When circumstances change, a flexible canopy solution helps guide transformation

Owning a restaurant is a dream come true for many. It’s often the result of significant physical, emotional, and financial investment—more than most would dare to admit in hindsight. In schools, hospitals, and other extensive facilities, food is prepared with the expectation of steady, long-term operations. Once a professional kitchen is built—after numerous stages of planning and construction, it’s easy to assume it will function on the same principles for decades.

However, the reality is quite different. In over two-thirds of professional kitchens, a concept change is expected within five years of launch. Shifting population structures drive the need for renovating and building new facilities for public service providers. The world around us is in constant, multi-layered flux—and professional kitchens must evolve alongside it.

Refreshing the interior or updating signage isn’t enough, even if it’s a common first thought. One of the key actions in comprehensive adaptation is upgrading the kitchen canopy to meet the new operational demands.

This is often where the surprises begin.

When a new canopy needs to be delivered to a kitchen that might be stylish—but not necessarily spacious or open—it can quickly become a logistical puzzle. Real-life cases have seen kitchens located in basements requiring new canopies, only to discover a narrow, one-meter-wide door and a spiral staircase blocking the way. Overcoming these obstacles may mean breaking a window or even jackhammering through the floor. With such steps, the process becomes unexpectedly complex, time-consuming, and expensive. In the end, most of the costs stem from everything but the canopy and its installation.

Modular design eases transportation, installation, and cost pressures

From the perspective of logistics and space-saving, modularity is an unmatched advantage. When executed without compromising performance or quality, it offers a truly winning solution.

Just as IKEA has taken modularity to the extreme on a universal scale, ETS NORD has done the same for kitchen canopies. The modular design and aSAP solution ensure no compromises in indoor air quality—even in tight spaces. The canopy can be delivered as a flat-pack kit and assembled directly on-site.

And that’s only the beginning of its flexibility.

As the business grows, the canopy’s capacity can be upgraded to meet new requirements. Width and depth can be extended with panels, ceiling modules, and other add-ons. Thanks to ETS NORD’s standardized mounting system, new parts can easily be attached to the existing canopy – without messy, improvised installation work, and without the need for cutting tools or excess sealant.

And when a professional kitchen eventually relocates—whether to a more profitable venue or to pursue a new dream—the canopy can be disassembled, packed on pallets, and transported to the new site. This makes aSAP especially ideal for chain restaurants, where kitchen layouts are consistent and precise across all locations—the result: minimal hassle and maximum cost-efficiency.

In a world where change happens faster and more unpredictably than ever, agility is a fundamental pillar of success. For professional kitchens, it’s crucial to maintain operations with minimal disruption and added costs. ETS NORD’s flexible aSAP canopy solution enables precisely that—while continuing to provide excellent indoor air quality and a comfortable working environment for kitchen staff, even amid change.