Designing an Effective Cookline for Your Space

Your establishment’s cookline is one of – if not the – most important parts of your kitchen or bar setup. Having the perfect menu or dining area won’t matter to your customers if you can’t get their food to them in a timely manner.

What is a Cookline?

A kitchen’s cookline is a chain of hot food prep cooking equipment. The included equipment and exact configuration vary from restaurant to restaurant, as you need to take into account not only menu, but also space and the process by which food is prepared.

Each of these variables can have a big impact on your final cookline layout. For example, if you have a small kitchen, you would probably want to maximize your options by choosing equipment that can be used for a variety of foods. If you like to have premixed vegetable medleys set aside for frying, you would want a different setup than someone who wants to freshly chop the vegetables right before they cook.

However, despite the multitude of factors that can come into play, many cooklines actually include much of the same equipment. Grills, ovens, griddles, and cooking ranges are the most common items you will see. These items are highly versatile, so they can cover most of what a restaurant offers, and then any additional specialty equipment can be added if necessary.

Learn more about the thought process behind a functional cookline by reading Functional by Design: Restaurant Cooklines by Foodservice Equipment and Supplies.