The Essentials to Include When Building a Corporate Kitchen

Last Updated on November 23, 2011

The creation of a commercial or corporate kitchen requires much more planning and care than the creation of a residential kitchen. Not only should the design of a corporate kitchen be very efficient and easy to clean and sterilize at the end of every day, but it should also be fully functional and able to handle many staff and the production of lots of food each day. Here are some of the essentials you will need to address when it comes to building a corporate kitchen: Efficient Layout: In a commercial or corporate kitchen, there will be a heavy workflow and many staff working to complete the baking, cooking or preparation at any given time. In order to create a labour efficient layout, you should have workstations that allow people to work in one area at a time, rather than running from one end of the kitchen to the other. This means placing the fridges next to the preparation counters, which should in turn be close to the heat sources. An efficient layout can save both time and money overall. Meeting Health Department Codes: Perhaps the most important thing to consider when building a corporate kitchen is whether or not your space meets the sanitation and health codes set by your local health department. No matter how efficient or attractive your kitchen, without meeting the basic health guidelines it will not be functional. Before you decide on an official plan on begin building, make sure you understand the local health codes and can abide by each one. It is much simpler to fix the problem before any building begins. Ventilation: This is a major part of planning a large-scale kitchen, but one that many people forget. Consider where the air from your major ovens will go, and keep that in mind as you place the larger appliances around the kitchen. Your ovens and stovetops should be against an exterior wall whenever possible to allow for airflow out of the room, and to avoid any extra duct work. Major Appliances: Of course, when you think of a kitchen on any scale the appliances might be what first come to mind. Ovens, stovetops, dishwashers, freezers and refrigerators will be among the required appliances in your commercial kitchen. Do your best to estimate the potential size and output each day to determine how many of these expensive items you will need. Having too few ovens can be a disaster, but so can having too many that go unused. Storage Space: Be sure that no matter what size your kitchen, you include plenty of storage space. Commercial kitchens save money by purchasing many ingredients, especially shelf stable ones, in bulk. This does result in needing to store them for months at a time, so be sure to include space to do so within the kitchen. By including the aspects of ventilation, storage space, health department codes, major appliances and an efficient layout in your design plan, you can build an attractive and still practical corporate kitchen. Sarah writes on behalf of Fluid Branding a promotional products specialist. Fluid Branding have thousands of promotional product from promotional mugs to calculators, from promotional pens to umbrellas. Fluid Branding has something for everyone.