As delightful as the very best meal can be, it's unlikely the majority of your restaurant's guests devote much time to fully considering all the moving parts that went into making it so. As any foodservice professional knows, a great dish is the product of the successful coordination of several key steps, each requiring the right tools. The food prep stage needs the right knives, mixing bowls and measuring cups. The service stage demands the correct dinnerware, flatware and glassware. The cooking stage is no exception. Your cookware can either help or hurt the entire process, thus obtaining the proper information to make an informed decision is absolutely critical.

It’s no secret that one of the most important factors a guest considers when forming an opinion about a restaurant is its food. This doesn't mean you should focus so much on the choice of menu items that you overlook other impressionable aspects, however. Another is the dinnerware.

Creating the perfect bar is a lot like creating the perfect cocktail. If the bartender misses an ingredient, it doesn't matter how good the others are—the taste just won't be right. The same goes for the bar's design. Even a well-trained staff using high-end liquor in the right location won't necessarily lead to success if your bar is poorly designed.

One of the most important goals of any commercial kitchen is to keep its activities running as smoothly as possible. An efficient flow of ingredients, tasks, and team members improves the experience for both the guests and the staff. This is not always so easily achieved, however. It's not a piece of equipment you can buy, or a single technique you can implement. Rather, it’s a combination of key principles working together, the specifics of which will differ from operation to operation.

Designing the layout of your restaurant kitchen is an exciting step in bringing your vision to life. With so many possibilities, though, knowing where to begin can be daunting. There are several key considerations to keep in mind that can help this process go smoother.

Your kitchen is the heart of your restaurant, that special place where your chefs create all the extraordinary meals to delight your guests and keep them coming back. It’s therefore imperative your kitchen is properly equipped with everything it needs.

What, exactly, does a restaurant kitchen need?

A bar is much more than simply the liquor lining its shelves or beer flowing from its taps. There's a vast array of service- and beverage preparation-related activities taking place behind the scenes critical to its smooth operation and ultimate success. The ease and speed with which skilled bartenders serve patrons (even extra-fancy drinks) is actually the result of thoughtful planning and a whole lotta practice.

None of this would be possible without the necessary tools and equipment, but with an overwhelming amount of options, where do you even begin? 

Similar to the design and atmosphere of your front of house, the flatware on your tables can immediately and profoundly impact your guests' experiences. All that time, energy and money spent creating the perfect menu and layout could be instantly ruined should a patron be greeted with worn, dull, or spotty eating utensils.

Yes, your flatware can leave a lasting impression. That's why you only want the best.

Refrigeration is essential to keeping your restaurant's perishable ingredients fresh and safe to eat. With so many options out there to choose from, it can be difficult to know exactly which type would be right for you.

A good first step is to decide which of the two major categories of refrigeration would best suit your restaurant kitchen's needs: reach-in or walk-in?