The main functions that the central kitchen needs are as follows:

1. Centralized purchasing function: after the central kitchen collects the improved purchasing plans of each chain, it makes purchasing plans in combination with the central warehouse and the market supply department to purchase raw and auxiliary materials from the market in a unified way.

2. production and processing function: the central kitchen should process the raw and auxiliary materials purchased in large quantities into finished products or semi-finished products according to the unified variety specifications and quality requirements.

3. inspection function: conduct quality inspection on purchased raw and auxiliary materials and finished products or semi-finished products, so as to ensure that raw and auxiliary materials that do not meet the requirements do not enter the production and processing process, and finished or semi-finished products that do not meet the requirements do not leave the central kitchen.

4. unified packaging function: in the central kitchen, according to the requirements of the same packaging image of chain enterprises, all kinds of finished products or semi-finished products are packaged in a certain degree.

5. frozen storage function: the central kitchen should be equipped with frozen storage equipment, one is to store raw materials before processing, and the other is to store finished products or semi-finished products that have been packaged but not sent to chain stores.

6. transport function: the central kitchen should be equipped with transport vehicles, and the products should be delivered to chain stores on time and in quantity according to the purchase plan of each store.

7. information processing function: there is a computer network between the qualified chain stores in the central kitchen, so as to know the purchase plans of each store in time and organize the production and processing of various products according to the plans.

The so-called central kitchen means that the dishes are delivered by refrigerated trucks, and all direct stores implement unified procurement and delivery. In the past, the purchase method of restaurants was that all fresh vegetables were purchased by direct stores except dry goods such as beef omasum and duck intestines. After the central kitchen distribution is adopted, the cost will be saved by about 31% compared with the traditional distribution. The central kitchen uses a huge operation room, and there are special personnel in charge of all aspects such as purchasing, selecting vegetables, cutting vegetables and seasonings. The semi-finished products and the prepared seasonings are transported to the branch in a unified mode of transportation within a specified time.

The establishment of a central kitchen, unified procurement, processing and distribution of raw materials, simplified complex initial processing operations, simple operation posts and specialized procedures are conducive to improving the standardization and industrialization of the catering industry, which is a necessary condition for the catering industry to achieve standardized operation. Only in this way can we produce scale benefits on a certain scale, socialize family kitchen labor, and more scientifically guarantee the safety of citizens' dining tables.