Smart technology is ever-evolving and we are seeing it becoming more and more established in commercial kitchens. As commercial kitchen designers, we have been experimenting with integrating smart technology trends into our clients’ commercial kitchen designs, and so far, the response to these innovative ideas has been positive.

IoT in Commercial Kitchen Design.

Who would have thought the internet could be adapted to commercial kitchen planning? Today there is no reason for the internet not to be a part of the commercial kitchen, from simply having a digital presence or integrating with IoT services (Internet of Things), the internet is playing a major part in commercial kitchen planning. Take food delivery as an example; during the pandemic, more people than ever ordered in, meaning businesses had to grow their need for technology like real-time tracking, live order updates, dispatch notifications and customer preferences, the demand for these services has not changed, people are still ordering in and getting a much better service! The period during the pandemic was a great time to invest in a digital presence as visiting physical cafes/restaurants were prohibited.

For backend operations in restaurants, the IoT has been crucial, it has helped endlessly with inventory and energy management – where the IoT model has learnt, commercial kitchens have adapted, saving time and money. Look at self-serve kiosks, they remember customers, their preferences, and their order history and then seamlessly integrate this into the commercial kitchen, saving essential time.

Smart Sustainability and Commercial Kitchens.

Smart technology doesn’t automatically make us think of sustainability but the fact of the matter is, cutting-edge technology has been instrumental in helping many businesses become more sustainable. Right now, energy management is at the forefront for every business (and home, let’s be honest) the use of smart technology in the commercial kitchen can help with monitoring water, smart bulbs, managing induction stoves over gas stoves and should a business wish to go so far; solar power or wind energy can all be run from smart technology. Deciding to switch energy supplies to incorporate solar or wind energy can make your business completely self-reliant and much more sustainable – which can have a huge influence on your reputation and customer draw.

It’s not just energy consumption you can manage but waste too; being able to recycle much of the waste produced in a commercial kitchen is easier now thanks to keeping track of how much is being used and how much will be used, along with the help of technology that aims to reduce waste (like digital menus as opposed to paper).

Smart Gadgets.

Every commercial kitchen can and will benefit from smart gadgets, adopting the use of these gadgets will go a long way towards a more robust and efficient commercial kitchen. Tech enhancements have improved what we use and how we use gadgets in our space – small ovens that focus on efficient heat distribution are now a popular choice for chefs, green dishwashers that use as little water as possible, smart fridges that allow you to cool certain compartments faster than others and allow for customisation which means your entire fridge need not consume electricity. We are also adopting the use of smaller smart gadgets; for example, cutting boards with built-in scales, meaning you know exactly how much you need without having to work twice.

AI and Commercial Kitchen Design.

This may seem a little extreme in a commercial kitchen but the concept could truly help commercial kitchens and restaurants – think line robots acting as servers, the use of robots eliminates the need for excess staff and paves the way for more efficient service; Robotazia and The Tea Terrace are great examples of robot/AI service.

Even creative angles like new recipes and offerings are now easier enabled thanks to AI!

We’d love to know your thoughts on having any of the above implemented within your commercial kitchen and how it would benefit you.