The pros and cons of open kitchen restaurants
In the restaurant industry there has been a shift towards the open kitchen concept – where food is prepared in plain sight. Open kitchens can provide customers with direct access to information about an establishment’s hygiene, professionalism and culinary excellence. They can also help restaurants to create a highly functional kitchen layout, allowing open communication for serving staff, who would normally have their vision blocked by walls.
The concept can be found in many different types of restaurants serving diverse cuisines, from sandwiches to sushi. It can also be seen in various categories of restaurant, like fast food and fine dining. Well-known eateries like Subway have made use of open kitchens to add to their food service experience. Now, even more eateries are experimenting with (and embracing) open kitchens for the first time.
Is the open restaurant kitchen here to stay or is it a passing moment in the restaurant industry? If you're thinking about converting your closed kitchen to an open kitchen, here are some points to consider:
1. Transparency
Transparency is a trend impacting business decisions at many levels and is arguably the key driver behind open kitchens.
- Pro: An open kitchen is an opportunity to showcase hygienic food preparation processes and display the steps taken to turn fresh, high-quality ingredients into a mouth-watering meal. When faced with troubling hygiene PR issues, Domino’s Pizza developed its “Pizza Theatre” store design to ease customer concerns.*
- Con: Customers may be exposed to occasional staff mistakes, messy kitchens during busy rush hours, and other sights that may adversely impact the restaurant’s reputation.
Consider making use of Tork Vision Cleaning, which uses real-time data from your restaurant to increase cleaning efficiency. Tork can help you work smarter to ease the burden of those hectic rush hours, making sure your restaurant is always appearing in the best light for your customers.
2. Entertainment factor
With the widespread popularity of cooking shows and celebrity chefs, an open kitchen can increase a restaurant’s entertainment factor.
- Pro: Most chefs and food service workers are proud of the delicious dishes they create. An open kitchen restaurant design can provide visual excitement, engaging guests who appreciate the artistry of cooking.
- Con: Food preparation isn’t always glamorous or visually appealing. An open kitchen is often better suited to restaurants wanting to make the food preparation process a focal point. There are other opportunities to provide your guests with an entertaining experience, like offering live music or events.
3. Sensory Experience
Open kitchens, which some have called the “middle of the house,” can dramatically impact a restaurant’s atmosphere and the sensory experience of dining.
- Pro: Using an open kitchen design in your restaurant can engage multiple senses for your customers, creating an experience that goes past just the taste and appearance of the food. According to Chipotle, the “sounds, the smells, and the sights of cooking can really help you work up an appetite.”**
- Con: Open kitchens certainly stimulate the senses, but not necessarily in a good way for every customer. Consider the commotion of a common kitchen – the clanging of pots and pans, bright lights, staff yelling when orders are ready, and smells of smoky stovetops. Some customers may be looking for a quieter, calmer experience.
The risks of an open kitchen
Of course, there are other potential challenges that come with open kitchen designs. The costs of adopting an open kitchen (or any kind of serious kitchen renovation) can be high, so it’s important to seriously consider the financial impacts of such a decision before committing. This is particularly important if you are changing an existing working kitchen, as you will need to be able to handle the loss of immediate revenue from your restaurant while it is closed for the upgrade.
The pros and cons of open kitchen in a nutshell
| Pros | Cons |
| You get to create better transparency with your guests. | Better transparency can also highlight any mistakes made. |
| An increase in the entertainment factor of a restaurant. | Some elements of food prep are not visually appealing and can't be hidden away. |
| A chance for your customers to have a multisensory dining experience. | It can be difficult to hide the noise and commotion of a restaurant kitchen |
| Investing in an open kitchen can potentially increase the 'draw' of your restaurant. | The costs of renovation and having to close your restaurant can be high. |
Semi-open kitchens
You may want to consider a semi-open concept kitchen to help you strike a balance between the pros and cons listed. Semi-open kitchens are usually broken down into two areas, the theatrical cooking area and the more practical cleaning and preparation area, which is not visible to the customers. Semi-open kitchens offer convenience and emphasize the visual element of seeing what’s taking place ‘behind the scenes’. However, they also allow the kitchen to be kept cleaner when preparing food, as it’s only partially visible to customers.
An open kitchen concept can help make or break the mood of a restaurant. The answer for your restaurant may lie in a compromise, potentially only showing part of the food preparation process and keeping the line prep and dishwashing behind closed doors for greater staff privacy.
Discover more with Tork
The food service industry has some of the greatest hygiene risks across all modern businesses. Between customers’ tables, food preparation areas and washrooms, there are plenty of potential hygiene hazards that can appear on a daily basis. The Tork Clean Care™ Program offers global expertise designed to help you secure good hygiene and cleaning practices in your restaurant. Book a consultation today to explore how you can promote good hygiene in your workplace.
Secure a better experience for guests and staff
Tork offers products and tools designed to help you more easily overcome the challenges of the restaurant industry. We’ve got a wide range of services ready to level up customer experience - from a guide that can assist you in making your restaurant social media ready, to Tork Xpressnap Fit® one-at-a-time napkin dispensers and refills.