How to Run a Commercial Kitchen

Provisioning 

You can’t cook food if you don’t have ingredients. But if you stock too many ingredients, they’ll start to go bad before you can use them. Creating a weekly or daily ordering schedule is the first step to optimizing your provisions. 

Consider these things when setting up an ordering schedule: 

• Restaurant hours 

• Covers 

• Menu items 

• Different service menus 

Once you take inventory of what you need you’ll be able to adjust the schedule or the volume of order. Over time you’ll want to learn how you can stretch your resources. For example, used cooking oil can be filtered and used for longer than most people realize. 

When it comes to purchasing commercial kitchen equipment, consider what dishes your kitchen will be serving up. Most cooking equipment is standard. Things like ovens, stoves, and fryers are found in almost every kitchen. Consider if you need something special like a pizza oven or a smoker.  

Food storage should also be considered. Will you need a walk-in freezer or do you need more space for dry storage? Kitchen layout is also very important so plan according to your needs, and don’t forget to include ample space for prep stations. 

Staffing 

Your restaurant can only be as good as your staff. Managing your people well will benefit everyone involved in your restaurant.  

Finding the balance of how much staff you need is a difficult task. If you regularly overstaff, your kitchen will be too crowded. If you regularly understaff, your workers will become overworked and unhappy. 

Think about what you realistically need to run the line at any time of day. What time of day or day of the week is busier or slower? Will you need more help for dinner? Sunday brunch? Break your kitchen up into stations and schedule someone for each station.  

Find Your Routine 

No one appreciates an inconsistent schedule. Finding what works best for your commercial kitchen might take time. 

You should consider:  

• When to order food 

• When to create the schedule 

• How long prep will take 

• What can happen before open vs. on-shift 

Don’t Forget the Cleaning Schedule! 

The least glamorous part of running a kitchen is keeping it clean. Many cooks have a sense of pride in keeping their space clean. Keeping a daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedule will help your restaurant be food-safe at all times. 

You don’t want your dishwashers and line cooks to stay for hours after closing. Instead, create daily cleaning checklists that can be done before shift changes and throughout the day. 

Some tasks won't have to be done as often as others. Keep a master schedule for anything that has to be done quarterly, bi-annually, or annually. Don’t keep track of these tasks only in your head—write them down! 

Get Outside Help When Necessary 

There is already so much that goes into running a restaurant. Just finding time to clean can be difficult and can sometimes put a wrench in the food prep. Partnering with an outside organization to handle certain needs is a great way to free up more time for running a kitchen. 

For things like used cooking oil, partner with Darling Ingredients Canada. Transporting used cooking oil by hand and dealing with it yourself is not always an easy task. Luckily, our used cooking oil systems make getting oil from the fryer to the container easy, safe, and spill-free. 

We’ll not only set you up with an industry-leading storage system, but we’ll also set up a collection service with you so you won't have to worry about your used cooking oil once it leaves your fryer. 

If you’re using a laundry service for your towels, aprons, and linens. Think of Darling Ingredients Canada like that. We take big projects off of your hands so you can do the things that matter most. 

Trust Your Employees 

This might be your first time running a commercial kitchen, or you’re running a different type of restaurant kitchen than you’re used to. However, there’s a good chance your staff members have experience.  

Trusting your employees will only benefit your restaurant's business. If they have ideas, listen to them. 

Find Your Generals 

Running a kitchen takes a team. Don’t rely on yourself to do everything. Being an executive chef is known for its long hours, but finding ways to get away from the restaurant will benefit you in the long run.  

Find people on your staff who can take care of things while you’re gone. General manager, shift leads, and managers are all positions you should fill in. Kitchens, as well as the front of house, should have their leaders. 

It’s up to you to decide how much decision power your managers will have, but they should be able to make some decisions that directly affect the service if you’re not there. 

Respect Everyone 

Creating a culture of respect in your restaurant will benefit every aspect of your business. Treat each of your employees with respect. Make sure your servers know the dishwashers. Creating a familial bond will only make your service better. 

Creating a place where your staff can all work together happily will create a much better dining experience for your customers. Be patient with staff who don’t know your menu or kitchen as well as you. Remember, you’re not on Hell’s Kitchen, and you’re not Gordan Ramsay.  

Darling Canada Has Your Kitchen Management Solutions 

Running a commercial kitchen may be intimidating, but with the right planning, you can do it. Ask for help when you need it, partner with the right outside organizations, and rely on your staff. 

For used cooking oil services, partner with Darling Ingredients Canada, and take yet another task off your plate. We can give you an environmentally friendly leg up on the competition.