Equipment that supports the new pace of pizzerias

Trends in the pizza business aren’t just about toppings or dough fermentation times. They’re about how kitchens operate, and more importantly, how equipment adapts to a faster, more flexible way of working.

Modern pizzerias demand more than a traditional oven and prep bench. Today, every square metre of the kitchen must be optimised for speed, freshness, and precision. That’s where smart refrigeration and modular prep solutions come into play. In this article, we answer the most common questions:

• What’s the best way to store pizza ingredients?
• What should you keep in mind when running a pizzeria?
• What are common mistakes in storage and preparation?
• What equipment should you use for both processes?

Essential practices for storing pizza ingredients

Improper storage or preparation conditions don’t just affect flavour—they compromise food safety, slow down operations, and increase waste. In a busy pizzeria, these issues can quickly impact both the customer experience and your bottom line.

Investing in the right prep and storage equipment helps ensure:

• Consistent freshness and hygienic handling of ingredients

• A smoother workflow and faster order turnaround

• Longer shelf life for dough, sauces, and fresh toppings

Key considerations for equipping a pizzeria

Success in a pizzeria goes beyond perfecting dough or toppings; it requires a setup that supports speed, consistency, and hygiene. Here are some key points to consider:

• Ingredient rotation: apply FIFO (First In, First Out) to minimise waste and ensure freshness.
• Efficient workflow: position prep and storage units to reduce unnecessary movement.
• Reliable cooling: choose units with stable temperatures and quick recovery times.
• Easy cleaning: surfaces should be smooth, durable, and quick to sanitise.
• Energy use: opt for Class A equipment with natural refrigerants to cut costs and heat.

Common misconceptions in storage and preparation

Despite advances in kitchen planning, some mistakes persist:

1. Choosing equipment by size, not functionality
   A bigger counter isn’t always better. It’s important to consider practical details, like whether drawers fit standard GN (Gastronorm) containers; these are modular trays commonly used in professional kitchens to organise ingredients efficiently. Shelves that aren’t adjustable can also limit flexibility, making daily prep more complicated and slower.

2. Disconnected kitchen flow
   If your refrigerated topping display unit (VRX) is positioned too far from the dough bench, or if the saladette blocks movement between stations, your team loses valuable time during service. The kitchen layout should minimise friction, not create it.

3. Ignoring long-term energy cost
   A fridge that consumes too much may go unnoticed day to day, but it adds up fast. Opt for Class A units with natural refrigerants to reduce energy waste and kitchen heat without sacrificing performance.

Core features of a modern pizza kitchen

To support these best practices, here are some Inox counter options that can help streamline your pizza kitchen. These models combine preparation space and ingredient storage in a single, compact solution, adaptable to different team sizes and workflows:

• QR 2100 – for open kitchens with no splash back required.
• QR 2200 – ideal when wall protection is needed.
• QZ 16 or QZ 20 – great for small teams that need everything at arm’s reach.
• QZ 30 or QZ 26 – robust, high-capacity versions for larger production volumes.

To complete your setup, here’s a quick overview of complementary units, such as saladettes and topping displays, that support specific tasks like ingredient organisation and cold storage.

Implications for the future

The trend is clear: flexibility, compactness and efficiency have become just as essential as the dough recipe itself. Yet these aren’t the only shifts redefining how modern pizzerias operate.

The growing interest in menu diversification, like gluten-free bases, vegan options or seasonal ingredients, also requires greater versatility in prep and storage. Meanwhile, delivery continues to reshape the business model, with apps and lean teams becoming the norm. One of the real secret ingredients might just be how your prep station is designed.