Frequently Asked Questions Q1. What is a Commercial Kitchen? A commercial kitchen is a well-furnished, ready-to-use kitchen that is rented out and shared by others. They are called by various names such as culinary kitchen, shared kitchen, community kitchen, kitchen incubators, food innovation centres, accelerators or food hubs. There is a lot of vital information available about commercial kitchens. To avoid any sort of puzzlement and to get all the necessary information to help you understand it better, you may talk to Nitin Tandon, one of the best commercial kitchen consultants for Chennai. Q2.Why use a commercial kitchen? A commercial kitchen is shared by people and hence is extremely cost-effective. It is built according to the needs and requirements of the people of the locality to suit them. Commercial kitchens provide all the equipment one may need. It has preparation surfaces best suited for commercial food production. Everything that one may need is prepared and ready to use, while the only job you have to do is focus and prepare food. When you go to buy your restaurant or rent a place, the duty of maintaining it falls on you. From arranging the equipment, completing payments on utilities to bearing the cost of repairs is your responsibility. It will also require proper licensing for cooking which is also a time-consuming process. By choosing a commercial kitchen, many of these duties are removed from your list, saving both time and money. Commercial kitchens are apt for ghost restaurants as they provide the required food without a restaurant space. It is also a great option for food truck businesses that need further preparations. Some commercial kitchens also have the facility of providing waste disposal from food trucks and supplying fresh water for use. Are you looking for commercial kitchen consultants in Chennai? You may want to connect with Nitin Tandon, widely recognised as one of the best kitchen consultants in Chennai. What are the general requirements for commercial kitchens? While looking for a commercial kitchen that fulfils all your needs, the services may vary from place to place. Here is a list of requirements which it must fulfil- Any chemical used for cleaning out other purposes should be stored away from the food storage in a separate place. The refrigeration and freezing equipment should be maintained at the optimum temperature and pass the inspection test. Cooking surfaces and floors must be made of non-porous material, which is smooth and easy to clean, ensuring proper maintenance. The cooking counters should be made of stainless steel. Clean water supply is essential; Gas hookups should pass the inspection exam. The washroom for staff use should be non-porous floors and have proper hand wash stations to maintain hygiene. Three sinks should be available- for staff use, cleaning/ mops and food washing and preparation. Everyone involved in the cooking process should have a licence. Although it is a rented kitchen, still you will be responsible for some regulations. It depends on the local guidelines. As the owner of a commercial kitchen used by several restaurants or food businesses, you may have additional necessities depending on the local guidelines. You may benefit by seeking help from Nitin Tandon, one of the most sought after commercial kitchen consultants for Chennai. What are the equipment requirements for a commercial kitchen? If you're looking to open a commercial kitchen, it would be a lot of work. It will need several licences and proper types of equipment that pass the inspection test. Here is a list of the minimum pieces of equipment needed- Three sinks - There are different sinks for different purposes to ensure hygiene maintenance. They are each used for handwashing, cleaning and food preparation separately. Refrigerator and freezers- Good quality refrigerators should be used to ensure that the ingredients and food kept in it is safe and fresh. It also depends on the type of restaurant using it. For instance, a smoothie and shakes restaurant would need a better and bigger refrigerator for use. Cooking equipment- It depends on the type of restaurant operating in the kitchen. The essential equipment include-range, oven, holding equipment, grill, deep fryer griddle, broiler/salamander, toaster, microwave, etc. Storage containers- All the prepared food and sauces should be kept in containers with closed lids. Tape or labels- It is used to write and label all the food items and the date till which it is suitable to use it. Smallwares- It includes spoons, forks, pots, pans, chopping boards, dishes and all other cooking utensils. Dishwasher- The equipment should meet the local requirements. Janitorial equipment- Keeping the place clean where food is prepared is necessary. Cleaning equipment like mops, vacuum cleaners, dustpans, wet floor signboards, trash cans, recycle bins, cleaning buckets, towels, etc., should be provided. Depending on the type of business using the kitchen, the following equipment might be needed- Beverage equipment- Ice, machine, coffee dispenser, beverage dispenser is needed for a beverage business. Shelving- It is needed to properly use the space in and out of the refrigerator. Food processors- They decrease the preparation time by cutting, chopping and slicing work. Mixers- Large mixers generally for the baking industry. Spice grinders- To get the essence of freshly ground spices. Blenders and racks- Both of these are basic requirements. Racks help in organising the kitchen and help in using the maximum area. You may benefit