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Looking to begin your food entrepreneurship journey?
Do you already own a restaurant and are looking for ways to expand your business without any major additional investment?
Struggling with space to provide your growing customer base with the best quality cuisine?
The solution to all the above scenarios is a commissary kitchen.
It empowers you to prepare your trademark dishes and cater to your clientele. All while keeping your costs within your budget.
Before you start scratching your head with the whys and hows, keep reading this article.
We’ve covered everything you need to know about commissary kitchens - from their meaning to types to benefits. And more. Feel free to bookmark it to come back to it later.
» What is a Commissary Kitchen?
In the simplest words, a commissary kitchen is a kitchen that you can rent. It is a type of commercial kitchen that has all the cooking equipment, supplies, and tools in place for you to cook, prep, or store the items on your menu.
Typically, commissary kitchens are available on a per-hour rental basis. Many such kitchens also let you book your slot for the day or a month.
Commissary kitchens are also often referred to as cloud kitchens. Remember, the core concept here is to be “kitchen only” and not offer any dine-in services.
What’s even more fascinating is that the market size of cloud kitchens across the globe is projected to cross 177 billion USD by 2032, as per a Statista report. And businesses globally are trying to have as much of a piece of this pie as possible.
» Types of Commissary Kitchens
A commissary kitchen can be 1,000 square feet. It can also be spread across a whopping 150,000 square feet of space. To meet such varied needs and demands, commissary kitchens are categorized into different types. Here they are:
› Solo Commissary Kitchen
As the term suggests, a solo commissary kitchen is a commercial kitchen space you can have all for yourself. You have complete access to the kitchen, its equipment, and supplies whenever you want. The kitchen would only have provisions and items you need. What’s more? You get 100% privacy whether you’re preparing daily orders or doing menu experiments. Without any prying eyes.
This level of flexibility and convenience comes at a cost, though. The rent of a solo commissary kitchen is typically very high.
Such a type of kitchen is suitable for chefs and food brands requiring constant kitchen access. It’s ideal for a restaurant chain too. It is also useful for B2B food businesses that make and sell ingredients or food items to wholesalers.
› Shared Commissary Kitchen
The shared commissary food kitchen is a commercial kitchen space rented by more than one tenant at the same time. In other words, you will share the kitchen space, along with its equipment and supplies, with other chefs, caterers, food producers, or brands. Think of it as a co-working space for culinary professionals!
The commercial kitchen space owner rents the space out to multiple professionals either on an hourly basis or through a membership subscription model.
You will have to pick a time slot in a shared kitchen to prep your food items. Besides, you may have to share the available supplies & equipment with other professionals even during your time slot.
Needless to say, the rent for a shared kitchen is quite affordable. Moreover, you get to network with industry professionals, learning a thing or two about the business.
Such type of shared kitchen space is ideal for food start-ups and individual entrepreneurs.
› Restaurant Kitchen as a Commissary
Most of the restaurants don’t run 24/7. They have their off-hours, too. And a lot of these restaurants are embracing the idea of renting their kitchen as a commissary kitchen when they’re not operating.
Take a cocktail and snacks bar that opens at around 6 pm every day, for example. It can rent its kitchen to a home baker or a food truck for specific hours, say from morning to afternoon.
This type of commissary kitchen is less expensive than solo kitchens. The best part? Restaurants offering a commissary kitchen space tend to take on a single tenant. That way, you get the entire kitchen to yourself with all the high-end equipment, like in solo commissaries, but at a lower rate.
However, it can get difficult to find an eatery or a restaurant that offers such a service and is available for hours convenient to you.
› Non-Conventional Commissaries
If you look beyond the conventional options, you’ll find a commissary kitchen in community spaces as well. For example, a local church or a school in your area. Such places often provide rental commercial kitchens. It can either be a shared or a solo commissary kitchen.
The rent is comparatively lower. Plus, you get to use the kitchen for more hours. The downside? It may lack the professional, high-end, and specialized kitchen equipment that a commercial commissary kitchen provides.
» How Does a Commissary Kitchen Work?
Let’s assume you’re a home chef. And you want to expand your business. But you lack the funds to lease a private space or build an eatery from scratch.
So, you decide to go the commissary kitchen way. You rent a space in one of the acclaimed commissary kitchens in your area. You pick your preferred timeslot and pay the fees on an hourly basis.
The commissary kitchen offers you all the equipment and supplies you need - from industrial ovens to big refrigerators to plates, gloves, utensils, and napkins. It also has cleaning supplies in place to let tenants maintain a hygienic cooking environment. There are prep tables as well as storage cabinets. Typically, you can also store your ingredients or prepared dishes in the storage area when off-site.
Thus, all you need to do is show up at the kitchen during your allotted hours with the ingredients you’d need and start cooking.
It’s important to note that the responsibility of adhering to the local guidelines for health & safety falls upon the commissary kitchen owner. It is the owner who obtains all the necessary permits for the space. The maintenance of kitchen equipment is also the owner's responsibility. The good thing is that many restaurant management software systems simplify the commissary kitchen management process.
The tenants, on the other hand, have to simply abide by the defined rules of the commissary kitchen.
» Who Can Use Commissary Kitchens?
Commissary kitchens are ideal for a number of food operators, businesses, and professionals in the food business. Examples of some of these professionals include the following:
- Caterers
- Bakers
- Food trucks
- Food entrepreneurs
- Restaurant chains
- Pop-up food vendors
- Local food outlets
- Delivery-only food brands
» Why Should You Opt for a Commissary Kitchen?
We covered the basics of a commissary kitchen, along with its types and workings.
But if you’re still wondering why you should choose a commissary kitchen for your business, here are some reasons you should consider:
› 1) It Comes as a Fully Equipped Kitchen
Commissary kitchens are fully equipped with all the appliances and tools necessary. From freezers to ovens to storage areas to cleaning tools to utensils, a commissary kitchen houses everything. That means you don’t need to bring your appliances or spend extra for the same.
Just bring your ingredients and things that aren’t already available in the kitchen, and you’re good to go.
› 2) It Doesn’t Require Too Much Paperwork
Whether it is complying with the health and safety regulations or getting the required permits for the commercial kitchen, the paperwork is not your headache. It is the owner of the commissary kitchen who manages these processes. That frees you up for something that you do best, which is planning and prepping that next delicious item on your menu!
› 3) It Eliminates Maintenance Woes
Commissary kitchen spaces, as we discussed above, are managed by the owner. All the maintenance with respect to the place and equipment is the owner’s responsibility.
As a tenant, it is your duty to keep the equipment and tools you use in the kitchen clean and hygienic. And if you find any faults with the supplies, you can report them to the owner for prompt resolution.
› 4) It Provides Flexibility
With commissary kitchens, you get the flexibility to use the kitchen at your own time. Moreover, you can use the space for as long as you need it. So, if one day you realize that this isn’t working for you, you can stop going to the commissary kitchen. Most of these kitchens are available at an hourly rate. But if you have a monthly subscription arrangement, it is still easier to cancel it than to cancel the leasing agreement of a private space.
› 5) It is Cost-Effective
One of the biggest advantages of opting for a commissary kitchen is thit saves costs. There are no heavy initial investments either for the place or kitchen equipment. You only pay the rent. Spend on your ingredients and materials. And you still get to cater to your growing clientele and keep most of your revenues to yourself.
» Ending Note
A commissary kitchen is a good starting point for food entrepreneurs who are just starting out and for established restaurants alike. It helps keep your costs low and eliminates added overheads. At the same time, you can experiment and diversify your menu, expanding your customer base and growing your revenues.
