For restaurants, closing the kitchen means closing the business. Every day without service is lost revenue, and in an industry with tight margins, even a few weeks of closure can be financially devastating. A temporary kitchen lets you keep trading while your main kitchen is refurbished, repaired, or expanded.
Why Restaurants Use Temporary Kitchens
The most common scenarios:
- Kitchen refurbishment or equipment upgrade: Replacing extraction, installing new ovens, upgrading to induction, or reconfiguring the layout
- Building renovation or expansion: Adding dining capacity, reconfiguring the ground floor, or structural work that affects the kitchen
- Fire or flood damage: Emergency replacement while the main kitchen is repaired and insurance claims are processed
- Equipment failure: If a critical piece of equipment fails and the replacement lead time is weeks, a temporary kitchen bridges the gap
- Pop-up and seasonal expansion: Some restaurants use temporary kitchens to increase capacity during peak seasons or for outdoor dining events
Types of Temporary Kitchen for Restaurants
Trailer Kitchens
A towable, self-contained kitchen mounted on a trailer chassis. Positioned in the car park, back yard, or adjacent outdoor space. Can be moved and repositioned as needed.
Best for: Restaurants with car park or yard space, shorter hires (2–8 weeks), and smaller operations.
Modular Cabin Kitchens
Larger freestanding units delivered by crane and connected to mains utilities. These are full commercial kitchens capable of producing hundreds of meals per service.
Best for: Larger restaurants, longer refurbishments (2–6 months), and high-volume operations.
Container Kitchens
Converted shipping containers fitted with commercial kitchen equipment. Extremely robust and weatherproof.
Best for: Restaurants with limited access, rough terrain, or construction site conditions around the building.
Positioning the Temporary Kitchen
The temporary kitchen needs to be positioned where:
- It can be connected to utilities: Water, drainage, electricity (often 3-phase for commercial equipment), and possibly gas
- Staff can move between it and the dining room efficiently: Keep the distance as short as possible. Every extra metre adds time to service
- It complies with local regulations: See planning permission below
- Deliveries can reach it: Food suppliers need access for deliveries
- It doesn't block emergency exits or fire routes
Common locations include:
- Back yard or service area: Ideal if there's enough space and utility connections are nearby
- Car park: Sacrifices some parking spaces but often the most practical location
- Adjacent land: Some restaurants arrange to use neighbouring land temporarily
- Pavement (with licence): In rare cases, councils grant temporary pavement occupation licences
Planning Permission and Licensing
Planning Permission
Temporary structures on commercial premises usually need some form of notification to the local planning authority. The rules vary by council, but generally:
- Structures in place for under 28 days may not need formal permission
- Structures in place for 28 days to 6 months usually need a temporary planning application
- Some councils have fast-track processes for temporary catering structures
Your provider should be experienced in navigating this and can often handle the application on your behalf.
Food Premises Registration
Your temporary kitchen is a new food premises in the eyes of environmental health. You must:
- Notify your local authority at least 28 days before you start using the temporary kitchen (food premises registration)
- Have a HACCP food safety management plan for the temporary kitchen
- Ensure the temporary kitchen meets Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 (or equivalent in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland)
- Be prepared for an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) inspection — often before you start trading
Licensing
If your restaurant serves alcohol, check whether your premises licence covers the temporary kitchen area. You may need a temporary event notice (TEN) or a variation to your premises licence.
Health and Safety Requirements
Fire Safety
- The temporary kitchen must have adequate fire suppression (extinguishers, fire blankets, and in some cases, suppression systems over fryers)
- Fire risk assessment must be updated to include the temporary kitchen
- Fire exits from the temporary kitchen must be clearly marked and unobstructed
- Staff must be briefed on evacuation procedures for the temporary layout
Gas Safety
- All gas connections must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Gas appliances must have adequate ventilation
- Gas interlock systems are required in commercial kitchens (the gas supply automatically shuts off if the extraction fails)
Electrical Safety
- 3-phase connections must be installed by a qualified electrician with BS 7671 certification
- The temporary kitchen should have an RCD (residual current device) for safety
- All equipment must be PAT tested before use
Cost vs Revenue Calculation
The key question for any restaurant owner: does the cost of a temporary kitchen justify keeping the doors open?
Typical Costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Modular kitchen hire (per month) | £4,000–£8,000 |
| Delivery, crane, installation | £2,000–£5,000 |
| Utility connections | £1,000–£3,000 |
| Planning application | £200–£500 |
| EHO inspection / compliance | £200–£500 |
| Weekly servicing | £150–£300 |
| Removal at end of hire | £1,500–£3,000 |
For a typical 12-week refurbishment: £20,000–£40,000 total.
Revenue Retained
A restaurant doing £15,000 per week in revenue would lose £180,000 over 12 weeks of closure. Even if the temporary kitchen only allows you to operate at 70% capacity, you retain £126,000 in revenue.
The calculation is almost always overwhelmingly in favour of hiring a temporary kitchen.
Additional Benefits
- Staff retention: Your team stays employed and you don't face recruitment and training costs when you reopen
- Customer retention: Regulars keep coming. A 12-week closure risks losing them permanently to competitors
- Supplier relationships: You maintain your supply chain and don't have to renegotiate terms after a long gap
Which Providers Specialise in Restaurants?
Several providers on FindAKitchen have extensive experience with restaurant temporary kitchens:
- PKL Group: Large-scale commercial units suitable for high-volume restaurants
- The Kitchen Hire Company: Flexible modular units with restaurant experience
- Mobile Kitchens Ltd: Specialist in commercial catering units
These providers understand the unique requirements of restaurant operations — service timing, equipment specifications, and the importance of minimising disruption.
Menu Considerations
Operating from a temporary kitchen may mean adjusting your menu:
- Simplify: Reduce the number of dishes to match the equipment and space available
- Focus on strengths: Keep your best-selling dishes and cut low-margin items
- Communicate: Tell customers about the temporary setup. Most are understanding and appreciate that you're staying open rather than closing.
- Consider prix fixe: A set menu reduces complexity and helps kitchen efficiency in a smaller space
Next Steps
If you're planning a restaurant refurbishment, start by browsing commercial providers on FindAKitchen. Request quotes from at least three providers and ask about their experience with restaurant operations. The best providers will conduct a free site survey and help you plan the most efficient temporary kitchen layout for your business.
Related: Commercial Temporary Kitchen Hire | Event & Festival Kitchen Hire