2022 is already well underway, and the commercial kitchen and food services sector is looking forward to the coming 12 months with renewed hope and optimism after a difficult couple of years. So, what can we expect from commercial kitchen design this year? What trends are influencing commercial kitchen equipment, best practices, and features in 2022 and beyond? Let's take a look.
Integration with Digital Ordering Solutions and Workflows
Commercial kitchens are changing, which means commercial kitchen design needs to change too in order to keep pace with development. As digital ordering solutions become more popular – both for customers ordering home deliveries and those ordering from inside a restaurant or hotel – businesses are streamlining their workflows to reflect this.
Rather than receiving an order at the front-end then communicating this to the staff in the kitchen, businesses are cutting out the extra steps. Instead, commercial kitchen equipment can integrate with these digital solutions so that kitchen teams receive orders directly.
Automated Operations in Kitchen Spaces
Automation is revolutionizing many different areas of businesses, across a number of different industries. Commercial kitchens are certainly no exception, and we can expect to see automated solutions appearing in foodservice spaces across the country during 2022. But what will these automated solutions look like?
Well, any aspect of kitchen service that can be streamlined or made less labor-intensive is a candidate for automation. Everything from the order delivery solutions discussed above to equipment cleaning and sanitation can be automated, and the more things that a business can effectively automate, the more time and money they are likely to save as a result. This is why automation can range from the very simple but effective – such as Dispense-Rite's automated cup dispenser products – to the highly complex and cutting edge, like integrated touchscreen order management solutions.
The Legacy of Covid-19 Still Evident
Covid-19 restrictions are slowly being lifted, and society is returning to normal. This is so important for all of us after a long period of stress, anxiety and tragedy, but the return to a normal way of doing things needs to be handled in the right way.
This means having a more cautious and practical approach to hygiene that helps keep the spread of Covid-19 at bay. While the virus remains highly infectious – and while cases continue in communities across the United States – businesses will need to adopt a smart approach to commercial kitchen design, supporting social distancing within kitchen spaces, as well as deploying solutions that keep personnel safe from infection – like PMG's sneeze-guards and shield products.
Mobile Storage for Additional Flexibility
In the information age, business is becoming increasingly dynamic and flexible, and this is certainly evident in the commercial kitchen design trends we are seeing this year. As businesses learn about new customer needs and expectations and identify new best practices to deploy in the workplace, commercial kitchens need to be agile enough to accommodate this.
In turn, commercial kitchen design is becoming fluid and flexible. This is being supported by commercial kitchen equipment such as modular storage solutions and portable units that can be moved and redeployed swiftly. Equipment providers like Thunder group also provide workstations and other pieces of commercial kitchen equipment mounted on caster wheels, offering even more agility to designers and teams in the field.
Stay on Top of Commercial Kitchen Trends for 2022
Navigating a safe and secure route out of the Covid-19 crisis while also targeting flexible and meaningful growth will be among the priorities for commercial kitchen design in 2022. Reach out to our team to discover how our commercial kitchen design consultants can help you have a great year and plan for more great years in the future.
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