Restaurant Kitchen Do’s and Don’ts
The kitchen is command central of any restaurant. It is where food is delivered, prepped, cooked and plated before being served to customers.
Planning Your Restaurant Kitchen
Restaurant kitchens are made up of various stations. There are prep stations, sauté stations, pizza stations, salad stations. Depending on the size and style of your restaurant, you may have a few stations or you may have several. Consider your restaurant menu when planning your commercial kitchen. Do you have many salads? Then a salad station will be ideal. Does the menu include a lot of grilled food? Then a larger grill will help get food out of the kitchen faster. Space is another important consideration. If your restaurant kitchen is going to be housed in a small space, that is going to limit your plans, as well.
Stocking the Restaurant Kitchen
It is important that the restaurant kitchens be planned to fit the right commercial equipment. Once you have planned your restaurant kitchen, next you need to outfit it with all the right commercial equipment. Restaurant kitchens are a good place to stock up on used equipment. You can often pick up restaurant dishes, serving utensils and other small items for pennies on the dollar. Such as commercial ovens or grills, can also be bought use larger pieces of equipment, with plenty of life left in them. You should also consider the benefits of leasing restaurant equipment, such as icemakers, which have a short life span. Read reviews of restaurants stoves and other restaurant equipment.
Purchasing Kitchen Equipments
If you are starting a new food service business or have an existing one, having good, working equipment will make or break your establishment. Restaurant equipment is one of the biggest expenses for your businesses therefore, choose wisely. The upfront costs are important but remember to calculate the cost of repairs or replacement in the years to come. Also, remember that large restaurant equipment's depreciation can be calculated into your financial statement.
If you can, choose a local restaurant equipment supplier that offers to service your purchases. Many repairs can be made yourself, but for more technical stuff, you want to have a repairperson available to avoid the least amount of down time in your kitchen. Factor in freight costs when searching for a new kitchen appliance. Used appliances are also a viable choice. Just make sure the sales clerk guarantees they work for an extended period and in writing.
Maintaining the Restaurant Kitchen
Once you are open for business, your restaurant kitchen will always be busy so it is important to have plan for keeping it in clean, smooth running order. Create a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly kitchen-cleaning list that outlines everything that needs to be taken care of, from wiping down prep stations to cleaning grease traps. Keep a checklist handy so that daily jobs are done and employees don't try to put them off for the next shift. Regular cleaning of a restaurant kitchen can also help cut down on food spoilage and waste, saving you money.
Staffing the Restaurant Kitchen
The most important part of any restaurant kitchen is the people who work in it. Finding the right person for the right kitchen job is essential for a smooth running restaurant. While many jobs in a restaurant kitchen are perfect entry-level positions, such as dishwasher or prep cook, others require years of experience. Be selective when hiring restaurant cooks, chefs and managers. Look for people who not only know how to cook but can also work as part of a team.
About the Author
The author thinks that when planning a commercial kitchen, there are certain things that should be kept in mind. To know more about other aspects, please visit firstdegree.com.au
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