25th Apr 2025

5 Templates to Make the Most of Your Restaurant Kitchen

Managing a commercial kitchen is all about efficiency. Staff in the back of the home must be able to work together without interfering with one another. This is especially true if you are functioning in a tiny space, such as a ghost kitchen.

Did you know that the layout and design of a commercial kitchen may have a big influence on how it runs and what it produces?

Here are a few important aspects for the commercial kitchen layout and design:

• Inventory/Storage;
• Food preparation;
• Cooking meals;
• Service area;
• Dishwashing.

With the proper modern kitchen design and layout, you can maximize your space, optimizing food preparation, cooking, and team performance while improving kitchen safety.

But what are the most common commercial kitchen plans for launching a ghost kitchen? Which is best for you? Let’s talk.

1. Assembly Line Kitchen

An assembly line structure is designed to optimize the assembly of meals. This is commonly used for large-volume production, catering, or things in great demand. Food preparation begins at one end and is completed by the time the dish reaches the end of the "line." 

This linear approach to kitchen workflow looks like follows: The first section deals with the preparation and assembly of materials. The pipe then feeds into the cooking area. Next comes the plating or packing station.

With this configuration, the washing station and storage room are often positioned behind the line to avoid being in the way.

Advantages of an Assembly Line

• Staff may focus on particular jobs rather than managing every step of producing a meal;
• Suitable for restricted menus and high volume demand;
• promotes rapid and uniform food production;
• Allows more workers in a kitchen since they are segregated in their stations. 

Disadvantages of the Assembly Line

The linear process of food preparation and cooking provides less flexibility for menu modifications.

Prioritizing speed and efficiency may limit customization options for kitchen layouts and designs.

2. Zoning Kitchen

This structure separates the kitchen into zones based on the type of meal being prepared. Each station is separate from the others and is frequently classified based on the type of commercial kitchen equipment or meal preparation necessary for that particular dish.

A zone layout allows you to concentrate on constructing a diverse set of menu items. Furthermore, the sink and storage rooms are usually nearest to the entry door, while the service area is closest to the exit door. 

Advantages of a Zoning Kitchen

• Perfect for big kitchens and multitasking;
• Allows personnel to focus on their areas of competence;
• Improves kitchen flow by providing plenty of open spaces for mobility.
• Makes it easy to produce a variety of meals from a bigger selection.

Disadvantages of Zoning Kitchen

• More costly to create since each zone requires separate equipment or infrastructure configuration;
• Utility and maintenance expenses may be greater with the zoning kitchen arrangement.
• It's not worth the setup expenditures for a short menu.

3. Galley Kitchen

If you have a small kitchen, a galley plan is frequently the best option. This configuration arranges all of the stations and equipment along the kitchen walls. The name galley comes from the layout's original use in boat kitchens, where space is quite restricted.

Advantages of a Galley Kitchen

• Maximizes square footage, as seen on boats and food trucks;
• Ideal for ghost kitchens, which are often smaller than standard commercial kitchens.

Disadvantages of a Galley Kitchen

• Similar to zoning, this is more appropriate for a smaller menu.
• Parallel workstations may become too tight for high productivity, leading to lengthier food preparation times. 

4. Island Kitchen

With this restaurant kitchen arrangement, the cooks and the food are the main attractions; they take center stage and are frequently visible to restaurant patrons. All of the cooking equipment is located on and around the island. Other components, such as the food preparation and dishwashing areas, will be moved to the kitchen's periphery.

Advantages of an Island Kitchen

• The island serves as the focal point, allowing the executive chef to monitor all activities from the center of the kitchen;
• Cooking is an important part of the restaurant experience, allowing customers to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into their dish.

Disadvantages of Island Kitchen

• Without a linear step-by-step process, Island design will necessitate culinary workers to interact and coordinate across several stations;
• Not appropriate for tiny kitchen spaces because the island design takes up a lot of room.

5. Open Kitchen

An open kitchen plan, similar to an island layout, allows restaurant visitors to enjoy the performance. This leads to a comfortable ambiance in which the curtain is drawn back, enhancing the meal's closeness and enjoyment.

In most cases, the configuration will be circular to facilitate flow and mobility. Storage and dishwashing are pushed back, if not completely hidden, but the cooking station and prep area remain visible. This is very popular among chefs that employ fire and spectacle in their cooking approach. 

Because this sort of arrangement is unique to the business, there is no set plan. Open kitchens differ based on space footage, cooking equipment, cuisine style, and head chef. 

Advantages of an Open Kitchen

• Guests may enjoy the spectacle and openness of the cooking process, which is just as significant as the dish itself;
• Allows for a more open eating experience and ensures that kitchen personnel are always professional.

Disadvantages of Open Kitchen

• Loud noise, smell, and messiness in the kitchen may affect consumers' eating experience;
• Increase the risk of food cross-contamination;
• Considerations for the ideal kitchen layout and design.

How to Choose the Best One For You?

Now that we've gone over the five major layouts for a commercial kitchen, how do you know which one is best for your restaurant? Here are some points to bear in mind:

• Consider your space

What you can and cannot accomplish with a kitchen is determined on the quantity of square footage available. Larger, more showy layouts, such as the open and island layouts, are ideal for larger kitchens. These designs compromise space maximization in favor of spectacle and mood, yet they are unattainable, or at least impractical, in many cases. If you have a small commercial kitchen or manage a ghost kitchen, an assembly line or galley plan will make greater use of the available space;

• Think about your menu and cuisine type

Your menu will have a considerable influence on how your commercial kitchen is designed. Your kitchen must be adapted to the cuisine you serve, since this will decide the required storage space, preparation, equipment, and cooking stations. Naturally, if your menu is diversified, a zoning or island plan may make it easier to prepare and cook a variety of meals at once.

• What will be the most crucial kitchen functions?

A kitchen must be capable of storing, preparing food, cooking, delivering and serving, and cleaning. Some of these components may be more important than others, depending on your menu and whether you serve dining and delivery or only delivery orders. 

• Following health and safety standards

Your kitchen layout design will be rendered ineffective if it fails to meet the commercial kitchen code criteria. Make sure you secure the relevant licenses and permits, and that your layout adheres to these criteria.

This might include:

• A Certificate of Occupancy (COO);
• Food Service License;
• Food Handling Permit;
• Liquor License.