Some professionals may consider investing in a cold room to centralize the storage of their fresh products, ingredients, and preparations.
A cold room obviously requires enough space and represents a bigger investment than a simple refrigerated cabinet. However, it can bring a considerable gain in storage capacity and free up a large part of the space occupied by several refrigeration units.
A cold room is a closed, insulated space fitted with a refrigeration system that keeps products at a controlled temperature.
Unlike a refrigerated cabinet, you can walk directly into the room to access the stored products.
It can hold:
The cold room can be custom-built or chosen from standard dimensions.
Its interior layout will depend on your business, the volume of goods received, and the type of products you want to store.
Installing a cold room requires enough space in the prep area, storeroom, or an adjoining room.
You need to allow room for:
You shouldn't only calculate the interior storage area.
The full installation may also require space around or above the cold room, particularly for ventilation and maintenance of the refrigeration unit.
In a small establishment, a cold room won't always be possible. In a sufficiently spacious space, however, it can completely transform the way storage is organized.
A cold room generally represents a bigger investment than a refrigerated cabinet.
Its cost depends notably on:
The following may also need to be added:
The project therefore needs to be studied as a whole, rather than just comparing the price of the panels or the refrigeration unit.
A cold room takes up part of the premises, but it can offer a real space saving across the whole establishment.
It can replace:
Instead of multiplying the number of units, products are centralized in a single space.
You can then reserve the refrigerated tables in the production area for the ingredients needed for service, while the main stock stays in the cold room.
This setup generally makes better use of every square meter.
It can also free up space in the prep area to install:
The space saved doesn't necessarily mean the cold room itself is small. It means it lets you efficiently group together a volume of goods that would otherwise have required several separate units.
A well laid-out cold room lets you sort products by category.
For example, you could set aside a zone for:
Shelving can be installed on one or several walls to make the most of the available height.
However, you must keep enough space to:
Good organization also makes the first-in, first-out method easier to apply.
The oldest products should remain easily accessible so they can be used before more recently received goods.
There are mainly two broad families of cold rooms.
A positive cold room is used to store fresh products at a temperature above 0°C.
Depending on the products stored and the settings, it can generally operate around:
It can be suitable for storing:
For a pizzeria, the positive cold room is often the most useful on a daily basis.
A negative cold room operates at a temperature below 0°C.
It is intended for storing frozen or deep-frozen products.
It can notably replace several freezers once the quantities stored become significant.
Its installation is generally more demanding, particularly regarding:
The choice between positive and negative cold must be made before the room is designed.
A positive room cannot simply be turned into a negative room by adjusting the thermostat alone.
The cold room is made up of insulated panels assembled together.
These panels form:
Their thickness depends notably on:
A negative cold room generally needs more insulation than a positive one.
The quality of the panels directly affects:
Insufficient insulation will force the refrigeration unit to run more to maintain the temperature.
Some cold rooms come with insulated flooring, while others are installed directly on the existing floor.
Insulated flooring limits heat exchange with the building's floor.
It can be particularly important for:
The flooring must be:
Insulated flooring sometimes creates a small step at the entrance.
A ramp may be needed if you use carts or other wheeled equipment.
A positive cold room can sometimes be installed without insulated flooring, directly on a suitable existing surface.
This makes it easier for carts to pass through and avoids creating a step.
The floor of the room must, however, be:
This decision should be made together with the installer, based on the desired temperature and the layout of the building.
The refrigeration unit produces the cold air needed to run the room.
Two setups are commonly considered:
The choice depends on the size of the room, the layout of the premises, the ambient temperature, and the level of comfort sought.
The straddle-mounted unit, also called a monobloc straddle unit, is installed directly on one of the cold room's panels.
Part of the unit sits inside the room, and the other part stays outside.
It sits astride the wall, which is where the name comes from.
The system combines in a single unit:
The straddle unit is generally simpler and faster to install than a remote unit.
It can offer several advantages:
Many models come pre-charged with refrigerant and ready to be installed on the panel.
Depending on their power and supply, some units can run on a single-phase power supply and be plugged into a suitable outlet.
However, the manufacturer's specifications should always be checked. Not all models can simply be plugged into a standard household outlet.
The electrical power, circuit protection, and outlet type must be suited to the appliance.
The straddle-mounted unit is often chosen by professionals wanting a simple solution.
Once the opening in the panel has been made, the unit is positioned on the wall and connected to the power supply as well as the condensate drain, if needed.
It generally doesn't require a long refrigerant circuit between the inside and outside of the building.
This limits the work involved and reduces installation time.
The straddle unit releases the heat it removes from the room directly into the space where it's installed.
It can also be noisy.
If the cold room is in a small kitchen already heated by the oven and other equipment, the unit can raise the ambient temperature even further.
This can lead to:
A sufficiently ventilated room is therefore essential.
The unit must not be enclosed in a space that's too small or lacks heat outlets.
Some monobloc units are installed on the ceiling of the cold room rather than astride a wall.
This option can help keep more wall space available.
It may, however, require:
As with the straddle unit, the heat is generally released into the room where the cold room is located.
Ventilating the space therefore remains essential.
With a remote unit, not all the refrigeration components are grouped on the cold room wall.
The evaporator is installed inside the room, while the condensing unit or motor is placed elsewhere.
It can be installed:
The various components are connected by refrigerant lines.
The main advantage of the remote unit is that it evacuates a large part of the following to the outside:
The kitchen thus stays more comfortable for staff.
This solution is especially worthwhile when:
The remote unit can also be better suited to large-capacity cold rooms or projects requiring greater refrigeration power.
