything ‘from silicon to service’ to meet AI demand

Introducing new Copilot experiences to boost productivity and elevate customer experiences across the organization

Simplify IT management with Microsoft Copilot for Azure – save time and get answers fast

Introducing Microsoft Copilot Studio and new features in Copilot for Microsoft 365

Announcing general availability of vector search and semantic ranker in Azure AI Search

GPT-4 Turbo with Vision on Azure OpenAI Service 

How Azure AI Content Safety helps protect users from the classroom to the chatroom

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How to Design a Small Commercial Kitchen

• Small Business
• Business Planning & Strategy
• Preparing Business Plans
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• What Makes a Commercial Kitchen?
• How to Get a Side Baking Business Started

A well-designed commercial kitchen is integral to efficient, safe and profitable food preparation. However, there are several factors that you need to consider in order to design a small commercial kitchen. A commercial kitchen designed to consider ergonomics will be appreciated by the owner, chef and kitchen workers. The fewer steps required to complete a task, the better. Careful, considered planning in the design of the kitchen will save money and time during the construction phase and increase profitability over the life of the kitchen. Commercial kitchen design plans are dictated by space requirements, equipment and budget.

List the Foods You Plan to Prepare

Prepare a detailed list or menu of all foods you plan to prepare in the commercial kitchen. Describe in detail the method of food storage and preparation. This is one of the most important steps in planning a commercial kitchen and should be done prior to choosing space or equipment. You do not know what kind of equipment you will need until you have decided on the foods you will prepare.

Include all menu items you may wish to add in the future. (A small commercial kitchen approved as a bakery or sandwich shop may not meet health code requirements if you later wish to add soups, salads, deep-fried items or pizza.) Careful planning will avoid costly changes in equipment or construction.

List of Required Equipment

Make a complete list (including detailed measurements) of all equipment you will require for food preparation, refrigeration, display and storage. Every single item of equipment must meet commercial health code requirements. Determine if you will require a walk-in refrigeration unit or free-standing cold storage equipment. The size and amount of equipment, plus food preparation counter surface, will dictate the amount of space needed in your commercial kitchen.

Choose a Location

Select a site location for your small commercial kitchen. Determine if you will construct a new building or remodel an existing commercial space. Contact your local zoning commission to determine if your new business venture complies with zoning restrictions.

Plan Your Space

Take exact measurements of the size of the space if you are remodeling an existing building.. Make note of existing windows, doorways, electrical outlets, plumbing lines and floor drains. Make a sketch of the existing space, making note of the present flooring material, wall and ceiling surface and all heating, exhaust or air-conditioning vents. For a new building, draw out a rough sketch of the dimensions and special features of proposed construction.

Plan How You Will Use the Space

Plan how you will use the space in your commercial kitchen. Ergonomics is the number one consideration in the design of kitchen space. Commercial kitchens should be designed for maximum labor efficiency, safety and functionality. Make sure that there is plenty of room to move about freely when carrying hot pots and bulky supplies. If employees do not have to waste time and extra movement completing a task, efficiency is increased and fatigue and workplace injuries are reduced.

Local Health and Safety Codes

Contact your local city or state building inspector and make an appointment to review your preliminary plans. Health and fire codes must be met. The space may need to be remodeled to satisfy requirements. Regulations govern how far a food preparation area must be away from any sinks or waste and disposal drains, the installation of vents and grease traps, the size and temperature capacity of hot water tanks and the design and location of food storage areas.

Make sure you receive a printed copy of all rules and regulations prior to designing the commercial kitchen space. Regulations vary from state to state, dependent on location, the size of the kitchen and the amount of patrons you are allowed to seat in the premises. City or county ordinances may apply.

Professionally Designed Blueprints

Employ the services of a professional architect or building contractor to design the commercial kitchen, incorporating all building and health department rules that apply. Prior to purchasing equipment or commencing construction or remodeling, the detailed drawings or blueprints must be reviewed and officially approved by both the health department and fire inspector. Blueprints must include electrical wiring schematics, fire suppression equipment installation drawings, emergency and handicap access routes, plumbing and electrical installation plans and a complete list of all building materials.

Things You Will Need

Detailed building or remodeling plans

Menu or food preparation list

List of kitchen equipment

List of building materials

• Review all licenses and permits required for operation of the commercial kitchen. Rules and regulations vary by geographical location. A complete understanding of all the requirements of the health and fire departments can avoid costly changes in building plans or renovations.
• California Energy Commission; Design Guide; Improving Commercial Kitchen Ventilation System Preformance
• Oregon Food Safety Division: FAQs
• sccoplanning.com: Requirements for Electrical, Mechanical & Plumbing
• Food Service Warehouse: Designing A Commercial Kitchen

A passionate writer for more than 30 years, Marlene Affeld writes of her love of all things natural. Affeld's passion for the environment inspires her to write informative articles to assist others in living a green lifestyle. She writes for a prominent website as a nature travel writer and contributes articles to other online outlets covering wildlife, travel destinations and the beauty of nature.

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