When it comes to a commercial kitchen design, the biggest challenge is to match space with function in an efficient manner. A great deal of planning will be required to build a kitchen, which saves time and effort in food preparation and cooking. If you plan to achieve success with your restaurant business, you should pay serious attention to the design and building as well as maintenance of the commercial kitchen and restaurant. A well-designed kitchen provides a safe and comfortable working environment for the employees and a great ambiance for visitors to dine in. Whether you plan to build a new commercial kitchen or remodel an existing one, you will need to seek the help of contractors who specialize in this field.
If you are in Denver, CO, Hood Builder is an ideal destination where you will have some of the most experienced professionals to successfully accomplish a restaurant design and building project. For your knowledge, the article will focus on how to design and build a perfect restaurant of your dreams.
What a Commercial Kitchen Design Includes
Building a commercial kitchen and restaurant is a highly challenging project. It takes intense teamwork to set up the entire facility in a manner that optimizes your food service operation. At the same time, it is also crucial to understand that no two commercial kitchens are similar. Based on its specific needs, the design of every facility is unique in its own sense.
Since there are various types of commercial kitchen designs and layouts, it can be difficult to decide exactly where to begin. Whether it is the kitchen layout, equipment or the execution of it all, every step is important and must be given serious attention in order to build the ideal kitchen.It is the menu from where you get started and then move on to understanding the space and the local safety codes and regulations that you must adhere to throughout the entire restaurant construction project. Before starting the design and building of a commercial kitchen, it is essential to understand every bit of the local codes, laws and regulations.
Five key areas in a commercial kitchen include:
- Storage
- Cooking station
- Food preparation
- Washing and cleaning station
- Service area
When designing a commercial kitchen, you need to plan for each of these spaces as well as their functionality in a proper manner. Well-defined sections and stations are a prerequisite for increasing employee productivity and enhance the safety of both the employees and the visitors.
At Hood Builder (HB), we possess extensive experience in building a restaurant from scratch level. Our professionals have designed a wide range of restaurant buildings and commercial kitchens across Denver, CO. With our experts by your side, you can feel confident that all the technical work for building a commercial kitchen will be carried out in an effective and accurate manner. HB is a one-stop shop for all your commercial kitchen building and construction needs. In addition to HB, we also operate two other sister companies namely APS Hoods and Nationwide Fire Protection that provide kitchen hood and fire suppression system installation respectively. For more details, get in touch with one of our experts.
Design Features of a Commercial Kitchen
A perfect modern commercial kitchen has some essential design features. For your commercial kitchen and restaurant to run successfully and stay code-compliant, it is extremely important to incorporate every key feature into the overall construction and design of the restaurant.
Size
Kitchen Size and capacity are closely related. Before the restaurant construction or remodeling project begins, it is crucial to understand the ration between the size and capacity of a restaurant. You should be clear about the number of visitors you will want the space to accommodate for dining. If you collect all the measurements in regard to visitor capacity, the design process will be easier.
That is exactly why restaurant design experts and engineers will first evaluate the specific needs of the kitchen. The capacity and the menu will be considered before everything else. It is essential to determine where doors and windows will be located and how many people will dine in the restaurant as well as what menu will be served to guests. You can never build a perfect kitchen by copying the design and layout of a generic kitchen. Though the fundamentals will remain the same, every commercial kitchen will have its own unique features.
So, the most important part of a commercial kitchen construction is the arrangement of all the necessary sections and stations within the available size dimensions. For more in this regard, reach out to one of our restaurant construction services specialists at Hood Builder in the Denver area, Colorado.
Ergonomic Design
One of the most crucial features of a perfect kitchen design is ergonomics. If the kitchen is ergonomically designed, it means working in it requires less movement. Using the principles of ergonomic design, professionals build the commercial kitchen in a way that requires only a minimum amount of stretching and bending. As a result of reduction in movement during work, the chances of accidents and food spilling in the kitchen are eliminated to a great extent.
Most importantly, cooking and preparing food in an ergonomic commercial kitchen takes less time and effort by the staff. Operating the cooking appliances becomes very easy and without any strain to the back.
Lighting and Ventilation
When building a large, commercial kitchen, special attention must be given to lighting and ventilation. On the one hand, adequate lighting will help the staff perform their daily tasks in a proper manner. On the other hand, proper ventilation will keep the indoor area free from heat, smoke and steam.
Every commercial kitchen is a hot and smoky space. Lots of heat and smoke makes it hard for the staff to work. Contamination of indoor kitchen air makes the working environment very uncomfortable. That is exactly the kitchen you plan to construct should be well-ventilated. At Hood Builder, we provide ventilation services and equip commercial kitchens and restaurants with top quality ventilation systems to keep the indoor air quality fresh. Once vent hoods have been installed, the kitchen will be a happy and comfortable place to work in. Guests will love to dine in a restaurant that is free from food odors and smells.