The remote unit requires a more complex installation than the straddle unit.
You need to plan for:
The length and route of the refrigerant lines must be studied precisely.
Installation therefore isn't simply a matter of setting up the appliance and plugging it in.
It must be carried out by a refrigeration technician with the skills and authorizations needed to work on the refrigerant circuit.
A remote unit can represent a bigger cost due to:
This investment can, however, be justified by the comfort it brings and the performance of the installation.
In a hot kitchen, releasing the heat outside can also help avoid making the room's temperature even worse.
The straddle unit can be worthwhile when:
The remote unit may be preferable when:
The choice shouldn't be made based solely on the price of the unit.
You should also take into account:
A refrigeration unit needs a power supply suited to its output.
Some small monobloc units can run on a single-phase supply and be plugged into a dedicated outlet.
Other models may require:
Always follow the technical data sheet and the manufacturer's recommendations.
Even when the unit can be plugged into a simple outlet, that outlet must be:
Avoid extension cords and power strips for powering commercial refrigeration equipment.
The ambient temperature around the refrigeration unit strongly affects its performance.
In a pizzeria, the prep area can get very hot because of:
The unit should therefore be chosen based on the maximum temperature actually reached during service.
A unit designed for a temperate room may struggle if installed in a space that regularly reaches high temperatures.
Ask the supplier about:
In a particularly hot kitchen, it may be necessary to choose a tropicalized unit, or one sized to work at high ambient temperatures.
This type of equipment can offer:
The term "tropicalized" should always be checked against precise technical data.
Ask up to what ambient temperature the unit can run while still maintaining the desired interior temperature.
A refrigeration unit that's too weak will have to run almost continuously to maintain the temperature.
This can lead to:
The power required depends notably on:
Sizing should be carried out by a professional.
A cold room is a long-term investment.
It can therefore be wise to plan a small capacity margin to accommodate business growth.
A room that's 100% full from opening day will quickly become insufficient.
That said, you shouldn't choose an oversized room either.
An unnecessarily large volume leads to:
The goal is to plan a realistic capacity for the coming years without over-sizing the installation unnecessarily.
Shelving lets you make efficient use of the cold room's walls.
It should be:
You can choose shelving:
Avoid placing products directly on the floor.
Goods should stay on shelves, suitable pallets, or other easily cleanable supports.
Leave enough space between the shelves and the walls to allow cold air to circulate.
The evaporator distributes cold air throughout the room.
Goods must not block:
An overly full or poorly organized room can have temperature differences between zones.
You need to keep enough space:
Don't place boxes or bins directly against the cold air outlet.
The door is used several times a day and needs to be chosen carefully.
Check in particular:
The door must be able to be opened from the inside to prevent anyone getting trapped.
For a negative cold room, additional features may be required depending on the setup and applicable regulations.
The swing door is common and generally simpler.
It does, however, need enough clearance in front of the room to open fully.
The sliding door can be worthwhile when space in front of the room is limited or when carts need to move through.
It can, however, be more expensive and require more maintenance on the track and seals.
The choice depends on traffic flow in the space.
A strip curtain can be installed behind the door to limit warm air entering when the room is opened frequently.
It can help:
It doesn't replace the door but can complement the installation.
It must be cleaned regularly to stay compliant with hygiene requirements.
The cold room needs adequate lighting to allow you to:
The lighting must be suited to:
A switch placed outside helps avoid unnecessarily leaving the light on.
Some systems include an indicator light showing that the interior lighting is on.
The cold room must have a system for setting and monitoring the temperature.
The display should be easy to see.
It can be installed:
Some equipment also allows:
These options can be especially useful when the room holds a large quantity of goods.
A cold room breakdown can result in the loss of a large amount of stock.
An alarm can warn you in case of:
Depending on the system, the alert can be sent:
This option comes at an extra cost, but it can prevent significant losses.
The cold room must be easy to clean.
You need to regularly maintain:
Avoid setups with too many nooks or inaccessible spaces.
Removable shelving makes thorough cleaning easier.
The floor should make it easy to remove:
The cleaning method must follow the manufacturer's recommendations so as not to damage the panels, seals, or electrical components.
The refrigeration unit needs to be maintained regularly.
Maintenance can include:
A dirty condenser evacuates heat less effectively.
The unit then consumes more and risks wearing out prematurely.
In a pizzeria, flour and grease can quickly build up on equipment.
The unit therefore needs to stay accessible for cleaning and maintenance.
A cold room protects a significant quantity of goods.
A breakdown can lead to:
Choosing quality equipment can offer:
Purchase price therefore shouldn't be the only criterion.
You should also look at:
A commercial cold room represents a significant investment and requires enough space in the premises.
It can, however, provide considerable storage capacity and replace several refrigerated cabinets or freezers.
By grouping goods into a single space, it helps organize stock more effectively, frees up room in the prep area, and lets you keep only what's needed for service in the refrigerated tables.
The choice of refrigeration unit is particularly important.
The straddle-mounted unit is a compact and relatively simple solution to install. Some single-phase models can be connected to a dedicated outlet, provided the electrical setup matches the manufacturer's specifications. However, this type of unit generally releases its heat and noise into the room where the cold room is located.
The remote unit requires a more involved installation and the help of a refrigeration technician. It does, however, allow the motor to be placed outside or in a technical room, moving a large share of the heat and noise out of the kitchen.
The right choice will therefore depend on:
A cold room shouldn't be evaluated only on its purchase price. It should be seen as a real organizational tool, capable of protecting your stock, freeing up space, and supporting the long-term growth of your pizzeria.
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