Dawnvale designs all manners of commercial kitchens that are not only functional but also beautiful. After you have designed your kitchen to be ergonomic and safe, it is now time to choose a layout.
The following are common types of kitchen layouts we design:
- Assembly Line Layout
An assembly line commercial kitchen layout includes a central row starting with an area for food preparation and ending with food service area. An assembly line kitchen layout is ideal for the preparation of the same type of food. The same dish can then be prepared and served repeatedly.
With an assembly line kitchen layout, each chef is responsible for a single element of the food production process. The assembly line layout is great for restaurants with a reserved menu such as pizza places.
Many fast food restaurants have an assembly line kitchen layout. Popular establishments with such a layout include Chipotle and Sweetgreen.
- Island Layout
An island kitchen layout consists of a ring layout built in addition to a central food preparation area or cooking station. The ring part can include washing stations, storage units and several locations for food preparation with the main cooking equipment at the center.
The island kitchen layout is ideal for central chef supervision. All meal can pass through the centralized ‘command center’ for approval by the chef. Therefore, meals can be of higher quality in such a kitchen layout.
The island kitchen layout is great for kitchens with a lot of space. Dutch restaurant Latour is a famous example of an island kitchen layout.
- Zone-Style Layout
A zone style kitchen layout has a separate area for each type of activity happening in the kitchen or for each meal being prepared in the kitchen. An apt example is a kitchen with stations for salads, frying meat, baking pastries, making soup and so on.
The zone-style commercial kitchen layout is great for kitchen organization. With a divide and conquer type ethos, it eases the process of supervision.
Each zone can have its own chef preparing a single meal rather than one chef preparing all the components of a meal. The zone-style layout is better for large establishments with large kitchens such as hotel restaurants and event kitchens.
- Galley Layout
The galley layout is one where all the kitchen stations and equipment are located on the kitchen’s perimeter. The perimeter may also mean on parallel or adjacent walls.
The galley kitchen layout is ideal for commercial kitchens with limited space. Such a layout also allows minimal staff.
Any food truck is a perfect example of a galley layout.
- Open Kitchen Layout
Any commercial kitchen can be transformed into an open kitchen by simply removing a wall. It gives customers an open view as to what happens before they receive their meals.
Open kitchens tend to keep hot cooking equipment as far from the customers as possible for their safety. It also protects the food from any potential contaminants originating from the guests.
An open kitchen layout is suitable for a tiny space. It is also ideal for entertaining customers.
High end restaurants with small spaces often have open kitchens where watching the food preparation process becomes a part of the entire dining experience.