Why hospitals plan this early

A hospital kitchen serves patients, staff, and visitors every day, and construction dust and shut-off utilities make the permanent kitchen unusable while work is under way. Medicare-participating hospitals are also surveyed for compliance by the State Survey Agency or a CMS-approved accreditation program (CMS), so the temporary arrangement should be something your infection-control and survey-readiness teams have signed off on, not a last-minute fix.

The options

  • Borrow a nearby kitchen. When Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend began the first phase of a $20 million renovation, its chef said a temporary kitchen was needed for about two months. With school out for the summer, the hospital cooked in a school district kitchen about 2 miles away (FoodService Director). It works when a kitchen is free and close, but every meal travels.
  • Put a kitchen trailer on site. A mobile kitchen trailer rental parks next to the building, so staff, food deliveries, and tray lines stay where they are. Bulk kitchens with walk-in refrigeration suit hospitals preparing meals for several units or campuses.
  • Split the work. If only the dish room or the walk-ins are being rebuilt, rent just that piece: a dishwashing trailer or a refrigeration trailer.

Health department review

Your county or city health department approves the temporary kitchen, and its rules follow the FDA model Food Code in most states. Approval in one county doesn't always carry over: San Bernardino County, California, says a food trailer approved and permitted in another county must still go through its own plan review (San Bernardino County EHS). Ask your health department early what it needs and how long review takes, and see our health approval guide for the documents to prepare.

Utilities and placement

  • Pick a level spot near a service door, out of the construction route and away from air intakes.
  • Confirm the electrical service each trailer lists on its equipment page; our standard and bulk kitchens list 220V single-phase service.
  • Plan potable water, wastewater, and grease handling, and add stairs or a ramp for staff carrying carts.
  • Agree delivery, setup, and pickup dates with the general contractor before demolition starts.

Small and rural hospitals

Critical access and rural hospitals often have one kitchen and no nearby institution to borrow from, so an on-site trailer is usually the only way to keep meals in house. We deliver to hospitals in towns like Salmon, Decorah, and Cody on the same terms as large medical centers. Use the rental calculator for a preliminary monthly figure, then send your dates for a quote.