Real estate comes at a premium, and not just in the housing market. For club and resort chefs who must make every square foot count, designing a kitchen for maximum efficiency is essential. Whether it’s an opportunity to keep pace with an expanded dining operation, a kitchen that has outgrown its usefulness or a main kitchen whose last update was nearly 80 years ago, chefs share their space-saving strategies in their newly redesigned facilities.
A Rose in the Desert
The kitchen at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club in Phoenix is satisfying the appetites of hungry members and guests. It’s all because of a new clubhouse that opened its doors this past May and unveiled the Adobe Bar & Grille, along with a new kitchen, to service its burgeoning clientele. Now that the restaurant is open to the public, the culinary team must balance its banquet service with a la carte dining seven days a week—and that means taking advantage of every cooktop, countertop and corner imaginable.
The 1,800-square-foot kitchen has become a veritable workhorse for Executive Chef Jacob Ellis and his team. He credits this major upgrade not only for being well-equipped to handle increased demand, but to serve new and returning guests in a comfortable, yet luxurious fashion.
“We wanted to showcase the sophistication of the club in a new light reflecting our vision,” he explains of the recent renovation.
To truly maximize the space and accommodate a sizable crew, Ellis collaborated with designers to create what he describes as a brigade-style workflow. A larger, open-back kitchen allows staff to concentrate on catering, while new equipment helps define key work zones and create order in a busy environment. “We can designate appropriate stations and delineate tasks flowing from vegetables to proteins and plating,” he notes. Other key highlights include a medium-sized deck oven, which is used for the club’s new pizza program and to char vegetables for dinner prep, as well as a combi oven that is well-serviced for mise en place and banquets.
Storage concerns in Ellis’ kitchen have not been overlooked; a new layout enables line cooling all the way through via prep decks and under-counter shelving. “This means we are always able to be proactive when specials and substitutions come our way,” he says, adding that above and under prep spaces are essential for curbing clutter and giving teammates their space. Since the new kitchen opening, overall ticket times have decreased by 20 percent.
Functionality First
The holidays are bound to be a bit merrier this year at Bull’s Bridge Golf Club where a new kitchen will be serving a bustling dining room. Prompted by strong 2020 and 2021 membership sales and the promise of unrelenting member interest, the South Kent, Conn.-based club scheduled a facility-wide upgrade, including a new kitchen, which reopens this fall.
A major boost from the original 12’ x 14’ space, the expanded culinary space will nearly double in size at 22’ x 25’, which comes with tremendous advantages. “This upgrade not only addresses demand, but also enhances efficiency and functionality,” says Executive Chef David Breton. “The expanded area allows for improved food safety, increased in-house production capabilities and greater culinary creativity.”
Breton worked with a design consultant and project architect to establish a floor plan that prioritized workflow, while balancing the inclusion of new equipment. A 24-foot ceiling-hung service counter, outfitted with integrated heat lamps, establishes a central station that maximizes the workspace and reduces any unnecessary movement among kitchen staff.
In order to enhance overall performance and increase output, a slew of new machinery has been incorporated into the layout. Featured equipment includes a 24-foot line with two-door convection oven, dedicated seafood fryer, 10-burner stove with two ovens, chargrill and a flat-top with built-in refrigeration. Two large fryers with a floor drawer-freezer, three-bay steam table, 16-item bain-marie and dual worktables (one with refrigeration and one with a freezer) round out the equipment list.
For clubs that are planning a kitchen redesign for the sake of enhanced productivity, Breton recommends focusing on two key areas: optimizing space utilization and minimizing cross-contamination risks.
“A well-thought-out layout is crucial for efficiency, even in compact areas,” he says. “Prioritize effective organization, modular equipment and streamlined workflows to make the most of limited space and meet evolving culinary demands.”
Energized by Efficiency
The idea of a well-humming kitchen operation arguably had a different meaning back in 1947—the last time the main kitchen in The Detroit Athletic Club underwent a significant renovation. Not only has technology since emerged and membership blossomed, but the original culinary space was well past its prime. “As the club continued to elevate itself, we knew we needed to pause and get better equipped for the many different things evolving with food and beverage,” says Executive Chef Shawn Loving, CMC.
Loving and his team took a hard look at their equipment to see what was no longer fully functional. Designers then visited the club to gain a better understanding of basic operations. “They watched the flow, the stewarding, the culinarians, the breakdown process,” explains Loving.
After back-and-forth collaboration, Zoom calls and a follow-up walk through, Loving was ready to present a well-tweaked design to the board of directors for approval.
“I didn’t just design it for my own needs; I tried to make sure that attention was paid to everything that veteran staff who predate me were passionate about,” says Loving of the final design’s team effort.
By focusing on efficiencies, the game plan was to strategize on what equipment updates would be most sensible. An original combi oven, with lowboy convection ovens down the line, was replaced with combi ovens that can handle either 100-percent steam or 50-percent steam and 50-percent dry heat. Because the ovens are enhanced with digital technology, recipes can be embedded into the screens and panel boards, simplifying the cooking process. Clean-up has also been improved, thanks to an industrial-sized pot and pan machine.
In terms of storage, the redesign concentrated on up cabinetry as opposed to lower-level positioning. Islands with shelving units can hold hotel pans or sheet trays in grooved slots. Refrigerators underneath the islands now serve as storage units in lieu of walk-ins. In addition, a former 18-foot hotline has been bumped up to 36 feet and can accommodate three plates instead of two.
At the end of the day, the kitchen layout is a testament to Loving’s willingness to incorporate input from his staff. He recommends that chefs looking to overhaul their kitchens take their team’s opinions into consideration.
“If I had said, ‘It’s my way,’ as a chef, I would probably fail,” says Loving. “I have some sharp people. Engage your staff; they are silent experts.”