from hiring a consultant if you are looking forward to introducing a commercial kitchen. Call and schedule an appointment with Nitin Tandon, one of the top commercial kitchen consultants for Chennai. What are the space requirements for a commercial kitchen? The space available will be used to organise the kitchen space, layout of the kitchen and ensure the safety of the place. Again, make sure to check with the local guidelines for information specific to that location. The basic requirements include- Cleaning and Washing - All the cleaning products should be stored in a separate place to maintain hygiene and avoid food contamination. Storage- Dry food, cold food and non-food items should be kept separately. Food preparation- The food preparation table should have a sink for washing and cleaning ingredients. There should be enough space available for chopping, mincing and dressings. The storage area should be around the table to ensure ease in the workflow. Cooking area- It is where food is prepared with love and magic. Finishing- It is where food is plated to serve and packed for takeaways. The place should keep the food warm till it is sent out to the customers. There are some requirements by the state for the minimum area of the kitchen to ensure easy physical movements. In addition, it will be regularly checked by the state as it ensures fire safety. Connect with kitchen consultants in Chennai for more information. Alternatively, you may call Nitin Tandon. Menu designing suggestions to get higher order value Menu engineering is a lengthy but critical procedure. Still, here, for your ease, we have summarised seven golden rules which would lure your customers into ordering and spending more in your restaurant: Advertise your high-profit items more often The most profitable item of your restaurant is the one that can be prepared at minimal cost, require less preparation time and can be sold at a higher price. Therefore, to grab more attention from the customers, it should be highlighted in the menu or be listed under daily or weekly special items to get more engagement. Furthermore, it can be listed under the 'chef's special' segment to attract more customers towards it. The technique of relative privation The most important factor while designing the menu is understanding your customer's psychology. Therefore, menu engineering is a crucial part of restaurant management. For example, the customers tend to order a low-priced item next to an expensive item. Hence, you can place and highlight your low priced yet most profitable item next to an expensive dish that compliments it. In this way, the more expensive dish is highlighted by, the less expensive one, increasing the order value from the customer's end. Maintain the size of your menu A long menu with a variety of choices and multiple cuisines can confuse the customers while making a choice. Try to make your menu on some specific cuisine lines and decrease the number of items on your menu. It would also help to decrease the number of ingredients required, help in higher management efficiency, thus lesser preparation time and better service to the customer. It also helps your customer make faster decisions. To get an edge over your competitors, you can add local specialities to your menu as per the season and availability. It isn't easy to have an inventory of raw materials required for multiple cuisines. Hence, it is better to have dishes that have similar ingredients. In addition, it helps in reducing wastage and preparation time. To decrease the customer's waiting time, you must prepare the bases like the gravy in advance, which can be used in several dishes. Organise the menu The layout of your menu should be clear and crisp. You can make different sections to categorise the available items. You may also create boxes or use lines to define separate categories such as pizzas, beverages, sweets, etc., and use an aesthetic yet bold and visible font. Your menu should be along the theme and design of your restaurant. It will help create an instant connection between your menu's look, restaurant and the type of food you are looking to serve. However, make sure not to add too many graphical designs as it can take the attention away from the primary purpose of the menu and make it look cluttered. Provide descriptions Providing a description is really helpful for the customers who are new to some dishes. For example, the exotic dishes need a small description for the customer to decide what it contains and whether they would like to order them or not. You can also insert small images of the dishes, but they should match the actual dish to avoid any high expectations. Thus, write a small, engaging note for the customers to understand the flavours of the dish. Update the menu from time to time It is important to keep updating the menu frequently. You can use menu performance results to see which items on your menu are not getting many orders. You can either modify them or remove them from the menu. It would also help you understand the highest selling item which is most loved by the customers. You can modify the menu by trying out some new combinations to see how it works with the customers. Revamp your menu Add some new flavours to the items in your menu from time to time. Then, try out new combinations with the existing ones. For example: Instead of the usual kheer, you can serve Bengali Payesh. It would instantly build a connection with the locals of those regions as well as attract others to try out something new. Your menu is the first