Due to intense competition and a low success rate in the restaurant industry, every establishment, whether a small food truck or a fine dining restaurant, is looking for solutions to reduce costs, boost profits, ensure compliance, and enhance operational efficiency. One concept that enables restaurants to achieve all this is the commissary kitchen. A commissary kitchen optimizes back-of-house operations by centralizing food preparation and storage

Let’s discuss the commissary kitchen in depth to know how it can be beneficial for your restaurant and the steps to choose the right one.    

What Is a Commissary Kitchen?  

Commissary kitchens are fully-equipped facilities that are rented by restaurant businesses for food preparation and storage. These facilities are licensed and comply with all necessary regulations. In most cases, commissary kitchens charge an hourly rate, enabling some restaurants to utilize them for peak times. For restaurant chains, commissary kitchens facilitate mass food production to ensure consistency across outlets. In general, the hourly rate of commissary kitchens ranges from $15-40.      

Who Uses Commissary Kitchens

Different types of food businesses use commissary kitchens. These are some major ones -  

• Multi-location restaurant chains

• Cloud kitchens and virtual brands

• Food trucks and pop-up restaurants

• Catering companies

• Bakeries and dessert brands

• Concession stands

Whether you want to scale, reduce costs, or improve efficiency, commissary kitchens are the right choice.

Types of Commissary Kitchens to Consider  

There are primarily two types of commissary kitchens that restaurants can opt for based on their restaurant type, scale, and budget.  

Shared Kitchen

This type of commissary kitchen is shared by multiple food businesses. As these kitchens are typically rented on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis, they are especially popular among startups and growing food brands. Businesses with budget constraints that want to minimize in-house capital expenses can opt for the shared model. However, shared kitchens offer less freedom and control as the amenities are shared.    

Dedicated Kitchens

These are kitchens that rent or lease only to a single restaurant business. Restaurants get a dedicated space to operate with complete control over inventory and equipment. Dedicated kitchens are well-suited for restaurant chains that want a central location for food preparation and distribution. However, the cost of a dedicated kitchen is significantly higher than that of a shared one.  

Benefits of Using a Commissary Kitchen  

Let’s discuss some advantages a commissary kitchen offers to restaurants.  

Reduces Expenses

A commissary kitchen reduces a restaurant’s:

Capital Costs

A commissary kitchen reduces a restaurant’s capital expenditure. Firstly, as a commissary kitchen provides kitchen infrastructure and equipment, you do not need to invest in in-house equipment. Consequently, you can optimize the kitchen space and save on real estate costs. Less equipment also means low maintenance costs.  

Labor Costs

Labor costs consume a significant part of the restaurant’s profit, with the numbers going well above historical averages in 2025. In addition to capital expenses, the commissary kitchen saves labor costs significantly. With a commissary kitchen, you can centralize the preparation team to one location, thus minimizing the kitchen workforce in every outlet. It reduces hiring, onboarding, and training costs.  

Food Costs

According to the National Restaurant Association, food costs have increased by 1.3% in the last year and 37% in the last five years. Hence, restaurants need to keep food costs in check.  

Commissary kitchens reduce overall food costs by supporting centralized purchasing and preparation. Buying ingredients in bulk allows restaurants to negotiate better pricing with suppliers, reducing the per-unit cost. Moreover, when restaurants prepare food in one place, it reduces inventory wastage due to over-ordering and spoilage.

Ensures Food Consistency

If you run a restaurant chain, maintaining food consistency across locations is imperative. By opting for a commissary kitchen, you can centralize preparation and ensure consistent food quality by standardizing recipes and deploying proper quality controls. Moreover, it is your brand image as guests have the same experience across outlets.  

Makes Scaling Operations Convenient

As your business grows, you need to scale your operations to meet the increasing demands. Consequently, you require additional equipment and kitchen space, which means more expenses and maintenance hassles. Moreover, there are peak periods, such as festivals and events, when your infrastructure cannot handle the increased footfall.  

Commissary kitchens help you overcome both these challenges. Firstly, you can easily scale your business without having to invest in in-house equipment. Secondly, if you have a high influx of people during a specific period, a commissary can easily meet the demand.  

Ensure Regulatory Compliance

Health violations can hamper a restaurant’s reputation and inflict heavy penalties. However, complying with regulations across locations can be challenging. Commissary kitchens ensure compliance with advanced infrastructure, hygiene procedures, and sanitary protocols. Outsourcing preparation to a commissary kitchen relieves the time and effort of compliance management and monitoring.  

Boosts Kitchen Efficiency

A commissary kitchen provides a common preparation space for restaurants, optimizing kitchen workflows. It means that orders are executed faster and peak-hour bottlenecks are reduced, which increases table turns. Moreover, since operations are centralized, you get better visibility into the operations. You can easily measure KPIs and make data-powered decisions.  

Signs Your Restaurant Needs a Commissary Kitchen?  