Being one of the most trusted restaurant general contractors, we regularly serve a wide range of restaurants, cafeterias and cooking facilities in Denver, CO, with range hood installation, HVAC and ventilation systems.
Maintenance
The ideal restaurant kitchen is easy to clean and maintain. Planning for this begins right in the initial phase. All the kitchen products and materials are expertly selected so as to make day-to-day maintenance easier.
Whether it is the cooking appliances, surfaces, walls or floors, every part of the kitchen should be easy to access. If accessibility is hard, the workers will face difficulty in doing the cleaning and maintenance. Professionals will choose the most ideal flooring materials for installation in the facility. Hygiene and sanitation are extremely important aspects of a great kitchen design. If the kitchen is not easy to maintain and hygienic, the risk of food contamination will increase. This may result in food poisoning and other health issues for diners and guests. As per the food and safety regulations, you may be heavily compensated for violation or may be asked to shut down the restaurant altogether. Therefore, professional restaurant general construction services always take long-term maintenance into account.
If you have a question about commercial kitchen hood cleaning, grease trap cleaning and kitchen hood cleaning and maintenance, feel free to get in touch with one of our experts at Hood Builder in Denver, CO.
Energy Consumption
The way a restaurant is designed and constructed, it impacts the overall consumption of energy in the facility. Since a commercial kitchen and restaurant uses multiple systems, appliances and equipment, it is crucial to bring down energy consumption and make the facility as energy-efficient as possible.
If you look at a restaurant from an energy consumption viewpoint, it is the most energy intensive business. Whether it is the cooking appliances, air conditioner, ventilation hood system or the lighting, all of this amounts to hefty energy bills. That is exactly why restaurant general contractors start the design process with a keen focus on the energy consumption levels. In particular, experts select energy-saving cooking appliances and equipment for the restaurant kitchen.
Our highly trained professionals will help you select commercial kitchen appliances that have the best energy efficiency ratings.
Approval from Local Authorities
Getting all the necessary approvals from local authorities is an important part of the restaurant building process. But getting these things done in a proper manner involves a great deal of paperwork. You may have to wait for a long time before all the necessary permits and approvals are granted.
With professionals by your side, getting these approvals can be a lot easier and faster. Whether you want to build a restaurant, cafeteria, coffee shop, food service center or a large cooking facility, you can always rely on our professionals to get all the paperwork done without giving yourself a headache. Whether it is the fire safety regulations, seating in the dining area or the food safety, our experts will prepare and submit every piece of document and obtain all the required approvals in a proper manner so that you can run the restaurant without any hassles.
Maintenance Tips for a Commercial Kitchen
Once your restaurant is ready to serve guests, you should create a routine for regular cleaning and maintenance of every section and component installed in it. Though cooking appliances will function for years, it is proper maintenance that will keep them in excellent condition and extend their life.
Regular maintenance means you will be able to avoid major problems. Lack of proper cleaning and maintenance will easily turn a minor issue into a major problem, requiring costly repairs and new installations. If the kitchen appliances are in great condition, cooking and food preparation will be done in less time. Making the employees and guests who come to dine at your restaurant directly ties to your reputation. Taking the presence and reach of social media platforms for online reviews, you should never take a risk with your business reputation.
For professional maintenance, you should call in experts who understand how each part of an appliance or system functions. Technicians will troubleshoot the problems quickly and suggest the most ideal solution. There are ample benefits of routine maintenance including enhanced safety for employees and visitors. While you may need to do simple maintenance tasks on your own, you should not try to complete those that are complex and require expert knowledge. Trying to clean, maintain or repair the HVAC system or the fire suppression system or cleaning the coils and condensers of the refrigerator on your own can be unsafe and risky.
If you want to schedule routine maintenance for your restaurant, head over to Hood Builder in Denver, CO. HB provides a whole range of maintenance and repair services including exhaust fan repair, fire protection repair, grease trap cleaning, hood cleaning, HVAC balancing, HVAC makeup air etc.
Looking for a Reliable Restaurant General Contractor?
The process of designing and building a commercial kitchen and restaurant is quite painstaking. Right from restaurant layout design and setting up all the kitchen stations and sections to installing HVAC system and fire suppression system, everything must be planned in elaborate detail. If you are in search of a one-stop shop where you will get access to highly professionals for designing your restaurant building and commercial kitchen from scratch and completing all the technical works with a high level of accuracy, head straight to Hood Builder (HB). Based in Denver, CO, HB specializes in building modern restaurants and perfect commercial kitchens while adhering to all the essential codes, laws and regulations.
Apart from Hood Builder, we operate two more companies namely APS Hoods and Nationwide Fire Protection to provide complementary services to restaurants all over Denver. For your free consultation, you can give our office a quick phone call or write us an email using the enquiry form.