10 Simple Restaurant Organization Ideas from Kitchen to Storage

Being organized is a crucial skill in the restaurant industry. It helps you serve customers faster, deliver fresh, high-quality dishes, and keep both guests and staff happy.

We’ve put together a list of restaurant organization ideas you can implement to easily track inventory, prevent food waste, streamline kitchen operations, and prevent workplace incidents.

10 Restaurant Organization Ideas to Implement ASAP

1. Use the FIFO method

The first in, first out (FIFO) inventory method is an excellent way to organize your ingredients and prevent food waste. As the name suggests, whenever you buy new ingredients, you place them behind the old ones, so you use those first before they go bad.

You might be tempted to place new ingredients in front because it’s easier when you get a big delivery. However, taking the time to arrange them properly will help you save money by not throwing away ingredients before you get to use them.

To make the FIFO method easier, get shelves that are accessible from the front and the back, so you don’t have to take everything out to restock.

Train your staff to use the same method whenever they restock the fridge, freezer, or shelves, so you don’t waste anybody’s hard work by having someone else add new ingredients first.

2. Use labeled commercial kitchen storage containers

When learning how to organize a restaurant kitchen, containers and labels are your best friends. You need a variety of containers for different storage needs, such as:

• Big plastic containers for legumes, grains, beans, and other ingredients that take up a lot of space
• Glass pop containers for keeping dry ingredients fresh and airtight
• Deli containers for prepared ingredients, dressings, stock, and leftovers
• Square containers to maximize storage space and fit more produce in a small area
• Round containers for sauces and soups, which allow for faster cooling

All the containers should be labeled so you can find what you’re looking for at a glance, especially since a restaurant kitchen is usually busy and fast-paced.

Not only should you label the containers to reflect what’s inside, but you should also add the date when they were made/delivered, as well as a “best used by” date.

That way, you don’t have to question whether you can use an ingredient or risk getting your customers sick because you used products that were past their expiration date.

3. Optimize the storage area in your restaurant kitchen for more space

Especially if you have to make do with a small kitchen, you need to come up with restaurant organization ideas that will help you save space.

First, use vertical shelves instead of horizontal ones and mount shelves to the walls to create more space in the kitchen while adding more storage.

Then, consider the layout of the kitchen and storage area to optimize the flow. Ingredients and tools that your staff use most often should be close at hand.

One of the smartest restaurant storage ideas is to place items you use often at eye level. Then, place heavy items like appliances underneath and specialty items that you don’t use that often above.

At the same time, organize your shelves by category. One for your pots and pans, one for tools, and another one for ingredients. Don’t put everything together or it will take you a long time to find what you need.

Consider shelving units with removable shelves that you can just take out, place in the dishwasher, and then back in. Adjustable shelves that you can take apart and rearrange differently can also give you more flexibility if you want to change your organization system.

To free up even more space, choose counters that also come with built-in storage underneath.

4. Consider hanging commercial kitchen utensil storage for go-to tools

What do you put on commercial kitchen walls? Shelves and pegboards that can help you hang utensils you use regularly within easy reach, such as above the countertops. This also helps you save space because you wouldn’t typically have a shelf there anyway.

Since the areas where you can hang pegboards are limited, don’t fall into the trap of hoarding old pots, pans, or utensils that your staff no longer use. They will just take up space because most restaurant staff have their favorite utensils that they like to use anyway.

5. Use open shelving for restaurant dry storage organization

Open shelves are ideal commercial kitchen storage ideas because as opposed to closed storage units, everything is visible without you having to look for it. It’s also easier when you want to put ingredients back on the shelves.

Open shelves are also easier to clean, and they can help you avoid injuries such as someone accidentally slamming a shelf door in a hurry and hurting themselves or others.

Naturally, this type of shelf works best with dry ingredients, not perishables that you have to store in a fridge or freezer.

6. Organize the prep area to streamline efficiency

Creative restaurant organization ideas can also help you streamline your kitchen operations. One of the areas you can improve is your prep area.

First, it’s important to have separate prep areas for different types of meat, as well as fruits and vegetables. This prevents cross-contamination when you have a varied menu and serve vegan, vegetarian, or allergen-free meals.

The prep area should be close to the cooking area and be equipped with all the necessary tools, appliances, and ingredients nearby.

Place your prep ingredients such as sauces, dressings, stock, and so on in labeled clear containers so they’re instantly recognizable.

7. Take inventory at the end of each day

Inventory should be at the top of your restaurant closing checklist. Take stock of the ingredients you have left at the end of each day and arrange them back on the shelves using the FIFO method.

That way, they will be ready to go the next day, and you will avoid wasting supplies or realizing you’ve run out of an ingredient in the middle of a busy day.

Even if it adds some time to your end-of-day tasks, it ultimately saves time in the long run, because if you don’t do it often, you will have to waste a lot of time throwing away spoilt food and reordering large quantities of ingredients.

8. Prevent injuries and accidents by properly storing sharp objects

Utensils like knives or kitchen hatchets pose the risk of workplace accidents if not stored properly and left at random through the kitchen. At the same time, these utensils should be within easy reach because you use them often.

To safely store them, you can use a knife block rack, magnetic strips, or a magnetic knife base. Proper safety training for employees can also help minimize the risk of accidents or injuries.

9. Clean as you go to make your job easier at closing time

Cleaning is a big part of restaurant organization. A dirty kitchen or storage area isn’t only risky for yourself, your staff, and your customers, but it can also impede the smooth running of your restaurant.

Having a cleaning checklist that covers all areas of the restaurant, from the kitchen to the front-of-house, bathrooms, and so on will make it easier to delegate tasks and keep your staff organized.

At the end of each day, you have to clean and disinfect all areas you’ve used throughout the day. That job will be much harder if you don’t clean at all as you work.

Train your employees to clean and organize as they work or while they’re waiting for ingredients to cook. For example, let’s say you’ve put some pasta to boil. While it boils, you can put back ingredients you’ve used, wash some dishes, or clean out the fridge.

If you’ve accidentally spilled something, clean it instantly. It’s much easier than waiting for the spill to dry. Keep a clean and tidy kitchen and you will thank yourself at the end of the day.

10. Try these restaurant bar organization ideas

Restaurant organization ideas are not limited to the kitchen or storage. You should also learn how to organize a restaurant bar if you have one.

Mount wine racks on the wall, purchase keg racks if you serve beer, and get a big ice bin that you place next to the bar since most drinks will have ice in them.

Label and date containers with garnishes, keep utensils like bottle openers close at hand, and store glassware either under the bar or on hangers behind the bar.

You should also consider locking valuables such as expensive liquor instead of keeping them out in the open to prevent theft or unfortunate accidents such as the bartender knocking down a pricey bottle.

Wrapping up

Restaurants are notorious for being a chaotic work environment where you’re always on the move. To help sort through some of that chaos, implement these restaurant organization ideas for your kitchen, storage, and bar.