Commissary Kitchen Requirements in the Philippines: Layout, Equipment and Ventilation

Start with the rules that apply to you

Rules for food production kitchens are set locally and differ with the city, the building and the food you make. We do not list permits or code requirements here, because they change and an out-of-date list would mislead you.

Before you finalise the layout, ask these offices what applies to your project:

• Your local government unit (LGU): what your business and building work need before you open.
• The local sanitary or health office: what it expects of a food production kitchen.
• The fire safety inspector: what is expected of the hood, exhaust, gas storage and fire suppression.
• Your landlord or building administrator, if you lease the space: ducts, gas storage and openings in walls or roofs may need their consent.

Plan the kitchen as zones

The most useful idea in commissary design is flow. Draw six zones first, in the order food moves through them, then place the equipment.

Every stainless-steel item above can be made to order, built to your exact dimensions, in food-grade SS304 as standard. See the catalogue for sizes, notes and specifications.

Flow rules that save trouble later

• Keep raw preparation apart from ready-to-eat preparation, with their own tables and sinks.
• Put a hand-wash sink at the kitchen entrance and in each zone.
• Place chillers and freezers close to receiving and preparation.
• Leave aisles wide enough for two people to pass with a trolley.

Stainless steel and sanitation-friendly materials

Stainless-steel work surfaces

Stainless steel takes heat and frequent washing, and it has no coating to chip. With seams welded and ground smooth there are no joints for food and moisture to collect in, so the surface stays easy to clean. Food-grade SS304 is the usual choice for work tables, sinks, shelving and cabinets; our SS304 vs SS316 guide explains when SS316 is worth considering.

Ask for a backsplash against the wall, turned-down edges and adjustable feet, so that tables sit level and can be cleaned underneath.

Floors, walls and drains

These points are good practice, not a legal list. Your sanitary office will tell you what it requires.

• Non-slip, sealed floors sloped to drains, so washing water leaves the room.
• Smooth, washable walls with sealed joints and a coved corner where wall meets floor.
• Floor drains or a trench where you wash down, with covers that lift out for cleaning.
• Self-closing doors, gaps sealed against pests, and a waste route that does not cross the clean food path.

Exhaust, gas and fire safety

These systems sit above and behind the cooking line, so plan them with it: the hood, the exhaust, the fresh-air supply, the gas line and the fire suppression belong to one layout.

Exhaust and fresh air

Cooking releases heat, smoke and grease. A hood over every cooking line captures them, ducting and a blower carry them outside, and a fresh-air supply replaces the air that was removed, so the kitchen does not turn into a vacuum. Plan the duct route to the outside early, keep it as short and direct as the building allows, and fit access doors so the ducting can be inspected and cleaned. See exhaust and fresh-air systems and fresh-air systems.

LPG gas lines

A centralised LPG supply keeps the tanks outside the kitchen: they stand in a secured cage in an external storage area, and a fully welded black-iron (BI) pipe network carries the gas to each appliance. A gas leak detection system paired with an emergency auto-shutoff valve adds a safety layer. See LPG gas line installation.

Fire suppression

A wet chemical fire suppression system integrated with the range hood protects the cooking surface and the exhaust path, and a manual pull lets people operate it by hand. Ask the fire safety inspector what they expect before the drawings are fixed. See kitchen fire suppression.

A planning checklist

Use this list when you brief a designer or a fabricator, and settle each line before the drawings are fixed.

• Confirm with your local government unit, the sanitary office and the fire safety inspector what applies.
• Write down what you will produce, in what volume, and the equipment each zone needs, with sizes.
• Draw the flow from receiving to dispatch, with raw and cooked food never crossing.
• Place a hand-wash sink at the entrance and in each zone.
• Put chillers, freezers and dry storage close to receiving and preparation.
• Group the cooking line under one hood, with room for people and trolleys.
• Plan the exhaust route and the fresh-air supply together.
• Decide where the LPG tanks stand outside and how the gas line reaches the cooking line.
• Plan the fire suppression with the hood, and ask the inspector what they expect.
• Choose the stainless-steel grade and finish for work surfaces.
• Plan drains, floor and wall finishes, lighting, doors, water, electrical load and access for deliveries, waste and maintenance.
• Book inspections and approvals into the schedule, so opening is not delayed.

How Barro Industries can help

We design, fabricate, deliver and install commercial and commissary kitchens in food-grade SS304 stainless steel, including the exhaust, fresh-air, gas and fire suppression systems, as one team. Read about our commercial kitchen fit-outs.

For a commissary, send us a full project brief. It helps us plan your layout, equipment, exhaust and utilities before our site visit.

Frequently asked questions