We Made a Big Move!

Over schools’ holiday break in December, CKC moved everyone and everything into our new building in the Eagandale Center Industrial Park in Eagan. The 42,540-square-foot building and the efficiencies gained by having the space custom-designed for the company’s workflow will allow CKC to:

• Expand the company’s menus to include a broader array of ethnic foods and rice dishes daily. (The company already offers about 70 menus a day with some ethnic specialties.)
• More than double our manufacturing capacity.
• Prepare foods faster with improved workflow and state-of-the-art equipment including:
  • Rationale iCombi Pro Ovens, which can cook large quantities of food quicker and at higher quality, allowing for reduced labor costs and more food prepared in less space. The ovens can be moved easily anywhere in the kitchen.
  • Vario Cooking Center, which boils, fries and deep-fries with precision automation. It cooks 4 times faster than conventional cooking appliances with up to 40 percent less electricity consumption.
  • Utility Distribution Systems – These pre-engineered wall panels with gas, electricity, water built in and quick-connect fittings to allow kitchen staff to easily move equipment around and to accommodate a variety of meal prep methods. It also easier to service than a standard contractor-built wall with plumbing and electrical inside.
• Use common areas in the office space for events: taste testings with prospective clients, focus groups to evaluate new food items, team building and training events for clients and company employees.
• Expand our special event catering from a separate prep kitchen. Ultimately, the event catering department will have a full staff and a food truck.

Mike Pierson, vice president with general contractor Dering Pierson Group, likened the project to building out three large commercial kitchens at one time. It has more than 12,000 SF of kitchen space and 3,000 SF for dishwashing alone. The warehouse has 12,000+ SF of food storage - more than 3,000 SF of which is cold storage. One refrigerator and two freezers, each built onsite with panelized sections 24’ tall and individual condenser units, have pallet racks to maximize the use of space. There are an additional 6 walk-in coolers in the kitchen area.

Watch the video for a look inside!