Efficient Restaurant Kitchen Design and Layout Tips

Minko emphasizes designing the kitchen layout first to avoid significant setbacks in restaurant efficiency.

### Efficient Restaurant Layout: Key Design and Construction Tips
* 👋 Minko introduces the continuation of restaurant layout discussions, emphasizing the **importance of effective interior design** to **avoid setbacks**.
* 🍽 Before starting the interior design, it’s crucial to **draft the kitchen layout first**, as miscalculating space can lead to **significant operational issues**.
* 📏 The recommended minimum kitchen width is **1900 mm**, with **2000 mm** being ideal for better functionality, as even **10 cm** can impact space availability in small establishments.
* 🪑 For seating arrangements, a standard of **10 pyeong** can accommodate up to **12 seats**, but in larger spaces, a formula of multiplying the area by **1.3 to 2.0** is recommended for comfort.
* Minko stresses the importance of installing multiple sinks in the kitchen, including a **main cooking sink**, a **dishwashing sink**, and a **prep sink**, to **enhance workflow and efficiency**.
* ⚡ Electrical capacity is critical; restaurants should aim for at least **10 kilowatts** to support appliances, especially in hot environments where **air conditioning needs are higher**.
* 💧 Waterproofing in kitchens is essential, with a focus on **maintaining a slight slope for drainage** to prevent fatigue and ensure proper cleaning.
* 🛠 Lastly, Minko advises that gas installation should occur **after kitchen fixtures are in place** to avoid **misalignment and inefficiencies during operation**.

10 centimeters to the side, right? In summer, it becomes unbearable. Hello, this is Minko. Nice to meet you. Today, I would like to continue the second part of our discussion on how to create an efficient layout for a restaurant. Last time, I briefly mentioned some important points to consider during the interior design process. If these aspects are overlooked, it can lead to significant setbacks for the restaurant.

I often discuss this when I provide consulting for restaurants. I would like to share a few key points to keep in mind. Before starting the interior design, you need to draft the kitchen layout first. Why is that? Typically, restaurant spaces are small. When designing the interior first and then trying to layout the kitchen, the length may not matter as much. However, if you miscalculate the space in the front and back areas, it can lead to serious issues.

Running a business is very challenging. The width is extremely important, so I design the kitchen first. Then, how do I design the kitchen? I usually advise to set the width at 1900 mm. I always say that the minimum width should be 1900 mm, but I often design it at 2000 mm. This leaves a margin of 100 mm. Of course, having more space in the kitchen is beneficial, but there are cases where a table cannot fit because of a lack of 10 cm or 100 mm. In small establishments, these 10 cm can make a difference. Therefore, you should design the kitchen first, ensuring that the width is at least 150 cm. If the width is 1900 mm, the workbench is usually about 700 mm wide. This leaves a space of 1200 mm behind. With about 30 cm available for something at the back, the minimum usable space is 1000 mm. The minimum width is 1900 mm, and the next increment is 2500 mm.

If you put in 2,500, you'll have 700 in front and 700 in the back. So, how much is left? 1,200 is left, right? It seems like 1,200 is ample, but in reality, it’s not that spacious. No matter how tightly you pack things, there could be a meter or a counter in the kitchen. Therefore, things might encroach a bit inward. So usually, you leave 1,200, but in practice, it turns out that about 1,000 is what remains. If you want to be on the safe side, then around 1,900 would be appropriate. As I mentioned, with 700 in the front and about 200 to 300 in the back, that leaves space for a shelf. That’s 1, so with 1, it means there's a space of 900 to move around. That’s a pretty tight space to maneuver. So, the first measurement is 1,900. The second measurement is 2,500, which includes the workbench or refrigerator in the front and back, and then the island and the workspace, plus the corridor.

When a work table is placed in the middle and a refrigerator is at the back, there are two passageways that emerge. In such cases, 3600 is the basic measurement. This is quite tight. When you are designing a kitchen, it's most efficient to create it in minimum increments of 1900, then 2000, and finally 3600. Please remember this. 

