Jeremy Kaplan
The commercial kitchen is the beating heart of any restaurant. Your kitchen team’s organizational skills, prep work and flair for cooking will determine the brand’s success.
The efficiency of the kitchen will, therefore, be determined by its size, design and the industrial kitchen supplies, as well as the level of talent on staff. We are, therefore, providing some top tips to help you run a successful commercial kitchen.
The Right Kitchen Design
Your kitchen should be comprised of various stations: prep, sauté, salad and cooking. The smaller the kitchen, the lesser number of stations you will be able to have onsite.
The stations you incorporate into your kitchen should be dependent on its requirements. For example, if you run a BBQ restaurant, you would probably incorporate a large grilling station into the kitchen. However, if pizzas are your thing, you should create a pizza station with a proper pizza oven.
You must, however, take space into account when designing the layout. The kitchen staff will need plenty of space, especially in a small kitchen, which could limit efficiency, organization and team morale if not designed successfully.
Stocking the Restaurant
Once you have identified the layout, it is time to stock the kitchen with the appropriate kitchen equipment. From dishes and utensils to commercial ovens and freezers, there are so many things you will need to buy to run a successful kitchen. Therefore, it helps to work alongside a chef to ensure you make the right purchases, with the help of the right offers and discounts on kitchen equipment.
Hygiene and Maintenance
Hygiene is essential in the commercial kitchen. As you will be serving food to the public, you can expect on-the-spot health inspections, so your kitchen must be exceptionally clean at all times, or you will face closure. Therefore, you should create a daily cleaning list that all members of staff must adhere to at all times, from wiping the prep stations to cleaning any grease traps. You should also embark with a monthly deep clean. Don’t forget to regularly review your food storage to dispose of out-of-date produce and avoid food spoilage or contamination.
The Restaurant Staff
Your staff will determine the smooth-running restaurant. If the waiting staff provide the wrong orders, it will slow down the kitchen, frustrate the chefs and disappoint the customers. However, you could always produce poor-tasting dishes if you fail to hire the right chefs.
It is also important you do not hire too few members of staff, as this could slow down efficiency, no matter how talented your existing team are. Don’t forget to offer several entry-level positions across the restaurant, such as a prep cook or dishwasher.
Therefore, you must hire people who not only have a passion for cooking and customer service, but who will happily work as part of the team and also have the capacity to work alone when required.
Boost Morale
How your staff feel about the company will determine their performance in the restaurant. Restaurants are known for having a high employee turnover, as the industry can be quite demanding, which is why you must try to make your staff feel appreciated every day. You should also lead by example when it comes to customer service so that they can learn the appropriate attitude from you. Remember, happy staff equals happy customers.
