Cafés
Café Kitchen Circulation Design for Cafés
Give people and equipment a route that remains usable during normal work, arrivals and cleaning.
Explore the ideas
Plan in this order
- Map separately who enters, what they carry and where they turn or pause.
- Move stopping points out of through routes, especially beside doors and intersections.
- Put the largest regularly moved item on the plan and trace the full trip, including both ends.
Worked example
Two people prepare breakfast while one repeatedly crosses between the refrigerator and the back door.
Move the snack and drink stop to the room edge and keep the door route behind, rather than through, the hot prep zone.
How to test it
Run two movements at once during the test walk. Note which person must stop, reverse or step into another activity.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Keep hot preparation adjacent to the pass and route used dishes toward wash-up on a separate side.
- Detail
- Use wipeable splash surfaces and task lighting at plating and wash stations.
- Trade-off
- A more complete kitchen increases menu flexibility but reduces front seating.
- Trace a food order and a dirty dish return
- Check appliance doors clear the prep route
The Elixir portfolio
Details worth a closer look
