Tuesday 15 October 2013

How To Ensure Fast And Efficient Service

The purpose of restaurant kitchen design is to facilitate the process of efficient flow from the stove to the waiting diner.  An ill thought out layout should at all costs be avoided.

When you begin planning the outlay you should initially ask of the people who have to work in the kitchen environment about their thoughts on an efficient and swift process.

There is much work involved at the planning stage, as before you can start installing the appliances, you have to sort out plumbing and electrical points as well as the best point for gas pipes to be fitted.

The acquiring of appliances depends on what kind of menu you envisage serving in your restaurant.  You may want to specialise in fast food, ethnic cuisine or the more traditional British fare.  Once you have established this it will soon be evident from the proposed menu what you do or do not need.

You need to create an atmosphere for your diners in which they can relax and unwind.  At the same time they will not want to wait for hours for their meals.  Is seems an anomaly that whilst they want to relax with a drink, they also demand fast and efficient service.  If your kitchen is not up to scratch, this may not happen.
Even though the economic climate is tough on household budgets, many people still eat out occasionally.  
Perhaps it is the interaction between diners is the cause of this.  It is also nice not to have to cook for yourself for once.

If you are not sure on how to proceed, it is better to leave outlay and design to the professionals.  They are au fait with planning and health and safety regulations and you will, therefore, have a kitchen that fulfils to all government requirements in this field.

Apart from this fact they will have all the different specialists on board, from electricians to plumbers which saves you the hassle of having to source contractors yourself.  To help them along it would be helpful to have a wish-list ready for incorporation into the design.


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The Difference Between Commercial And Domestic Kitchens

The difference between commercial kitchens and domestic ones lies in that the commercial venues prepare meals which the consumers will pay for when dining in a restaurant setting.  People go out to eat to treat themselves and also to be in a different environment where other people gather.

These kitchens are the subject of government health and safety legislation.  Public health can be compromised if the kitchen has not been designed properly and lacks the proper provision for hygiene and sanitation.

All kitchens should have floors and work surfaces that are easy to clean.  Tiled floors and stainless steel surfaces are the preferred materials as they can be washed with bleach without the fabric of the surfaces being affected.

You will also have to obtain certificates and a drink licence.

The floor plan is also quite different from an ordinary domestic kitchen. The emphasis has to be on the efficient preparation of food and the serving of it to the customers of the restaurant.

For this reason the cooking appliances are generally placed along one side of a wall.  In this area proper ventilation is important to prevent grease and cooking smells pervading the dining area. The food preparation side of the process should be away from this near a sink.  The object is to prevent staff of the different sections getting under each other’s feet.

If you find all these points a headache, it is perhaps better to leave the design to professionals conversant with the food industry.  They will observe all the necessary safety regulations and make sure that your kitchen is fit for purpose.

Another point to mention is that the lighting must be adequate.  The kitchen workers have to be able to see clearly when they are chopping food to prevent accidents with sharp knives.

You will appreciate that several different workmen will invade your property.  The company you have engaged will get all the different professionals together.  Apart from paying the bill at the end all the sourcing of different specialists will be taken out of your hands.



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A Design Service For Catering Kitchens

For mass catering most large companies will have engaged a specialist company that specialises in the field of catering kitchen design. Refurbishing on a large scale is very hard to do for an individual or a corporate business.  However, if your enterprise is small, these companies will take on any project whether it is large or small.

These companies will have to be involved from the earliest stages whilst buildings are still in their design stage if possible.  They will then be able to give advice on the best siting of the kitchen area.  They will also take on board the specific requirements of a particular venue, perhaps a school or hospital.



Apart from kitchen design, the dining area will also be taken into account and fitted out according to the wishes of the customer with input from the design team.  Every business has its budget, even large ones.  The kitchen design team will be able to give advice on what equipment is necessary and what can be done without.

For large areas a floor plan is essential as many appliances will be needed in a large catering kitchen. There are work tops and sinks to consider, proper ventilation needs to be installed so that the kitchen does not fill up with steam and grease.

Some sites have a green section where energy saving equipment is advertised.  There are now various energy saving appliances available which together with an efficient waste disposal system and carbon emission control, will save pounds on utility bills.  Any company will want to save as much money as they can, whilst also being ecologically aware. There are other savings to be made on low energy lighting systems which will further reduce costs.

Staff safety is very important, of course, and there is special flooring material available that is slip proof and will be easy to clean at the same time.  It should be ensured that there is plenty of space to walk around so that the various preparation sections are not in each other’s way.


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Monday 14 October 2013

Why You Should Create An Itimate Dining Experience

A bistro type restaurant originates from France, where they served apartment communities.  The typical character of the bistro design is that they are small and intimate places where fresh and simple foods were served.

The atmosphere is unpretentious which allows informal dining in a homely setting.  The proprietor should, therefore, take care to create such an environment.  The best way to do this is to apply neutral colours with comfortable seating and ambient lighting.

The aim is to attract diners that do not necessarily want to dress up to the nines and are comfortable in a more leisurely setting.  It is also a place where anybody can come off the street in the clothing they wore when they were shopping and still do not feel out of place.

The menu is quite different from larger eateries.  It is often simple and short.  No restaurant can hope to serve fresh food when they have an extensive menu.  Most of it would have been cooked beforehand and put in a freezing cabinet.  The emphasis of a bistro is put on serving fresh food daily with a limited menu.

It would be a nice touch if the kitchen could be seen by the diners.  You can hang nice copper pans from the ceiling and the diners can see the chefs preparing their meal which adds a homely feel to the place.

You can, if you so wish design your own kitchen and dining areas.  There are plenty of sites on the internet that will give ideas and blueprints, but you need to realise that this is a lot of work as you will have to source your contractors too.  It will involve much of your time which would be better spent designing a menu or sourcing wines.

It will, therefore, be a better idea to engage a design specialist who has knowledge of design in this field. He will know all about standards of hygiene and planning regulations. He will also be able to source all commercial equipment for the kitchen and furnishings for the dining area.


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