Now, let me explain how to determine the number of seats. Typically, based on a standard of 10 pyeong, you can actually have up to 12 seats. However, this is when there is almost no setting bar. Once the kitchen is built, a setting bar usually appears, and the layout can accommodate about 12 seats. It can be very tight, but you can also fit up to 16. 

For spaces larger than 20 pyeong, the calculation is usually done by multiplying the area by a factor ranging from 1.3 to 2.0, ensuring a comfortable arrangement.

This is the official formula I created. As the number increases to 2.0, the comfort index decreases. This means it becomes less comfortable as the number of seats increases. In the case of snack bars that are around 20 to 30 pyeong, multiplying by 2.0 gives the number of seats. So, for a 30 pyeong space, you get about 60 seats, which is quite a lot. It makes the space very cramped. In the hall, there are about 500 two-person tables facing each other. Snack bars can be that tight. In this case, it would be about 60 degrees, making it extremely tight. However, when it's 1.3, in the case of restaurants, it is a bit more comfortable. For spaces under 30 pyeong, 1.3 gives about 36 seats, which means there are only nine four-person tables. It's a bit cramped there too. So, when calculating the number of seats, you can use that multiplication. In fact, I...

Since it was made, this can vary somewhat depending on the concept and the menu, but generally, it tends to fluctuate around those points. When I designed it, I suggested installing a worktable in the fourth kitchen. If the kitchen is smaller, we need to add more shelves. This is because there is not enough storage space; if we don't install many shelves in the kitchen, all the items will end up cluttering the bottom. What happens then? The space becomes that much narrower. If the working space is reduced, the cooking speed will slow down. Ultimately, this leads to a decrease in customer satisfaction. Therefore, we need to install a lot of wall shelves. How do we install many shelves? There is a worktable, and above the worktable, we will install a shelf for immediate use. This shelf is not for storage; it is for materials that I need to access right away.

I will install a wall shelf, and when installing the wall shelf, I will use materials that are not used as frequently as those that are used immediately. For example, sauces will be placed on the shelf so that they can be made right away during cooking. Typically, a two-tier wall shelf is used, where the lower tier can hold dishes, and the upper tier can hold ingredients that are used about once a day. By utilizing the shelves according to how often items are used, work will be much easier. The height of the counter shelf usually ranges from 1,200 to 2,200 mm. Then, the wall shelf can be adjusted between 1,600 and 1,660 mm. The standard for the wall shelf is based on the lower tier, while the counter shelf is based on the shelf itself for height.

You can catch it like that. If you try to do it that way, you can create a much more efficient workflow. This is really important. This is a tip I use when I do it, and I'm sharing it for free. Anyway, if you use that, you don't necessarily need to consult with me. 

Now, the fifth point is about interior construction. There are cases where people who don't know much about it start the interior work and install the gas first. They put in the gas as soon as the kitchen fixtures are installed and then add the hood afterward. That can lead to significant problems. The hood might have holes, and there can be situations where it has to be installed in a way that is less than ideal. 

An important tip is that the gas should be installed last after the kitchen work is completed. Gas installers are usually very careful with the piping when they install gas in the kitchen. Surprisingly, if the fixtures are not installed yet or are only partially installed, they might improperly set up the gas piping, and while we’re putting in the fixtures, we can end up in a tricky situation.

You can create a kitchen with holes and gaps. I have experience in remodeling, including several instances of redoing gas lines. The hood should be installed after the kitchen fixtures are in place. You need to be careful about that. Before the kitchen fixtures are installed, it’s important to decide on the hood's location. Once the hood is installed, if the kitchen fixtures are already set up accurately, it might not be a problem. However, typically, when you install kitchen fixtures, aligning the hood with the kitchen equipment can be challenging. Hoods are usually not made very large, and the kitchen fixtures are designed to be tight, so when the hood is installed, it might end up being 10 centimeters away from the cooking equipment. In the summer, this can cause issues because the heat from cooking can escape. So, be cautious during the summer. Let me summarize that again.

