Of all the various factors that go into creating a successful catering business, a professional kitchen is the beating heart of the operation.
Whether it’s event catering, a restaurant, takeaway place or a pop-up shop, the story is always the same. If the kitchen is not set up correctly, or the floor plan is sloppy, the rest of the business is much harder to run.
To ensure this doesn’t happen and to give you the best chance of success, here’s our how-to guide for commercial kitchen design.
The Importance of Catering Kitchen Layout
Designing a commercial kitchen well is a key ingredient when it comes to business growth.
This may sound like an obvious statement to make, but it is surprising how often the kitchen design and set up of cooking equipment are overlooked when it comes to a central production unit or commercial kitchen space.
When it comes to kitchen installations, a well-thought-out design and layout will help create adequate space to work, and help operations run efficiently, as well as smoothly.
How to Design a Commercial Kitchen Plan
Each dark kitchen is different. Each chef works differently. You need to make sure you can design and fit your kitchen out any way you choose, and most importantly, you need ample space to work if you want a slick work flow.
Consider the most important factors when it comes to making your kitchen flow.
- Layout
- Island style
- Assembly line layout
- Zone-style
- Food preparation areas – size & proximity
- Temperature control
- Storage areas
- Safety regulations
- Kitchen Equipment
- Food service area – if you have a storefront or dining room
Vital Ingredients of the Best Commercial Kitchen Designs
A catering kitchen on its own is like a heart without veins and arteries. It needs both input and output. However, it also requires storage space in order to work effectively.
So, we can divide the kitchen area into three parts – delivery (in and out), production and storage.
Delivery
A busy kitchen needs a good reliable flow, both in and out, to keep things moving efficiently. Most modern kitchens are working at all hours so you need to consider how your deliveries of meat and produce are getting to you and once there, how easy it is to offload and store, ready for use.
A loading bay with 24-hour access is a must, as well as cargo lifts, large doors and flat, open, well-maintained floors. Once you’ve got this right, it will take care of incoming and outgoing deliveries.
Storage
Food storage safety is key to any business, big or small.
If you need to keep buying small orders of your supplies you know you’ll be paying too much. A large, secure and safe storage unit and cold storage onsite will allow you to buy in bulk and keep things to hand when you need them. Look for constant temperature monitoring for the preservation of raw foods and pest control too, for ultimate food safety.
Check how hard it is to take your supplies to the kitchen. It’s going to reduce efficiency if you need to go from one building to another every time you need to resupply.
Kitchen
This is where the work is done. A good working kitchen needs plenty of space: for commercial catering equipment, day-to-day work, and food.
Other essentials include good access and ventilation system, practical food prep areas, as well as gas, water and electricity points.
Designing an Eco-Friendly Space
It’s more important than ever to be mindful of our impact on the environment. From the foods we eat, the ways we travel and the energy we use, and this eco-friendly mindfulness must translate to the way we design and run our kitchens.
But how do you design an eco-friendly commercial kitchen? Be aware of the materials you are using throughout your kitchen and consider if there are more eco-friendly options available such as stainless steel, porcelain or glass – these are all great materials to use if you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint.
Other ways of creating an eco-friendly kitchen include using energy efficient appliances or lighting, being selective in the cleaning chemicals that you use, saving water where you can plus much more. If you have a sit-in dining area in your business, eco-friendliness should also be extended to the front of house.
Designing a Commercial Kitchen: The Dephna Solution
We have years of experience when it comes to commercial and restaurant kitchen design.
Dephna’s commercial kitchens for rent in London range from 400 to 4000 sq ft, allowing you to design and fit-out your kitchen exactly as your needs require. They will help you get your unit ready for production, as well as offering storage and cold room options that will work for you.
The spacious loading bays are available 24-hours a day, as are all access points and lifts. Dephna is stringent in its security, safety and maintenance in all Dephna sites in the London area. Their state-of-the-art units have all the electrical, gas and water points you need, along with full Paxton access control so you can come and go when you want.
If you have any questions regarding setting up a new commercial kitchen, or want to take a tour of a commercial or delivery kitchen in London, contact our friendly Dephna team. We’re always happy to help with any aspect of setting up and running your kitchen.
Designing a Commercial Kitchen FAQs
The best layout depends on how your business operates. An event caterer may need strong prep, packing and dispatch areas, while a takeaway or delivery brand may need a faster assembly-line flow. The main goal is to reduce unnecessary movement, keep clean and dirty processes separate, and make sure staff can work safely without getting in each other’s way.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as it depends on your menu, equipment, team size, storage needs and order volume. A small production setup may only need a few hundred square feet, while a growing catering or food production business may need much more room for prep, cooking, packing, chilled storage and deliveries. It is always worth planning for growth rather than designing a kitchen that only just fits your current operation.
A good commercial kitchen design plan should include food prep areas, cooking zones, storage, refrigeration, washing facilities, waste areas, ventilation, staff movement, delivery access and health and safety requirements. You should also think carefully about where gas, water and electricity points are positioned, as these can affect how practical the kitchen is day to day.
Storage has a big impact on efficiency and food safety. If ingredients, packaging or equipment are difficult to access, your team can lose valuable time. Having secure dry storage, chilled storage and frozen storage close to the kitchen makes it easier to manage stock, buy in sensible quantities and keep operations running smoothly.
You can improve energy efficiency by choosing modern appliances, using efficient lighting, maintaining refrigeration properly, reducing water waste and planning your layout so equipment is not working harder than it needs to. For example, keeping hot cooking equipment away from cold storage can help both areas perform more efficiently.
Yes, ventilation is essential in most commercial kitchens, especially where cooking produces heat, steam, grease or smoke. A good ventilation system helps protect staff, supports food hygiene, improves comfort and keeps the kitchen safer to work in. It should be considered early in the design process rather than added as an afterthought.
In many cases, yes, but it depends on the provider and the type of unit. Flexible commercial kitchen spaces, such as Dephna’s London kitchens, allow businesses to fit out the space around their own production needs, equipment and workflow. This can be especially useful for caterers, delivery brands and growing food businesses that need a practical setup without committing to a long-term permanent premises straight away.
Common mistakes include underestimating storage, placing equipment without considering workflow, leaving too little space for staff movement, forgetting about deliveries, and not planning for future growth. A kitchen may look fine on paper, but if ingredients, staff, packaging and finished orders cannot move through it smoothly, it can quickly become frustrating to run.
Author Information
This article was co-written by…
Brindha, Sales Director
Our Sales Director, Brindha, knows her stuff when it comes to finding the perfect commercial kitchen or cold storage solution. With years of experience and a hands-on approach, she’s all about making life easier for food entrepreneurs so they can focus on what they do best – creating amazing dishes. When she’s not helping businesses thrive, Brindha’s out and about exploring the hottest food trends around London.
