Restaurants are a significant part of the US economy, and opening one is a fantastic way to display your cooking skills and creativity. You’re competing with nearly 750,000 other restaurants, and making the most of your resources and space is essential. Many new restaurants start with limited space, and maximizing that space is the key to success.
Diving into your options for a very small restaurant kitchen design is one of the best ways to hit the ground running. You’ll enjoy an efficient layout in your small kitchen to prepare and cook food for your customers.
The good news is that you’re in the perfect spot to learn how to optimize the space in your small commercial kitchen. Continue reading to design the perfect restaurant kitchen layout today!
Watch Your Staff
Watching your staff is an outstanding way to look for obstructions and areas with too little space in your commercial kitchen. Busy shifts are the best time to watch for these run-ins. You can also look in your kitchen for team members needing more meal preparation space.
Use these opportunities to identify the busiest spaces. Watch your cooks and ensure they have space to conduct delicate tasks. Your customers will love the taste and appearance of your food when you watch your staff and provide the space to work.
Use an Immersion Blender
Traditional blenders are large pieces of kitchen equipment. Every square inch of counter space matters when working with a very small restaurant kitchen design. An immersion blender is invaluable because it provides several functions while taking up a much smaller footprint in your kitchen.
Compare your options and opt for an immersion blender with a powerful motor. Variable speed is another beneficial feature, and it’s worth paying more for a blender that covers all your kitchen needs.
You can store an immersion blender on a shelf, hook, or in a cabinet. The small footprint, power, and straightforward cleaning make it an excellent investment for your restaurant kitchen.
Use Vertical Space
Space is often limited when working in a small commercial kitchen. Getting creative with storage options is a remarkable way to optimize your space. Check the wall space above your counters, sinks, and windows.
Installing shelving in these spaces is the perfect way to add more storage without increasing clutter in the kitchen. Racks are perfect for storing cooking utensils, pots, and more. You can store mixers and other sizable cookware out of the way until needed.
Optimize for Takeout
Takeout orders are growing in popularity in the United States, and most older kitchen designs are geared toward guests who want to dine in at your restaurant. If you’re going to remodel your restaurant kitchen and design it to maximize space, do it in a way that caters to takeout orders and dining rush hour.
A turnout station is an excellent way to use your space for takeout orders. It provides a space where these customers can arrive at the restaurant and pick up their orders without creating excess foot traffic.
You can also work with a design from scratch to optimize your space. A better countertop layout combined with the restaurant swinging doors found here will increase ease of movement in your kitchen and provide efficient workflows.
Purchase Multi-Use Appliances
The quickest way to deplete the limited counter space in your small commercial kitchen is to fill it with bulky kitchen appliances. While some of these appliances are necessities for your kitchen operations, there’s a more efficient option.
Shopping for multi-use appliances will help you cover all your cooking and baking needs while saving significant space in the kitchen. You’ll have what you need to heat food, mix ingredients, and prep other meal components.
A stand mixer is an excellent option due to its versatility. You can mix batter, shred meat, and flavor butter. Rice cookers are another valuable appliance. You can use them to cook rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and grits.
Wall Storage for Smallwares
The best kitchens optimize wall space above the sinks and countertops. With the small size and minimal weight, you can install magnets to hold your knives and cutting boards in place until you need them for food prep and portioning.
Analyze your restaurant kitchen for the best spaces to apply this storage strategy. Your team will love the quick access and extra space they’ll enjoy when handling operations at your small restaurant.
Add Pull-Out Storage
Pull-out storage allows you to pack more kitchen utensils and equipment into your cabinets and drawers. Talk to your team about their preferences and needs to design pull-out storage that makes life and kitchen operations more straightforward.
Include an additional pull-out section to get more from your drawer storage. It’s also perfect for pots and pans that take up substantial space.
Divide Cabinet Spaces
Dividing cabinet spaces helps you determine designated spaces for your cookware. You can use kitchen dividers to break up the space in your cabinets and enjoy an organized layout. It’s an idea that works best with thin baking pans and cookie sheets.
Consider horizontal or vertical dividers to meet your restaurant kitchen’s needs. The slots you’ll create will help you access these pieces of cookware when needed.
Use Open Shelving
Open shelving is beneficial because you can see where every item in storage is located. Look for blank stretches of walls in your small commercial kitchen where you can install these shelves.
Use them to store dishware, spices, and other ingredients. You’ll optimize storage while creating a beautiful aesthetic in your kitchen.
Optimize Your Very Small Restaurant Kitchen Design Today
Your restaurant can provide savory meals and treats to your customers without a gigantic kitchen. Learning to optimize storage in a very small restaurant kitchen design will help to ensure your staff has everything it needs while minimizing mistakes and run-ins. Use wall storage, open shelving, and multi-use appliances to maximize efficiency and space.
Finding the best ways to optimize your workspace is essential when opening a new business. Explore our Business content for more tips and guides today!
