Hemco planning notes · India
Commercial kitchen planning: layout, equipment and budget.
A kitchen should be planned around the food you serve and the way your team works. Use this guide to turn a restaurant, hotel, cloud kitchen or institutional project into a brief that an equipment supplier and your site team can work from.
By Hemco · Himalayan Equipment Manufacturing Co.
1. Define the operating brief before choosing equipment
Start with the menu and service format. A hotel breakfast line, a delivery-only kitchen and a staff canteen may cook similar ingredients but have different production peaks, holding needs and dispatch routes. Record expected meals or orders in the busiest period, the mix of dishes and which steps happen in advance.
Include opening hours, delivery frequency, ingredient storage, staffing and any future expansion. Use the peak workload to discuss equipment capacity; an average daily meal count alone can hide a bottleneck during service. Agree which tasks must run at the same time before deciding how many appliances you need.
2. Plan the layout around movement
Sketch a sequence from receiving and storage through preparation, cooking, holding and service or dispatch. Then trace the return route for dirty dishes and waste. Look for crossings that interrupt cooks or bring dirty returns through clean preparation and plating areas.
Test the drawing with doors and drawers open, staff at their stations and trolleys moving. Include delivery access, cleaning access and equipment servicing. A layout that fits every appliance on paper can still be difficult to operate if landing space and working clearances have been omitted.
Keep the measured site plan, equipment schedule and services drawing coordinated. Hemco’s commercial kitchen design and setup service brings these decisions into a project-specific equipment brief.
3. Build an equipment list by work zone
Use this as a starting checklist, then remove or add items to suit the menu and operating plan. The category name alone does not establish the right capacity, dimensions or connections for a model.
Receiving & storage
Check deliveries, separate stock and keep ingredients accessible.
Consider: Shelving, receiving tables, cold storage and product-specific cabinets.
Commercial refrigeration →Preparation
Wash, portion and prepare ingredients near their next station.
Consider: Prep tables, sinks, preparation equipment and undercounter storage.
Food preparation equipment →Cooking
Match the line to the menu and the busiest service period.
Consider: Gas ranges, induction, ovens, fryers or grills, selected for the actual cooking tasks.
Cooking equipment catalogue →Extraction
Coordinate cooking equipment with heat, grease and air management.
Consider: Hoods and extraction systems specified for the appliances and site conditions.
Kitchen extraction systems →Holding & dispatch
Bring completed orders together without blocking production.
Consider: Holding equipment, pass counters, distribution units and packing space.
Food holding & distribution →Wash-up
Return used ware through a separate dirty-to-clean sequence.
Consider: Scraping space, sinks, dishwashers, drying and clean-ware storage.
Commercial dishwashing →For each shortlisted appliance, compare its specification sheet with the menu, batch sizes, duty cycle and space available. Ask about cleaning, spare parts and service access alongside output. Browse the full commercial kitchen equipment catalogue to collect models for a project discussion.
4. Check site services before ordering
Have the responsible site professionals confirm the available electrical supply, fuel arrangements, water, drainage and ventilation routes against the proposed equipment. Identify connection points and who supplies each final connection. Resolve access restrictions, floor loading and installation sequencing with the project team where relevant.
Extraction decisions depend on the cooking processes, appliance types, building and proposed installation. Treat a ventless option as something to assess for that specific application; it is not a blanket replacement for every ventilation or approval requirement. Coordinate the final design with qualified local specialists and the applicable approval process.
5. Compare the complete project budget
A useful budget starts with a defined scope. The menu, production capacity, refrigeration requirement, extraction route, automation, stainless steel fabrication and site readiness all change the total. A single price per square foot does not show what is included or whether the proposed equipment meets your workload.
- Equipment: compare the model, quantity, specification and accessories line by line.
- Site and installation: separate freight, handling, fabrication, ducting, utilities and civil work from equipment prices.
- Handover: agree commissioning, operator training, documentation and the delivery programme.
- Operation: discuss maintenance, consumables, warranty terms and local service arrangements as well as purchase cost.
Ask each supplier to state assumptions and exclusions. Comparing matching scopes gives a clearer decision than choosing the lowest headline total and discovering missing work during installation.
6. Prepare a brief for an equipment quotation
Gather these details for a productive first conversation:
- Project city, business format and target opening date.
- Menu, service style and expected demand during the busiest period.
- Measured floor plan, site photographs and delivery access details.
- Known electrical, fuel, water, drainage and extraction provisions.
- Existing equipment to retain and new models you have shortlisted.
- Budget scope, responsibilities and any planned expansion.
Start with the information you have. Include a short summary in the enquiry form and discuss drawings and detailed specifications with the team when they follow up.
Discuss your commercial kitchen →