Foodservice Education and Training

Start with the Menu Do you want to serve fancy French or cater a range of cuisines? The menu you create, your cooking techniques and the number of people you want to be able to serve will determine the type of space, equipment and refrigeration facilities you’ll need.

I recommend:  Sites like All Food Business and Foodservice411 will help you research and define your restaurant or catering business.

Plan Ahead Work flow patterns are important to consider when creating your commercial kitchen. You’ll need to think about the number of people in the kitchen, the amount of space available, and where preparation, storage, cleaning and cooking stations are set up to make sure the food production process is smooth and safe.

I recommend:  Software packages that allow you to create layouts like SmartDraw, which has different commercial kitchen layouts and Plan3D can be helpful in the planning process.

Hire a designer Creating a kitchen for your business can be overwhelming. Hiring an expert to help you figure out what you need, purchase equipment, and install your kitchen may save you money in the long run.

I recommend:  Using organizations like Food Service Consultants International and the American Restaurant Association to help you to find reputable companies that other business owners have used.

Get Equipped Once you’ve figured out what type of equipment you’ll need and how much, it’s time to get quotes from equipment suppliers.

I recommend:  Many suppliers are one-stop shops like Kitchen Consultants, Surfas and E. Friedman’s C Kitchen, which supply everything from kitchen designers to cutlery. If you’re short on cash, discounters like ACityDiscount, Tundra Specialties and Food Service Direct are places where you can get good appliances for less. Or joining an alliance like Short Order allows you to align with other small businesses and harness your group buying power to get better pricing. Organizations like the National Restaurant Association are a good bet to get recommendations for reputable vendors of new and reusable equipment.