The Making Of A Post-Covid Hotel Kitchen

When they open up after the lockdown, the hotels will be completely transformed. Operational efficiency, hygiene, safety and technology adoption will emerge as key drivers of design

- Nisha Shukla

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about a massive transformation in the way the hospitality industry functions. Right from social distancing to contactless dining, the industry is carving out a new normal every single day in a bid to maintain business continuity. Apart from operations, we will see significant changes in the design of the spaces especially that of an area considered the heart and soul of hotel operations: kitchens.

In the Before-COVID (BC) era, the hotel kitchens were designed keeping in mind numerous factors that helped in achieving maximum levels of efficiency and hygiene. In the After-COVID (AC) era, hotels will implement far more stringent measures, especially in standard operations. Operational efficiency, hygiene, safety and technology adoption are likely to emerge as key drivers of the design.

For the industry that has been devastated by the pandemic, adapting to the forthcoming changes is the only way of survival and business recovery. Top consultants from the domain take us through the meaningful changes that will transform the hotel kitchens post-COVID-19.

Hygiene and safety are not a new concept for the hospitality industry. However, the COVID outbreak has forced hotels and restaurants worldwide to further enhance their hygiene and safety protocols. As a part of their hygiene practice, they are now altering their kitchen spaces as per social distancing norms, which, in a way, are giving rise to new concepts.

Cost-effective design

Given the losses borne by the industry, the first step towards business recovery, as suggested by experts, is a cost-effective kitchen design. The need to follow social distancing norms may lead to reduced seating in the dining area, which, in turn, may result in reduced revenue generation for the owners.