Restaurant kitchen floor plan: how to plan yours

A restaurant kitchen floor plan has to balance two things that compete for space: the dining room that earns the money and the kitchen that makes the food. Get the balance wrong and either service suffers or the business cannot seat enough guests. This article walks through planning a restaurant kitchen floor plan step by step.

How much of the floor should the kitchen take?

There is no single correct ratio. Many operators use rough guides, with the kitchen and back-of-house taking a substantial share of the total floor area, but the right figure depends on the menu, how much is prepared on site and how much storage is needed. A restaurant that bakes its own bread and butchers whole animals needs far more back-of-house space than one that receives prepared ingredients. Treat any ratio as a starting point for discussion, not a requirement.

Our restaurant floor plan guide covers front-of-house zones, toilets and fire exits in more detail.

Place the service pass first

The pass is where the kitchen hands food to front of house. Its position decides the route servers take through the dining room and where the cooking line should sit. Put the pass close to the dining room door, with the hot line directly behind it, so plates travel the shortest possible distance. Keep the server route separate from the dirty return route to wash-up where possible.

Arrange the stations

Typical stations include cold starters and salads, the hot line (grill, fryer, range, oven), pastry, and plating. Arrange them in the order that dishes are assembled. Put frequently used refrigeration under the counter at each station so chefs are not walking to a walk-in during service.

Storage and deliveries

Plan a route from the delivery door to dry storage, cold storage and freezers that does not pass through the cooking line. Storage space is often underestimated; check how often deliveries arrive and how much stock you need between them.

Wash-up and waste

Locate wash-up near the server return, with enough drainboard space for dirty and clean racks. Plan a separate route for waste to leave the building without passing through food preparation areas.

Common mistakes

• Putting the pass too far from the dining room.
• Letting the dirty return route cross the hot line.
• Too little refrigeration at the stations.
• Heat equipment spread across walls, making the canopy larger and more expensive.
• Forgetting hand-wash basins at each food handling area.
• Exits blocked by storage or equipment.

Check your plan against the rules

In the UK, the Environmental Health Officer will look at hand-wash provision, cleanable surfaces, ventilation and waste (EHO checklist). In the US, most jurisdictions run a health department plan review before construction. Fire and building rules also apply.

Plan it before you sign

If you are a restaurant owner, testing a floor plan before signing a lease helps you avoid a unit that cannot hold your kitchen. Plan your restaurant kitchen from a brief or an existing floor plan and review a measured layout, matching 3D view and equipment list. Compare plans and pricing when you are ready to go further. Concepts are advisory and should be reviewed by qualified professionals.