To begin with, once the kitchen equipment at the very bottom is in place, we will install the hood, and then proceed with the gas installation. You must follow this order strictly; otherwise, it will get hot, and there will be many holes in the hood. This is because gas contractors will install the gas according to their convenience, leading to unsightly placements. For example, if there’s a space of about 200 centimeters between the selection device and the work table, they might just place the piping right in the middle. This means we won't even have space for a trash can, whether it's for food waste or general trash. Do you understand what happens then? The more such spaces there are, the more food waste will accumulate, making cleaning difficult, which results in a mess. Therefore, gas installation should be done last, understood? Now, let's move on to the seventh point.

In our country, waterproofing is a fantasy. In our kitchens, there are hardly any dry kitchens apart from cafes. This is because dry kitchens are traditionally managed by those who have worked in kitchens for a long time and take great care of them. In fact, dry kitchens are possible because they don't require water for cleaning. However, Koreans tend to prefer splashing water around to clean the floors, especially in the kitchen. Women, in particular, like to sprinkle water on the floor to clean it thoroughly. When I went to Japan, I noticed that there are many dry kitchens, especially in sushi restaurants. They are always being cleaned and maintained. Nowadays, since restrooms are kept clean, we don't use water guns as much for cleaning. Just like that, maintaining a high level of cleanliness makes dry kitchens feasible. However,

In our country, there are still more people running restaurants rather than professional chefs, which makes dry kitchens difficult to implement. To create a wet kitchen, waterproofing is necessary. Waterproofing can involve up to three layers, and a coating, such as an oil coating layer, is also created. This is one reason why the height increases. Another reason is that plumbing must be embedded within the waterproof layer of the kitchen, and even if the plumbing is embedded, it needs to maintain a slope for drainage. You know what a slope is, right? It directs the water in a certain way. Therefore, the height inevitably has to increase. Additionally, there is an issue regarding the size of the plumbing. If the kitchen plumbing is 125mm or 150mm or larger, the slope doesn't really matter much. Even if you try to maintain a very sensitive slope, it doesn't make a difference because water only flows out a little bit. Therefore, it is essential to request that the kitchen height be kept as low as possible. Why is that? Because the height of the kitchen...

The angle of the tiles in the kitchen should be kept low when setting up the trenches. This is something that only those who have worked on multiple construction projects would know. Only those who have worked in restaurants can understand this. For example, if the angle of the tiles in the kitchen is set too steeply, it can lead to a lot of fatigue. After working, you might wonder why you feel so exhausted. You might think, Why is working in this kitchen so different from the other one? Later, you realize that a steeply set angle in the kitchen creates a lot of stress while working. During work, you may not even realize you're under stress, but if the angle is too high, it's like constantly climbing uphill in the kitchen. So, the kitchen angle shouldn't be set too high; otherwise, it can be detrimental to the workers. But let me reiterate, the height of the kitchen should be...

Please lower it as much as possible. I need the water slope to be very slight. After all, the kitchen isn’t that big. If the kitchen were larger, we would need to create trenches at intervals to manage the slope separately. The more we try to create a slope in one area of the kitchen, the more slope we end up with overall, which can be tiring. You need to be careful about that. It's important to keep the height of the kitchen as low as possible. 

Also, I wanted to mention something that came to mind regarding the plumbing in the kitchen. When interior workers lay out the plumbing, they usually bring it up from the floor to the walls. It would be great if they could bury the pipes in the walls, but they always try to do things quickly and easily by burying them in the floor. However, it's actually possible to bury the plumbing in the walls, allowing for a more efficient setup. I just wanted to mention this.

If you speak to someone who has renovated a restaurant once or twice, they will understand. The frustrating part is that the sink doesn't extend all the way, which creates a gap in the wall. So, you need to be careful and instruct the plumber to bury the pipe here. This is actually a bothersome task because you have to take apart the tiles, which is something nobody wants to do. However, if you don't do this, you could lose about 5 centimeters of space. For those of us with narrow kitchens, 5 centimeters is significant. There have been times when the kitchen corridor was 10 centimeters too narrow, causing people to bump into each other. So, you really need to be cautious. This means that the plumbing should be done on the wall side. 

