3 Ways to Maximize Space in Your Restaurant Kitchen

Chances are your restaurant kitchen is not getting any bigger. In fact, it may be shrinking in order to accommodate new takeout areas, kiosks or more seats for customers.

Every restaurant layout will depend on square footage, design limitations and even corporate mandates, but regardless of your situation, here are some ways to maximize space in your kitchen.

Adopt Versatile and Small Footprint Equipment

One of the most clear-cut ways to maximize kitchen space is to use equipment that takes up less room. Whether choosing equipment that better uses vertical space or selecting versatile countertop pieces that free up prep areas, equipment with a small footprint is key.

How to save space with Antunes

The Antunes VCTM-2 toaster offers the speed and flexibility of the VCT’s high-performance toasting combined with a compact footprint. Designed to fit into tighter kitchen configurations, it offers a 60% smaller footprint than the standard model. The VCTM-2’s space-saving vertical design features dual-sided platen, two toasting lanes and a toast time of just 15 seconds so it can quickly serve fresh products to customers.

With a footprint smaller than any other available Egg Station and with interchangeable egg rack configurations, Antunes’ Egg Station Mini allows operators to quickly serve fresh, made-to-order eggs for menu items in any daypart while requiring very little additional space in the kitchen.

Replace Traditional-Use Cooking Surfaces Like Grills and Stovetops

If you can eliminate the need for large kitchen surfaces — or free them up for more efficient use — you’re not only saving space, but time as well. With smaller and faster equipment, restaurant operators can keep kitchens running smoothly and focus more on their customers.

How to make replacements with Antunes

An alternative to cooking on stovetops, the two-compartment Rapid Steamer makes it easy to prepare individual portions of made-to-order menu items. It allows for superior food quality and greater efficiency compared to alternative cooking methods — all within a compact footprint. See how quickly pasta, vegetables, proteins and other ingredients can be ready to serve with this Rapid Steamer Steaming Guide.

There’s no need to take up room heating pitas, tortillas or other flatbreads on a grill with the addition of an Antunes Flatbread Toaster (GST-1H). With its front-load and front-return design, the GST-1H easily fits into any kitchen configuration, and it quickly heats all types of flatbreads — and even raw tortillas — on demand in seconds.

Bring Equipment Front-of-House

Need more room for kitchen equipment? Consider taking it out of the kitchen! Depending on the kitchen workflow, high-quality countertop cooking units could be moved to behind the counter of a quick-service or fast casual restaurant.

How to move equipment forward with Antunes

Antunes’ Jet Steamer not only makes it easy to efficiently prepare small portions of a wide range of menu items, but its steaming method can be attractive theatre to customers receiving individual made-to-order meals. With a Jet Steamer on the front counter, operators can precisely steam foods with the push of a button and efficiently serve customers.

Rethinking your kitchen layout and equipment selection may free up needed back-of-house space and create efficiencies that benefit your restaurant in the long run.

See how one Italian restaurant was able to make service more efficient and better use available space without compromising menu quality in this case study: Saving Space and Enhancing Plates with the Rapid Steamer.