How To Specify a Cooking Suite

Consultants outline must-know details, from the latest technology to how to vet suppliers.

January 1, 2026

A cooking suite by Stuart Davis Design puts production on display at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, Calf.

Just as a car enthusiast might show off their 1950s Ferrari, so too might an operator tout their cooking suite. Originally from Europe, cooking suites at the highest level are works of art, custom built with seamless integration of cooking equipment and an array of finishes available. Operators who are budget-conscious or want flexibility may choose a modular suite, with plug-and-play equipment.

Both options offer a layout that supports the kitchen brigade system, where employees specialize in a particular task to help the kitchen run as smoothly as possible.

“Range suites improve communication, collaboration and efficiency (when compared with a traditional straight cookline),” says Russell Stilwell, founder and principal of Next Step Design, who has designed suites for decades.

Three foodservice design consultants—Stilwell, along with Stuart Davis, principal of Stuart Davis Design, and Will Cromwell, president of Cromwell Consulting—offer the following tips for operators specifying a cooking suite:

Ensure a suite is the right fit. Suites hum in chef-driven, high-end restaurants with lots of volume. They accommodate nearly any menu, from American to Asian or Indian cuisines. But they have to fit—literally. Situate them in the front-of-house as a focal point or in the back-of-house for maximum throughput. In both cases, the rest of the kitchen must be organized in such a way that it supports the suite. Layout-wise, suites typically come freestanding. If space is tight, pushing one side against a wall to form a peninsula is an option. Showpiece, custom wall suites exist too.

Look to the menu when choosing components. Core pieces include cooking equipment, bases, specialty equipment and up-top options. “Electrification is the big new one,” Cromwell says about trends in the category. At least one manufacturer’s suite features an accelerated oven, induction hobs and an induction griddle. Cromwell also has added lower shelves lately for combi ovens. Overall, follow the menu’s lead. A pasta-heavy menu may want a pasta cooker while a breakfast menu needs a griddle.

Don’t pack too much in, though. “Less is more,” says Davis, a former chef who worked on an island suite in a fine-dining kitchen. “We try to leave open spaces between cooking pieces, so you have a place to rest your meat or to plate foods.”

Next Step Design’s cooking suite at Mamani in Dallas gives chefs a space to create.

Dial in the form-and-function details. Lately, Stilwell and Davis say they’ve worked with U.S. manufacturers to create bespoke suites that resemble European models but are more affordable and easier to service. For example, adding more curves and rounded corners give units a European look.

As for functionality, add plenty of lighting to the hoods. “Island suites need more overhang on the two ends,” Cromwell says. “They get large quickly. Usually we’re putting in LED lights not only in the hood canopy, which is typical, but in the makeup air plenums, just because they’re so deep and your first ceiling tile might be 5 feet away with the lighting.”

Consider raising the countertop. “We’re doing a lot of countertops at 38 inches above the finished floor in lieu of the standard 36 to be more ergonomic, because you’re hunched over the cookline all day,” Davis says. “Those two inches make a huge difference.”

Ask questions when selecting a supplier. Cooking suites can be super-custom with a price tag to match. Speak up. On the construction side, ask how the supplier handles the heat coming off the undercounter ovens. Gases should vent through a flue versus getting trapped and overheating components. Also, ask if the supplier does the install. “They built it. I want them to put it together,” Davis says.