Robata grill in the kitchen of Mizu at the Hyatt Centric Charlotte SouthPark , North Carolina .
FOOD & BEVERAGE
HOW THE PANDEMIC IMPACTED THE KITCHEN
BIG CHANGES IN EQUIPMENT SPACE ALLOCATION AND AN EVER-GROWING EMPHASIS ON HYGIENE AND ANYTHING THAT SAVES LABOR .
Contributed by JEANETTE HURT
Equipment for hotel and resort kitchens has evolved since the start of the pandemic , and priorities have shifted .
One of the biggest changes is the amount of space dedicated . “ Historically , kitchens were as tight and small as possible to maximize dining room space ,” says Mitch Prensky , CEO and co-founder of Collective Hospitality , a New York City-based consultancy . “ You worked in cramped quarters not because you liked it , but because of necessity . Now , instead of 25 % of a restaurant ’ s space dedicated to the kitchen , it might be 28 % to 30 % so there ’ s more space for workers and social distancing .”
This increase in allotment allows for “ more spaces that are dedicated for sanitation ,” says Chris Alvarado ,
72 hotelsmag . com May 2022