Kitchen Design

Good commercial kitchen design and layout is the difference between a service that flows and a service that fights itself. Before a single bench is bolted down, the way you arrange your zones decides how far your staff walk, how fast food moves to the pass, and how safely your team operates under pressure. This hub brings together our practical guides on planning, fitting out, and future-proofing a hospitality or food service kitchen.

Why layout matters before equipment

Layout comes first; equipment fits the layout. A well-planned kitchen delivers:

• Faster ticket times — less walking, fewer collisions.
• Better food safety — clean and dirty zones kept apart.
• Lower labour strain — efficient movement reduces fatigue.
• Easier compliance — ventilation, drainage and hygiene built in.
• Longer equipment life — gear placed correctly runs cooler and cleaner.

The five workflow zones

1. Delivery and storage — goods-in, dry store, cool room, freezer.

2. Preparation — washing, peeling, portioning, cold prep.

3. Cooking — ranges, ovens, fryers, grills, the hot line.

4. Service and pass — plating and handoff to front-of-house.

5. Warewashing — dish and pot wash, with a dirty-returns path that never crosses clean food.

Arrange them so food moves one direction — delivery → storage → prep → cook → pass → wash — without backtracking.

The work triangle for foodservice

In a professional kitchen, manage the relationship between storage, preparation, and cooking for a whole brigade at once:

• Keep refrigeration within a step or two of the prep bench.
• Place the cook line where prepped product passes straight onto it.
• Make sure two or three staff can work the triangle without blocking each other.

Designing for small commercial kitchens

• Build up, not out. Use wall-mounted commercial shelving.
• Choose multi-function gear.
• Specify the right bench depth. Match commercial kitchen benches to the aisle width you can spare.
• Keep aisles workable for staff to pass and oven doors to open fully.
• Mount sinks smartly. Compact commercial stainless steel sinks fit corners and short runs.

Ventilation and compliance considerations

• Canopy coverage. Your commercial exhaust canopys must extend over all heat- and grease-producing equipment.
• Make-up air. Balance extraction with fresh air so the kitchen doesn't run negative.
• Drainage and hygiene. Floor wastes, coving and washable surfaces need designing in early.
• Clearances and access for cleaning and servicing.

Local council and food authority requirements vary by state and venue — confirm specifics with your certifier or building surveyor.

Choosing durable stainless steel fit-out

• Benches — commercial kitchen benches, with or without undershelves and splashbacks.
• Shelving — commercial shelving keeps storage off the floor.
• Sinks — commercial stainless steel sinks for prep, hand-washing and pot-wash.
• Extraction — commercial exhaust canopys in stainless.

Specify commercial-grade gauge and finish, not lightweight substitutes.

Plan before you buy

• Draw the floor plan to scale, including doors, windows, services and aisle widths.
• Map the workflow first, then place equipment into the zones it supports.
• Confirm services — power, gas, water and waste — reach where each appliance sits.
• Measure access routes so every piece can be delivered into the room.
• Leave room to grow.

Everything is backed by our Lowest Price Guaranteed promise, and for projects where finance helps, we work with SilverChef.

Talk to our commercial kitchen team. Call 1300 000 927 or visit 151 Parramatta Road, Granville NSW 2142. Browse more guides in our Knowledge Hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important principle in commercial kitchen design and layout?

Workflow comes first. Arrange your space so food moves one direction — delivery → storage → prep → cook → pass → wash — without backtracking or clean and dirty zones crossing. Equipment is fitted to that flow.

How do you design a small commercial kitchen?

Choose well and build vertically. Use wall-mounted shelving, specify multi-function and correctly sized equipment, and keep aisles wide enough for staff to pass and oven doors to open fully.

Where should the exhaust canopy go in a commercial kitchen?

Over all heat- and grease-producing equipment on the cook line, with the correct overhang, sized to the equipment beneath it. Plan ventilation early — it shapes the layout. Confirm extraction and make-up air requirements with your certifier.

Why is stainless steel the standard for commercial kitchen fit-out?

It resists corrosion, withstands heavy daily cleaning, meets hygiene requirements, and lasts under constant commercial use.