6 Things to Consider When Selecting Commercial Restaurant Kitchen Flooring

Restaurant kitchen flooring really gets put to the test. From constant spills to oil stains to regular “wear and tear” from a busy kitchen staff, your commercial kitchen floor sees it all. So, it’s that much more important to make sure you are choosing the right restaurant kitchen flooring option that will sustain the demands of a hard-working restaurant, like yours. We asked some of our favorite restaurant owners what is most important to them when selecting commercial kitchen flooring. Below is a summary of the 6 things to consider when making your decision.

Durability

If you work in a restaurant, you know the intense “hustle and bustle” that happens behind-the-scenes. On top of that, your floors are exposed to things like oil, chemicals, salt, and other damaging elements. All of that can have a big impact on your floors, so it’s critical that you choose flooring that can sustain the daily abuse it endures. That’s where durability comes in. When you evaluate the right restaurant kitchen flooring options for your restaurant, it’s important to ensure that it displays these characteristics of durability to ensure that you will have long-lasting flooring to withstand its harsh environment:

• Chemical Resistance
• Temperature and Thermal Shock Resistance
• Moisture Tolerance
• Impact and Abrasion Resistance

When put to the test, we’ve found that JetRock epoxy flooring is one of the most durable options on the market. Made of a superior blend of quartz chips and a proprietary epoxy resin, JetRock flooring is a virtually odorless mixture that can withstand chemicals, temperature extremes, and the high wear that restaurant kitchens endure. Because of its pure blend of quartz, JetRock epoxy flooring ends up displaying more durability than competitive brands that may dilute its materials with elements other than quartz.

Average Lifetime

You don’t want to keep reinvesting in flooring. It is costly, time consuming, and inefficient for your business. So it’s important to make an investment in kitchen flooring that will truly last to avoid big issues down the line. Among your options for durable flooring are vinyl, epoxy, and ceramic flooring. When looking at the average lifetime of each of these options, one flooring stands out.

Ceramic tile flooring often cracks and water seeps in.

Ceramic flooring, although aesthetically pleasing, is not durable in a commercial kitchen environment and cannot endure the frequent cleaning that is necessary to keep the floors fresh. Tiles will crack over time, retain odors, and could get water seeping in underneath the tile. All of these issues can lead to expensive repairs twice a year and deters from its average lifetime of up to 10 years.

Vinyl flooring is another popular option for restaurant flooring. Again, this is not generally recommended to restaurateurs due to its high maintenance costs, particularly if moisture or dirt gets into the seams. Although the materials look inexpensive, the maintenance costs alone make it costly and inefficient. It usually needs to be replaced every 3 years.

Finally, the most recommended for the best average lifetime is epoxy flooring, specifically JetRock epoxy flooring. Lasting 10 to 15 years, this incredibly durable flooring beats out both ceramic and vinyl flooring, with a number of other important benefits that make it a top-notch choice for your kitchen.

Hygiene

Just as important as durability and average lifetime is the ability to keep your flooring clean. The surface should be easy to clean with typical industry cleaning products and tools, and contain antimicrobial and antibacterial properties that help block microorganisms, such as bacteria and mold from growing on the floors. The best way to assure your flooring is hygienic is to select floors that are nonporous, seamless and waterproof. Again, we consistently find JetRock epoxy flooring to be the best option in this category as it checks all of those boxes with the most sanitary nonporous floors and a monolithic waterproof floor covering with no seams where bacteria can seep in.

It is not uncommon to find bacteria and mold growing under floors.

Safety

Your employees are the heart of your restaurant, and most certainly one of your top priorities should be to keep them safe in the workplace. Let’s face it, a restaurant kitchen is a breeding ground for accidents, from slippery floors to the constant flow of people going in and out. Stresses are high in the kitchen, and the last thing you want your employees to worry about is slipping and falling on the kitchen floor. When looking at commercial kitchen flooring options, make sure you’re choosing one that is slip resistant. JetRock flooring is textured, safe, and slip resistant, ensuring your kitchen is a safe space for the heart of your restaurant.

Ease of Installation

One of the biggest deterrents that restaurant owners face in redoing their floors is the time investment. It’s hard to fathom shutting your restaurant down for 3 days and the lost revenue that would result, but that is the average time it takes most flooring companies to install restaurant kitchen flooring. While this is not the most important factor in selecting your flooring and company to do business with, it certainly should be a deciding component. Overnight installation is ideal, done during downtime without disrupting your flow of business. Feature Flooring offers one of the fastest installs – starting in the evening and a commitment to have your restaurant open by lunchtime the following day. Can’t beat that!

Low Maintenance and Repair

Once you install your new flooring, you probably don’t want to keep reinvesting money to maintain it every year. That’s why it’s important to ensure whatever commercial kitchen floor you select is virtually little to no maintenance and allows you to focus on what’s important… your business. This is where having a watertight and nonporous surface is beneficial.

Appearance

And last, but most certainly not least is appearance. You want your new floors looking sharp, just like the rest of your restaurant. It may not be the front of the house, but you and your staff spend significant time in the kitchen, and it’s important that it is visually appealing. You’ll find a lot of commercial kitchen flooring options look nice, however, being able to blend aesthetics with the other criteria you find critical is key. JetRock epoxy flooring checks a number of these boxes, and is aesthetically appealing on top of all the other perks.

Consult with a Flooring Professional

We know it’s a lot to consider. Your commercial restaurant kitchen flooring is a major decision and investment, so it’s important that you take all of this criteria into account before making your final decision. Our expert team is here to guide you along the way in landing on flooring that works for your restaurant.

Give us a call today to discuss the best flooring options for your requirements.