Your restaurant may benefit from a commissary kitchen if:

• You are planning to open new outlets

• Your kitchen space is not able to meet current demands

• Your customers have experienced inconsistent food quality in different outlets

• There is high food waste and inventory inefficiencies

• There have been compliance issues in the past

How to Choose the Right Commissary Kitchen

Let’s discuss the steps and parameters for choosing the best commissary kitchen for your business.

Define Your Goals

You can select the right commissary kitchen only if you are clear about the restaurant’s objectives. You must identify the amount of storage you need, for how long you plan to use the service, and whether you are looking to reduce costs or scale. Defining your goals and objectives clearly also helps negotiate better with the provider.    

Do Thorough Research  

Before onboarding a commissary kitchen, it is essential to know everything about them. You must read online reviews and enquire with their current customers about the pros and cons. Moreover, you can also seek assistance from local food businesses near you.  

Choose the Location Wisely

You must ensure that the commissary kitchen is close to your restaurant. If you run a restaurant chain, select a centralized location that is closer to each outlet. Proximity to the commissary kitchen ensures timely delivery and reduces transportation costs. It also mitigates the risk of food spoilage.    

Check for Licensing and Compliance Standards

Shortlist a commissary kitchen that is fully licensed and compliant with state and local health department regulations. The provider must implement proper sanitation protocols, waste disposal methods, and have fire and building code approvals. A fully compliant commissary reduces the regulatory burden on individual outlets because critical prep processes already meet required standards.  

Analyze the Equipment and Infrastructure

It is essential to check the commissary kitchen’s equipment and infrastructure before selecting it. You can ask the provider about the necessary details and even tour the facility to experience their functioning. Inspect the quality of kitchen equipment, including the oven, chiller, and mixer. You must also check whether the provider has optimized the layout for navigation and ventilation.  

Ask for Storage Capabilities

A competent commissary kitchen must have an advanced storage system. As a commissary kitchen is a shared space, you must ask the provider how much storage space you will be allotted. Moreover, check whether the kitchen has separate storage zones for perishable and non-perishable items. The kitchen must also implement batch tracking and FIFO protocols to prevent wastage.  

Check the Cost Structure  

You must analyze the provider’s pricing and contract carefully before selecting a commissary kitchen. Check whether pricing includes all essential components, such as storage, maintenance fee, equipment usage, and service fee. Don’t prefer the cheapest option, rather go for the provider that offers the highest ROI.  

Optimize In-house Operations with NOVA  

Combining the convenience of a commissary kitchen with the advanced features of an intelligent restaurant management system like NOVA makes your restaurant cost-efficient, scalable, and automated. While a commissary kitchen offers infrastructural benefits, NOVA enhances in-house guest experience, workforce management, and decision-making.  

Choose NOVA and get:
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AI-native Analytics  

NOVA is an AI-native platform that analyzes customer preferences, shift patterns, and ordering history, and provides automated prompts for order recommendations, shift management, cost control, inventory management, and more.  

Workforce Management

With NOVA’s advanced scheduling tools, managers can track employee hours, manage shifts, and reduce payroll errors. Employees get real-time notifications of breaks and upcoming shifts.  

Handhelds

NOVA’s handheld POS systems ensure a delightful tableside ordering experience. Guests can order, pay, and tip right at the table. Servers get automated combos and add-on suggestions based on the guest’s order history.  

Personalized Loyalty Programs

NOVA’s loyalty programs are integrated with the POS, handheld devices, and delivery platforms, providing customers with real-time visibility into their rewards. The AI-powered loyalty programs give guests personalized discounts and deals on their preferred items.  

Waitlist Management

NOVA reduces the pain of waiting for a table by offering guests regular updates on the wait time and items on their phones. Send custom text messages with great offers and pre-booking options to enhance the experience.  

Voice AI

Enhance the guest’s ordering experience with NOVA’s Voice AI feature. Whether through in-store, drive-thru, or call, Voice AI facilitates quick and error-free orders. Gives customers a personalized experience with purpose-built LLMs.      

Personal Webstore

NOVA enables you to create your own mobile-optimized restaurant webstore, aligned with your brand design and logo. Customize menus, integrate loyalty programs, and integrate multiple payment methods.  

Marketing

NOVA’s in-built marketing feature enables you to launch campaigns in minutes. The AI-powered engine analyzes customer information to create targeted campaigns based on customer behavior, dietary preferences, and visit history.  

Want to see NOVA in action? Get a free demo now.  

Conclusion

A commissary kitchen can be a powerful lever for restaurant owners looking to reduce costs, scale efficiently, and maintain consistent food quality across locations. By centralizing prep, production, and compliance, operators gain tighter control over labor, inventory, and food safety while freeing up in-store teams to focus on execution and guest experience.

That said, success depends on choosing the right commissary partner. Location, capacity, compliance standards, pricing structure, and contract flexibility all matter. Take time to evaluate your operational needs, understand how the commissary integrates with your workflows, and review agreements carefully before committing.

When paired with the right technology to manage production, inventory, and performance, a commissary kitchen is not just a cost-saving solution; it becomes a strategic foundation for sustainable growth.

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