Open Kitchens

Since it’s Friday, let’s discuss food or, actually, food prep. Say you’re opening a restaurant. Would you have an open or a closed kitchen? An open kitchen is one where the diners can see in. Sometimes it’s enclosed by glass; often it’s just open. A closed kitchen is..well..closed. Personally, I don’t think it’s really a choice but that’s based on other businesses so let’s discuss.
Each type of kitchen has advantages. Chefs would tell you that an open kitchen keeps the line cooks under control (customers often can hear as well as see) but can be harder in terms of food prep since diners don’t want to see their food sitting under a heat lamp while the dishes are prepared for the rest of the table. The kitchen has to work more in sync. And that’s kind of why I’m an open kitchen guy. In a word – transparency.

I understand that transparency in the kitchen – and in business – can have issues. Things happen in kitchens (and offices) – small fires, raised voices – that can be very disturbing to an outsider but to those in the kitchen are normal and not cause for alarm. Those things don’t outweigh the good stuff. The ability to reach out to customers and for them to interact with you. The willingness to let everyone see that the hard work you do is sometimes smoky and smelly but the end results are delicious.  The transparency of an open kitchen keeps everyone more focused.  Same with a business that’s customer-centric and transparent.

Let me be clear – just as a restaurant’s customer’s can’t see everything in an open kitchen – the names and amounts of seasonings, what’s in your secret sauce, the finances behind the cooking  – I’m not advocating complete openness with consumers.  I am, however, saying that we live in a world that’s way more open than are most businesses and if we don’t get closer to the mindset of our customers they’ll start looking elsewhere, no matter how good the food.

So what’s your kitchen?  Open or closed.