prep area
Where ingredients wait
A prep area is a designated space where preparation takes place, most commonly in kitchens where food is chopped, measured, and assembled before cooking: Keep raw meat away from the prep area where you're cutting vegetables.
The term extends to any workspace set aside for getting ready—surgical prep areas in hospitals, staging zones in warehouses, or backstage spaces where performers prepare.
- kitchenFood preparation room
- back of houseNon-public restaurant operations
- counterFlat service surface
- cutting boardSurface for slicing food
- mise en placePre-cooking ingredient arrangement
station · workspace · work surface · chop · slice · dice · ingredients · chef · apron · knife · sanitize · stainless steel · bowls · measuring · plastic wrap · organize · staging · assembly
- kitchenskitchen, sink, home kitchen, oven, stove
- restaurant constructionkitchen layout, commercial kitchen, seating, host stand, walk-in cooler
- restaurant kitchenkitchen, walk-in cooler, walk-in, freezer, dry storage
- staging areasmarshalling yard, muster point, rally point, depot, supply depot
- boat launchingboat ramp, slip, trailer, winch, drain plug
- restaurantkitchen, dining room, booth, counter, host stand
prep areaserving counter
Food distribution surface
service station · front of house · dining area · pass · service line
prep areafront of house
Guest-facing venue operations
dining area · serving counter · public space · service window · front counter
prep areacold storage
Refrigerated preservation space
walk-in cooler · dry storage · pantry · freezer · warming station