First Lynnhaven Baptist Church

First Lynnhaven Baptist Church dates to 1871, one of the oldest historically Black churches in Virginia Beach.  Its beautiful 1930 sanctuary was updated and enveloped by a modern foyer in 2017.  Its multipurpose gathering room was served by a residential style kitchen.  Frequently serving meals for up to 200 people, the time had come for a commercial kitchen.

Challenges in creating this kitchen included maintaining a center island for group work, adding a commercial hood with commercial fryer, range with burners and griddle, and convection oven, reusing several pieces of existing equipment (refrigerator, freezer, ice machine), and creating a good flow for work and traffic within the space.  An adjacent narrow classroom with outside access was repurposed into a warewashing and storage room.  Its direct access from the dining area permitted separation of soiled dishes from the cooking area.  Creating a wider opening between the two rooms for unity left enough wall space for needed work tables and utility lines.