top of page

Behind the Scenes at 5 Family Ranch: Understanding Our Cold Prep Kitchen

Updated: 1 day ago

At 5 Family Ranch, we strive to provide our couples and their vendors with a seamless and stress-free experience. A part of that experience includes understanding the unique spaces available for use, including our kitchen. If you're planning a wedding or event at 5 Family Ranch, it's essential to know that our kitchen is a cold prep kitchen, designed as a staging area for caterers rather than a full-service meal preparation space.


What is a Cold Prep Kitchen?

 A robust stainless steel 3-sink setup for cleaning and sanitation, conveniently located in the cold prep kitchen staging area at 5 Family Ranch.

A cold prep kitchen is a space where caterers can organize, plate, and stage food before it's served, but it's not equipped for cooking or meal preparation. At 5 Family Ranch, this means that while your caterers will have a convenient area to work from, they will need to prepare all food off-site. The kitchen lacks heat source equipment such as stoves, ovens, or warming units, so it’s important to discuss these requirements with your chosen caterer ahead of time.


A sleek and durable stainless steel counter, providing ample workspace for caterers in the cold prep kitchen staging area of 5 Family Ranch.

Designed for Staging, Not Cooking

Our kitchen is designed as a staging area for caterers to organize their dishes and ensure everything is ready to be served to your guests. This makes it a perfect space for finishing touches and plating meals before bringing them out to the reception. However, since it is not equipped with heating equipment, any food that requires cooking must be prepared off-site and brought to the venue ready to serve.


Clean-Up Expectations for Caterers

At 5 Family Ranch, we pride ourselves on maintaining a clean and organized environment. After serving your guests, your caterer is expected to pack up their equipment and leave the kitchen in the condition they found it. Our staff relies on the kitchen after the caterers exit, as we need to use the space for washing the venue's glassware and water carafes. Because of this, we ask all caterers to respect our guidelines and clean up any mess before leaving.


A spacious, stainless steel double-door commercial refrigerator available for use by caterers and clients during events at 5 Family Ranch.

Why These Guidelines Matter

These kitchen guidelines help us provide a smooth experience for everyone involved. By ensuring that caterers stage rather than cook, and leave the space clean and ready for use, we’re able to maintain a high standard of service throughout every event. This also allows us to streamline the flow of the evening, ensuring that all our couples receive the same top-notch service they deserve.


A versatile, mobile stainless steel table, perfect for caterers to organize and stage dishes during events at 5 Family Ranch.

Final Thoughts

While our kitchen is a bit different from what some may expect, it works hand in hand with our philosophy of flexibility. We want couples to have the freedom to choose their caterers and vendors while ensuring everything runs smoothly on the day of their celebration.

If you have any questions about our kitchen or need help selecting a caterer who is familiar with staging in cold prep kitchens, feel free to reach out to us. Our trusted vendors page is a great starting point to find professionals who can meet your needs and ensure your event at 5 Family Ranch is everything you've dreamed of!


Book a tour or contact us at 5 Family Ranch, a family-owned and locally-owned wedding venue in Minnesota. We would love to meet you, answer your questions, and host your special day!!!


Tel: +1-507-401-5918


We hope to use our platform to create awareness for the value of supporting locally owned wedding venues. You can help support amazing locally owned wedding venues across the country by writing a Google review, following their social media accounts and referring locally owned wedding venues whenever you have the opportunity. We sincerely appreciate your support and want to share a shout out to some of our wedding venue owner colleagues around the country. Please consider a locally owned venue, you can find locally owned wedding venues featured on this wedding venue map.


Special thanks to these wonderful locally-owned wedding venues from across the country who continue to inspire us and help support our wedding venue!

Comments


bottom of page