The Commercial Kitchen Opening Playbook is a free web tool from STL Food Service Equipment in St. Louis. It walks independent restaurant owner-operators through opening a commercial kitchen in four stages, in the order that saves the most money: menu, space, codes, equipment. Along the way you get a cook line and hood builder, a floor planner, maintenance schedules, POS and tech picks, temperature and sanitizer logs, an opening day countdown, and a daily opening routine with equipment startup steps, station-by-station prep lists and POS and KDS test tickets.
Want the rules in plain English first? Read the Health Code Cheat Sheets for St. Louis-area cities and counties, Missouri, Illinois and the FDA Food Code, or see how we help you equip your kitchen.
Yes. It is free from STL Food Service Equipment. You sign up with your name and email to get access.
Menu, space, front of house, codes, equipment packages for eight restaurant concepts plus a drinks-only bar, building the line under your hood, a floor plan, running it smart, tech and logs, packing the house, opening day and the daily open.
Your menu decides your equipment, your space decides what fits, and the codes decide what is allowed. Buying equipment first is one of the most expensive mistakes new owners make.
No. It is a reference tool. Confirm everything with your health department, building and fire officials, and licensed trades.
STL Food Service Equipment, a commercial kitchen equipment company in St. Louis, Missouri. Built in St. Louis for owner-operators everywhere. Questions: heard@stlfse.com.
Plan your menu, space, line, front of house and codes step by step. Free from STL Food Service Equipment. Your plans stay on your device.
We never sell your info. Questions or delete requests: heard@stlfse.com