Another important point is how many sinks you need. In some cases, beginners might just put one sink in a small kitchen of around 12 or 15 pyeong.

When only one sink is installed, it can be quite inconvenient. You might think that guests could just wash their hands or rinse some vegetables there, but those who have tried it know that this is absolutely not acceptable. There are several types of sinks that need to be installed. For example, if we consider types 1, 2, a, b, and c, there may be instances where sinks a and b are used together. However, fundamentally, a sink for washing dishes after meals is essential. Next, a main cooking sink is also necessary; for instance, after making ramen or stir-fried dishes, you need a sink to wash the frying pan. It would be too inconvenient to use the guest sink for that purpose. A main cooking sink should allow for quick and efficient washing while cooking, so having two sinks is important. Lastly, a prep sink is also needed. This is not just any sink; it's essential for tasks like washing vegetables and other preparations.

There are three types of sinks that are essential. In the kitchen, if there isn't enough space, you can't create a sink. For the preparation sink, it should be fairly large because you'll need to peel onions, chop cabbage, and wash vegetables. In a small kitchen, it's better to have the guest sink and the washing sink used together for washing dishes, and then use the preparation sink. After that, the cooking sink should definitely be made if possible. If these three types are combined, even in a very small establishment, it can become quite challenging. However, if it's really not feasible, you'll have to share the sinks. Ideally, the guest sink should be large, at least 900mm in length, as 600mm is too small. The minimum size for the sink should be 900mm in length.

Set it around 700 or 750, and then for the main cooking sink, it's best to set it at 450, using a basic sink of 600. This is the most straightforward and effective approach. There will be times when you'll also use a prep sink. Another very important aspect is the call sink; people working in Japanese cuisine usually refer to it as a sakaba sink. This is a sink where you can wash items like cloths and other essentials, so it's necessary. In fact, for a space of around 10 pyeong, the sinks should be set at 450, 400, or 300, and I strongly recommend that you install these. For establishments that are between 15 pyeong, you should have one sink in the kitchen and one in the hall. You need to combine the three sinks into two for the kitchen and have one sink in the hall, ensuring that the flow is set up properly. This is very important; you might regret it later or be surprised when you realize the difference in work speed.

Please make sure to create it. The ninth point is about outlets. Regular contractors dislike the content of outlets because they find it frustrating to create so many outlets without enough pay for the work. However, you really need to make as many outlets as possible in the kitchen. Above the workspace where the countertop will be placed, you must definitely create outlets. Do you know what happens if you don't? You end up buying extension cords, and kitchens often become a mess with cords everywhere. There are probably many homes like that now. When I design the flow of movement, I usually avoid placing outlets above the stove. Instead, I create outlets above the sink because I don't know when or where they will be used. It turns out that I haven't designed it professionally.

Later, there may be changes in this position, so you must tell the person in charge of the installation that multiple outlets need to be created. Otherwise, if you keep moving around with the extension cord in the kitchen, it could lead to food getting stuck, and if food gets stuck, cockroaches might start crawling in there. You need to create a lot of these outlets. 

Tenth, when you first do the interior work, the electrical capacity can be quite limited. As much as possible, increase the electrical capacity to the maximum that can be accommodated. We usually don't think about this when running a restaurant, assuming that the electricity will naturally be sufficient. However, there is a limit to the amount of electricity that the building can handle, and we also draw electricity from each floor to the store. If you pull in only a small amount of electricity...

You need to do electrical work again. If the electricity is sufficient, you can draw from it, but if other houses have already used up the electricity, I can't draw any. So where do you draw from? You usually draw from the basement of the building. This typically costs more. If you can't draw from the basement, it means you can't use the electricity at all; there's simply no capacity to draw from. Therefore, it's really important to have enough electricity available. Usually, for a restaurant, 5 kilowatts is too tight; you need to use more than 10 kilowatts because there are many refrigerators and air conditioners. You know, in a meat restaurant, if the floor area is 30 pyeong, you shouldn't just use air conditioning for that area. A meat restaurant needs to have an air conditioning capacity that's almost three to five times greater. So, for 30 pyeong, if you multiply by three, that's 90 pyeong, and if you multiply by five, that's 150 pyeong. You need that much to endure the summer in a meat restaurant.

