A church kitchen, taken back to the slab and rebuilt

The Challenge

The congregation’s kitchen had reached the end of its service life. The finishes were failing, the layout no longer suited how the kitchen was actually used on a Sunday, and the equipment and ventilation were long past the point where patching made sense. A fellowship kitchen is not a domestic one: it cooks for a crowd, it has to clean down hard, and it has to keep working for decades on a congregation’s budget.

The room had to come out completely. That meant demolition back to the slab and the bare walls, then rebuilding the mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-in before a single finish went back.

Our Approach

KneppKraft ran the job as general contractor and self-performed the build. Demolition first, then the rough-in: new electrical for the equipment loads, plumbing relocated to suit the new layout, the ductwork set for a commercial exhaust hood, and a mini-split air-conditioning system added for the room. Framing and drywall followed, then the ceiling and lighting.

With the shell closed up, the finish sequence went in the order that protects the work: cabinetry, then counters, then the stainless. Cabinets were set and scribed, quartz tops templated to the installed boxes, and the hood and stainless wall panel fitted last so nothing finished got damaged behind them.

The Result

A commercial-grade kitchen the congregation can run hard and clean down fast. Full-height stainless behind the cook line, a stainless exhaust hood with integral lighting, quartz counters on a central island and the perimeter runs, and an extra-large stainless undermount sink in place of the three-compartment commercial sink the kitchen had before.

The layout now works the way the kitchen is used: an open island for prep and serving, uninterrupted perimeter runs for equipment, and clear circulation for several volunteers working at once.

From the Job

Same room, same corner. The doorway at the back of each frame is the reference point.

The work, in sequence