step of interaction with the customer. It is not only a piece of paper with all the items listed but represents your brand. Make a visually aesthetic menu to increase sales. You can use apps like Canva for menu designing. Restaurant management software would be a helping hand in menu engineering. Try to include the seasonal and festivities special to ensure your customers keep coming back. If you want to understand the different aspects of building a restaurant, you may get in touch with Nitin Tandon, a well-known restaurant consultant in Chennai. As one of the top food consultants in Chennai, he has transformed many business ideas into reality and positive sales figures. So get in touch and book an appointment with an excellent restaurant consultant in Chennai like Mr. Tandon today. Menu designing Your restaurant's menu should be clear and attractive, like a crystal. So we have gathered together the seven of the best ways through which you can lure the customer to spend more: ●Highlight your specialities: The speciality of your restaurant should be an item that can be prepared with the least effort and minimal-priced ingredients and is yet worthy enough to be one of the most popular dishes on your menu. The targeted dish should be present in everyday chef's specials to catch the customers' attention. Furthermore, it can be highlighted in the menu card too. You can add it to the list of chefs' favourites to make it more appealing. ●Relative pricing: While placing an order, the price of the dish is a deciding factor. You need to understand the psychology of the patient to secure bigger orders. Designing a menu to get maximum profit is known as menu engineering. It is an important part of restaurant management. Customers tend to order low priced dishes more than expensive ones. The high priced dishes complement a low priced, profitable dish with it. In this way, highlight your high priced dishes with the inexpensive ones, which would increase the number of items ordered. ●Make the menu short and crisp: A long menu featuring multiple cuisines and specialities can confuse your customer. Try to keep the menu within a few specific cuisines. It would decrease the menu size and the number of ingredients required, increase the productivity of the team cook and present it in a better way. From the customer's point of view, it would help in the easy selection. To get an edge over your competitors, you should have special local dishes. If the menu includes multiple cuisines, it will make it challenging to maintain the ingredients inventory. However, if you have dishes that can be prepared with the same raw material, it would save the wastage of ingredients, time and space. In addition, to decrease customer waiting time, keeping the gravy ready beforehand is suggested, which can help in quick preparation. ●Create a structured menu: The menu of your restaurant should be organised. Have different sections of appetisers, main course, drinks, pizzas/pasta, desserts, etc. and provide your customers with more clear-cut options. Moreover, the menu's font should be bold, clearly visible and attractive. The theme of your menu should reflect the overall aesthetics of your restaurant. You can prepare a menu around the cuisine and ambience of your restaurant such that they feel connected. Be careful while adding graphics, as they can take away attention from the real purpose of the menu. ●Provide the description: Many customers might be new to the dish you are offering. In such cases, a short description of what the dish is made of would help them figure out if they want to order it or not. Further, you can add a small image of the dish, but make sure it resembles the actual dish. Again, make the description short and easy to understand without much exaggeration. ●Update your menu: Do not forget to update the menu from time to time. As the seasons change, you should update the menu to include more seasonal items in your menu. You can use the data from your menu performance reports to see which items are not working well and modify or remove them accordingly. It would also help you find the customer's favourite dish from your menu. As per the report, you can change the existing dishes making them more customer-centric. ●Revamp your dishes: Give your dishes a new flavour by modifying and trying new combinations. Experiment with new flavours and ingredients. For instance, instead of serving the regular kheer, you can serve a Bengali Payesh. It would attract Bengali customers, and also other customers would want to try out a new thing. At the end of the day, remember that your menu is the first step of communication with the customers. An aesthetic and organised menu would help you get more orders, increasing sales. You can create a designer menu using tools like Canva. Also, Restaurant Management Software can be of great help in menu engineering. The purpose of menu engineering is to keep the higher sales-driving dishes at the top. With diversity, try to blend in seasonal and festival special items in your menu to keep your customers coming back. Also, maintain your online order menu to get more online orders. Are you looking for a cafe or restaurant consultant in Chennai? In that case, you may consult with Nitin Tandon. He is one of the top restaurant consultants in Chennai and has an enriching experience in turning the clients' imagination into reality. His dedication to the culinary field and attention to detail are just some of the reasons behind his recognition among the best restaurant consultants in Chennai.