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.

Project Details
- Category: Places of Worship
- Client: First Lynnhaven Baptist Church
- Location: Virginia Beach, VA
- Mananer: http://firstlynnhaven.org/