We all have an exciting image of what restaurant kitchens look like. Silver countertops, silver dishes, small cramped spaces, and figures in white shouting and flipping food over hot flames. Sometimes we might even see the pans get licked by leaping fires.
As amazing and awe-inspiring as this may sound, however, when you get into the nitty-gritty of it, the overall restaurant kitchen may not be on par with what people might consider comfortable standards. To increase the overall productivity of the restaurant and its workers we need to provide them with an atmosphere that is good for them and the restaurant’s customers.
How can we fix this dilemma? Fortunately, all that is required are a few improvements to the structure of the restaurant kitchen’s design to create a space that is both comfortable and fun for chefs and workers but also a place that produces the best possible food for its customers.
Improve Working Conditions
Multiple cooks and waiters are stuffed in a hot, suffocating room for hours on end. The tiny spaces in between huge stoves become hard to manoeuvre around as people do not only have to look out for other people but also for huge fires lit on the stoves. Furthermore, the temperature of the kitchen stays very high, which makes it difficult to keep working long hours.
However, let us focus on one aspect at a time. To create more space for the cooks to move around in, we can do a few things. We can expand the kitchen area and make the seating area of the restaurant slightly smaller. This way we can make the narrow aisles in between wider so those cooks can easily pass each other when moving from one cooking station to another.
To improve the temperature and air quality of the kitchen, we can install a good ventilation system. The excessive use of spices can sometimes make it very hard to breathe. Therefore, a proper ventilation system must be used. This will allow the hot, spice-filled air to exit the kitchen, replacing it with fresh, cooler air.
During dinner and lunch shifts, chefs and waiters alike should be given small five-minute breaks so that they can reenergize themselves during the long, busy hours. If the restaurant’s employees are not overworked, they will be able to communicate better with each other. This will further improve the working conditions as chefs and waiters will Create a better synergy, allowing them to work more effectively. This will boost productivity as well!
Lastly, regular cleaning is very important as well. If employees keep working in dirty conditions, there is a higher risk of dissatisfaction and refusal to work. It might also lead to diseases. Worse, these conditions can affect the quality of food, which would in turn deal a hit to the restaurant’s reputation. Hence, cleaning is very important so that these dire situations can be avoided.
Improve Sinks, Pipes, and Water Usage
In a commercial kitchen, water and sinks are always in use. They are used almost all the time, whether the restaurant is open or closed. You need them to clean dishes, prep and wash food, and also keep your hands clean so that the food is not handled improperly. Such extensive use is bound to wear out the sinks, faucets, and even the pipes.
The sinks get dirty and stained from all the grit and food being washed in them. They might also develop cracks and leak water down onto the ground. This is why many businesses now purchase portable sinks, so the sink doesn’t sit in one location at all times causing damp issues. To fix this, we can either replace the sinks completely, which is recommended, or identify the spots that have issues and fix them. If you decide to stick with your older sinks, make sure that they go through a deep cleaning procedure at least twice or thrice a month. This will ensure that the dishes are being cleaned in a hygienic environment. The cracks can be plastered and closed, however, make sure that a professional handle this job as we do not want to do a bad, half-hearted attempt that might ruin the sink’s condition even more.
Furthermore, the extreme temperature and humidness of the kitchen might affect the pipes. More specifically, the valves placed in the pipes. When these pipes are installed, people do not pay attention to the types of valves fitted in them. Such valves are not durable and susceptible to heat and humidity. A way to improve upon this is by using the newer, technologically advanced, and durable API ball valve. These are meant to last and are resistant to adverse conditions.
Lastly, to avoid further leaks and such, it is advised that you invest in your kitchen’s faucets. Be sure to replace old worn-out washers with new ones. Similarly, replace the old rusted taps with cleaner ones to improve water flow and avoid rust particles getting mixed in with dishes.
Add Creativity
Finally, add some creativity to your kitchen. Try to think of new ways to constantly innovate the existing status of your kitchen. A suggestion would be to create a see-through kitchen. Doing this would not only provide the customers the excitement and satisfaction that their food is cooked right in front of their eyes but also force the chefs to be at the top of their game when performing inside the kitchen. When trying to add creativity to your kitchen, you have a whole array of options to choose from, so let your mind go wild
Conclusion
The way we think about restaurant kitchens is for sure very exciting, however, the actual conditions inside such spaces need some changes. Fortunately, these conditions can be fixed with minor tweaks to the working conditions, water control, plumbing, and most importantly by adding a bit of creativity to the mix. These changes will not take away from the exciting image of commercial restaurants, but in turn, would add more!
