How-To: Making the Most of Your Kitchen Space

At the heart of Asia’s burgeoning economic growth is Singapore, leading the charge for economic and commercial advancement in the region. Yet, Singapore’s progression as a centre for commerce is a double-edged sword, bringing with it a unique challenge for entrepreneurs raring to invest in businesses: the lack of space.

With slightly under 3 million square feet of business space concentrated in the CBD and Grade A buildings, finding an ideal spot for business in Singapore is one of the most difficult and competitive endeavours. The demand for commercial space in the city shoots up at an annual rate of nearly 30 per cent, resulting in the availability of luxurious space for your restaurant shrinking with each passing day.

Consequently, your options are either to contend with a smaller restaurant space or pay more for a bigger space. Whichever the case, it pays to learn how to make the most of your restaurant kitchen space.

Here’s how you can make that happen.

Consult the Experts

Source: Pexels

You may have a clear picture of what you want in your kitchen and where you want it, but even if you’re Singapore’s star chef in Singapore, it’s always best to consult a commercial kitchen designer. Working with a designer to plan the outlay of your kitchen means that you can combine your expertise with their skills for an ideal result.

It’s important to get a professional designer because unlike you (the chef or catering business owner), designers often work with multiple businesses in the industry including Singapore’s catering equipment suppliers and manufacturers. They'd consider functionality, necessity, and frequency of use when planning the layout and add a host of other design aspects you wouldn’t have thought of if you had gone solo.

Get the Right Equipment

Source: Unsplash

Speaking of commercial kitchen equipment suppliers in Singapore, you need to liaise with your suppliers for the most appropriate equipment. While all restaurants have their own unique dishes and thus, different equipment needs, there are certain things you can’t do without, such as commercial refrigerators, kitchen work tables, food carriers, ovens, and dishwashers.

For specialized kitchen equipment, go for appliances that are mobile as much as possible to accommodate different layouts. Also, when space is tight, make the most of it by purchasing multi-functional appliances. For example, a combination steamer can reduce the need for kitchen square footage by 30 per cent; a multi-purpose cooking centre does not just make life easier by cooking multiple dishes by the touch of a button, it also saves on the amount of electricity used.

Think Creatively

Source: Pexels

Creative thinking applies to appliances as well as for storage. Think vertically, think shelves on wheels, and think mobile appliances. If your kitchen walls have open space, they can be converted into perfect spaces to store utensils such as spatulas, hand mixers as well as many other hand driven appliances. Also, since some foods are seasonal, find a way to arrange it so that the cooking equipment for these particular foods is also seasonal.

Have a chat with the leading commercial kitchen equipment suppliers in Singapore for tips on how to access mobile catering equipment in Singapore.

Training Your Staff

Source: Unsplash

The above steps will help you optimise the space you have in the Kitchen. However, if the staff don't know how to work with the new equipment or can’t optimise the layout, you won’t be able to achieve productivity. Kitchen staff should be able to adapt to different kinds of layouts and cooking requirements, and should also be taught about the safety of handling the equipment.

So, take the time to train staff. Alternatively, you can arrange for a rep from your preferred commercial kitchen equipment suppliers in Singapore to visit your shop and train your staff on care, and maximising the space available.