Designing a restaurant kitchen that is practical and efficient requires careful planning and strategic vision. What is it useful to the customer? What is it necessary for the restaurant? These are the first questions that an industrial kitchen supplier asks himself.
When we talk about efficiency in a kitchen, we primarily talk of two themes: the study of the spaces and the energy saving. The accurate design of spaces is essential to guarantee a smooth workflow and allow the team to move quickly and easily. At the same time, energy saving plays a crucial role in keeping a restaurant kitchen sustainable from an economic point of view, helping to reduce operating costs, and from an environmental point of view, minimizing the impact on the ecosystem.
Restaurant kitchen design: maximize the space for more efficiency
Efficiency in a kitchen begins with the study of the spaces and the creation of well-organised work areas, in which each utensil and equipment are placed at best. Mapping distinctly the different work areas, from the food preparation area to the cooking area, helps optimizing the layout of the equipment, ensuring they are positioned in a logical and accessible way.
So, the first thing to do when designing a kitchen is to understand:
-the size of the kitchen: how many seats will it serve? How much work will it have to manage?
-the type of menu: à la carte or fixed like in a tavern? Will they offer just few dishes in large quantities as in canteens? In a burger shop, we would need to focus more on grills and fryers. If the restaurant is famous for first courses, more hobs and pasta cookers will be needed.
-the chef’s style: a kitchen with a lot of baked food will necessarily have to provide more space for this type of equipment. If many preparations are made before cooking, as in gourmet restaurants, the design should consider a large area dedicated to the preparation and storage of the dishes.
-the composition of the brigade: knowing how many people work in the kitchen. If there are two Chefs, it makes sense to design a central kitchen with two blocks on two sides instead of a wall kitchen.
-the structure and location of the building: in a seaside location, it will make sense to design a kitchen with multiple fryers, one for fish and one for the rest of the food.
-the available power supply: a restaurant located in a historic residence, among the Dolomite mountains or a food truck, will have equipment with different power supplies (gas, electric or mixed). In some areas energy costs are higher, so gas machines would be more suitable, in other cases there may be practical reasons or legal limits to comply with.
These are the questions that the designers of our layout office ask as to evaluate the best solution when designing a new kitchen for a client. Based on this information and their experience they understand which type of kitchen is the best to be proposed.
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Energy efficiency and equipment performance
In addition to an intelligent layout of spaces, energy efficiency plays an important role in the design of a restaurant kitchen. Investing in professional kitchen equipment that is high-tech in terms of sustainability can lead not only to significant long-term savings, but also to a positive impact on the environment. Equipment and tools that comply with energy regulations and use innovative technologies can help reduce consumption, lowering bills and increasing overall profitability.
On this matter, the machines of the new IPERLOTUSTOUCH line can help the restaurateur, because they allow to optimize the use of energy. They are very responsive and have a high energy efficiency thanks to digital control. An IPERLOTUSTOUCH fryer senses the oil temperature variation of even just one degree, unlike mechanically controlled machines, which have a larger delta. Maintaining the oil temperature more constant means eliminating energy waste, reducing service time and improving cooking quality. Furthermore, they can be connected to centralized energy optimization systems in buildings, such as hotels.
In conclusion, integrating intelligent energy solutions, from the use of high-efficiency devices to the optimization of lighting, is essential for a Chef who aspires to give a reduced ecological footprint to his restaurant. In fact, the design of a restaurant kitchen should not be limited to operational functionality, but should also extend to environmental responsibility, combining efficiency and sustainability in a winning combination.