If it's like my place, a budae jjigae restaurant, then it’s about one or two times, or maybe three times. I found that three times is about right. For a meat restaurant, five times is correct. In the summer, it’s unbearable because it's so hot. As early summer approaches, customers start complaining about the heat. At that time, the staff would say, It's really hot here. I would agree and say, I’m hot too. But then I would point out that I have a space of 30 pyeong (approximately 99 square meters) with this interior, and if it’s hot, it doesn’t make sense. Just imagine a place that’s 150 pyeong; even if an air conditioner is installed, it would only be cool enough in the summer. The heat comes from the kitchen, and the exhaust has to be removed. So even if the air conditioning is on, it just passes through without cooling effectively. It's not like the refreshing feeling we expect from a café. If you consider that, the electrical capacity needs to be sufficient, right? An air conditioner requires about 400 volts, and bringing in electricity can take 200 to 300 volts in some cases.

It's important to always prepare ample electrical capacity. So, how has your day been? I tried filming a YouTube video at home today, and I used my phone to do it. I think it's more convenient than filming with a larger camera. Plus, filming at home makes me feel more relaxed. I'm not sure how my face looks on camera, but there are benefits to this method; I think I can film more often. I might be able to share these tips frequently on my channel. I've been asking for subscriptions and views, but feel free to subscribe and like as you wish. The issue is that I need to reach a thousand subscribers to stream comfortably. Streaming is live broadcasting, and if I can do that, I believe I could meet you all more often and have many more discussions. So, I hope you all subscribe until we reach that thousand mark.

I would appreciate it if you could press it. Today, I have shared a few tips. As always, I mention that this is based on my personal experiences. Thank you very much for listening until the end. I hope to see you again. Goodbye.

음식점 주방설계. 이 영상으로 끝냅니다. #주방설계 #식당컨설팅 #음식점창업

주방대장 민쿡

Minko emphasizes the importance of drafting the kitchen layout first in small restaurant spaces to avoid serious issues.

The minimum kitchen width should be 1900 mm, with 2000 mm preferred for a 100 mm margin.

For seating, a standard of 10 pyeong can accommodate up to 12 seats, while larger spaces can use a factor of 1.

The comfort index decreases as the number of seats increases, with a 2.

0 multiplier for snack bars leading to cramped spaces.

Installing wall shelves and a worktable in the kitchen is crucial for efficient storage and workflow.

The gas installation should be done last, after the kitchen work is completed, to avoid improper piping and installation issues.

Key Considerations for Kitchen Remodeling

Installing the hood after the kitchen fixtures is crucial for proper alignment, as hoods are typically small and can be challenging to position.

Gas line installation should be done last to avoid unsightly placements and to maintain a clean workspace.

Waterproofing is essential for wet kitchens, and maintaining a low kitchen height is important for effective plumbing and drainage.

The angle of the tiles in the kitchen should be kept low to reduce worker fatigue and stress.

Plumbing should be buried in the walls for a more efficient setup, and careful instruction is needed to avoid losing valuable space.

Installing multiple sinks is crucial for a small kitchen, with a main cooking sink and a prep sink being essential for efficient workflow.

Three types of sinks are crucial in a kitchen: a large preparation sink, a guest/washing sink, and a cooking sink.

In small spaces, sharing sinks may be necessary, with the guest sink ideally being 900mm in length.

It's important to create multiple electrical outlets in the kitchen and increase the electrical capacity to accommodate the restaurant's needs.

The Importance of Sufficient Electrical Capacity for Restaurants

Sufficient electricity is crucial for restaurants, with 10 kilowatts being the minimum for those with multiple refrigerators and air conditioners.

Meat restaurants require an air conditioning capacity three to five times greater than the floor area to effectively combat summer heat.

The electrical capacity should be ample, with air conditioners needing around 400 volts and electricity supply ranging from 200 to 300 volts.