There is more to building a church kitchen than putting a few appliances in a room, according to building experts.
Instead, church leaders should seek to design a facility that will help and not hinder the church’s ministries and programs.
In “Church Property/Building Guidebook,” T. Lee Anderton wrote, “The kitchen should be planned and designed so that food and dishes move in an assembly-line arrangement from the place food is received into the kitchen, through the preparation and cooking process, to the counter or serving table and then to the dining room tables.”
He added that “the food preparation, serving, washing and storing operations should be so designed that they do not interfere with each other.”
Kitchen design tips
To create a well-designed kitchen, churches should consider the following tips during the planning process:
–Hire a food service consultant to help design the kitchen.
In addition to properly arranging the kitchen for church use, these professionals can often help churches save money, according to Roger Johnson, industrial designer and owner of Roger A. Johnson and Associates.
“You can get better prices on equipment by having specifications that can be sent out for competitive bids,” said Johnson, who has designed many church kitchens.
–Organize a kitchen committee or work group.
In “Planning and Building Church Facilities,” Gwenn McCormick writes, “This group is responsible for evaluating existing fellowship hall and kitchen space and making specific recommendations for expanding or providing new facilities as needed. Three to five members are adequate for this work group, in most situations.”
–Use commercial-grade equipment.
“Church appliances are used more often by more people and suffer a lot more wear and tear than household products,” said Tommy Haralson, church building services special worker for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
“When churches use appliances designed for regular home use, they usually have to replace them in a couple of years,” he said.
Johnson agreed, citing that “residential weight equipment is not designed to take that much heavy use.”
–Keep it simple.
“A lot of people who work in church kitchens have only worked with their household appliances,” Johnson said.
–Use durable, easily cleaned surfaces.
Using equipment and finishes that are easily cleaned is important for sanitation issues, yet churches should know that kitchens usually cost more to construct than other rooms in the church, according to Johnson.
“Sanitary construction is usually more expensive than a classroom or other areas in the church,” he said. “The cost of the kitchen would be more than the general areas because of health concerns. It’s more because there is more going on and the surfaces are more expensive.”
–The larger the church, the larger the kitchen.
McCormick recommends constructing an institutional kitchen that is one-third to one-fourth the size of the dining area.
Johnson also suggests considering how much the kitchen will be used when determining its size. He said that church leaders should know how often they will offer meals, how much food is usually prepared and how many people will be fed.
–Monitor access to the kitchen.
“Usually, too many people have access to the kitchen, which can cause sanitation and food safety issues,” Johnson said. He added that churches should have some sort of organization or control over the kitchen with which other members must comply.
–Have the proper equipment to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
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