Kitchen & Bar Design Consulting

We help design your restaurant kitchen to optimize organization and maximize profits.

At Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group, food development and kitchen operations are our passion. Our restaurant design consultants and commercial kitchen design consultants can assist your organization achieve improved performance, healthy sustainable growth of your business, and maximum profits. As your restaurant kitchen design consultants, we will assist you with:

• Kitchen design
• Space planning
• Equipment selection
• Flow and function optimization

Some restaurant kitchen equipment suppliers may offer “free” design services, but don’t have real-life experience working in high volume kitchens and consequently don’t understand the importance of proper equipment placement. They also tend to over-design the kitchen to sell you more equipment than necessary. An equipment manufacturer or dealer is not a commercial kitchen design consultant. Proper kitchen design is crucial to the success of your restaurant, whether it’s an intimate bistro setting, a busy family-style restaurant, or a large banquet facility.

Commercial kitchen design consultant

The Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group will work with your architect and general contractor to offer a customized kitchen design solution and ensure your restaurant kitchen will work well with your concept, menu, equipment, and space.

As one of the leading restaurant consulting companies in the United States, Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group has successfully created, designed, opened and operated restaurant concepts across the country. With a skilled, dedicated team of professionals, decades of experience in the restaurant industry, and over a hundred successful food and beverage operations under our belt, we bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to your project that is unsurpassed.

You can spend a lot of time and money attempting to design a restaurant kitchen that will perform as you need it to, and wind up over budget with a bigger kitchen than needed and facing a delayed opening due to unforeseen problems and cost overruns. Take advantage of our years of experience in developing and opening successful restaurant operations and make the cost-effective decision to hire us as your professional restaurant kitchen consultant.

Contact us today and let us take your business to the next level!

Kitchen & Bar Design Consulting FAQs

Why hire a commercial kitchen design consultant instead of using an equipment dealer’s “free” kitchen design?

Like any skilled professional, practical experience allows individuals to become experts at their craft. The best kitchen designers are those individuals who have years of experience running high volume kitchens and understand the nuances of equipment placement that enhances the flow and function of the kitchen. Kitchen equipment contractors often have not worked on a busy production line so they don’t understand the importance of having each piece of equipment in the precise proper location. An experienced commercial kitchen design consultant who has spent years operating high volume kitchen  can make your kitchen perform at a high level: better flow, better equipment placement, and the right-sized equipment list for your menu and volume. There is also a very positive labor result when kitchens are designed to maximize flow and function. We coordinate with your architect/GC to avoid costly redesigns.

What’s the best restaurant kitchen layout for speed, safety, and high-volume service?

There isn’t one “best” layout—your restaurant kitchen layout should match your menu and service style. We map the flow from receiving to storage, prep, cookline, pass/expo, to dish, then design clear aisles and separation of raw/cooked and clean/dirty paths. Learn more about workflow-driven kitchen design.

How do you choose commercial kitchen equipment and bar equipment without overbuying?

We start with your menu, recipes, preparation methods, projected volume, and staffing goals, then build an equipment plan that supports execution without wasting space or capital. If the menu is still evolving, start with Menu Development and use our Menu Engineering guide to align offerings, kitchen equipment, and profitability.

What should be included in an efficient restaurant bar design and bar layout?

Efficient bar layout design is built around bartender stations: ice, speed rail, refrigeration, glassware, garnishes, and POS within arm’s reach, plus smart storage and guest traffic flow. We design bars for faster service, less waste, and higher check averages. Learn more in these blog posts: 

• Bar Consulting
• 5 Ways to Optimize Bar Operations for Higher Profit Margins

How much space do I need for a commercial kitchen and bar, and how does it impact build-out cost?

Square footage depends on menu complexity, expected volume, service model, and utilities (ventilation, plumbing, electrical). Right-sizing kitchen and bar space helps prevent oversized builds, unnecessary equipment, and expensive change orders. We often pair design with a Feasibility Study or Business Plan to ensure the footprint supports realistic sales and profit goals.