Renovating the kitchen has begun! We chose renovate over refurbish or remodel or restore because we are doing more than refurbishing which connotes a sprucing up. And it’s more than a restoration because we aren’t just restoring its former function. We are increasing functionality from a warm up kitchen to a commercial kitchen. The difference is that the old kitchen wasn’t certifiable under modern regulations to cook food for consumption. We could warm up food prepared elsewhere but that’s all. After passing inspection the kitchen will be much like a restaurant which opens up numerous possibilities for both rentals and church functions.
From the parish hall things won’t look much different. Both pass throughs remain but the counter in the large one will be stainless steel. Inside, things will look commercial, with required, exposed air gap plumbing and lots of stainless steel. The small pass through, dish washer, and coffee machine stay but most everything else will be replaced. Dishes, glasses and silverware go in wheeled carts for easy setup in the parish hall. Food and food contact items go on open shelving rather than in cupboards and drawers where stuff and dirt can hide. Cleaning supplies go in a closed cabinet away from food prep areas.
Many thanks to many helpers but special thanks to Cindy Cohen who helped with design and passed a food safety course required for certification, and to Linda Sanders and Renee Andersen (along with Cindy) who cleaned out a half century of collected stuff, and Alex Barch who hauled away the old ovens and stove which saved us paying someone.
Completion date is early November although we may have everything installed earlier except the stove. As with so many things, COVID has delayed delivering much of the equipment.
For updated photos, check out the photo gallery, here.