Baku Expo Center 4 dark kitchens and 12 distribution self service hubs

The factory kitchen project implemented for Baku Expo Center in Azerbaijan represents one of the most complex and technologically advanced centralized catering systems delivered by Easy2Cook for large-scale organized feeding. By its architecture, production logic, and operational model, this project aligns with the most advanced global practices used in major exhibition, convention, and event venues, where the core challenge is not cooking itself, but the ability to deliver safe, consistent, and scalable food production under extreme peak loads.

Baku Expo Center is a multifunctional venue hosting international exhibitions, forums, congresses, and large public events. During peak periods, the number of visitors, staff, and participants simultaneously present on site can exceed 200,000 to 250,000 people per day. Under such conditions, traditional restaurant-based or decentralized kitchen models are structurally incapable of meeting demand in a controlled, safe, and economically sustainable way. Centralized factory kitchen production with advance cooking, controlled logistics, and decentralized regeneration becomes the only viable solution.

The Easy2Cook project was not limited to a single production unit. It was designed as a multi-building factory kitchen complex consisting of several interconnected production blocks operating as one integrated technological system. These blocks provided full-cycle production of meal rations, set menus, business lunches, hot dishes, soups, cold starters, salads, and bakery items. Finished products were then distributed to regeneration kitchens located throughout the exhibition complex.

The technological foundation of the project was Modified Atmosphere Packaging. All meal rations were produced centrally, then packaged in a controlled gas environment to stabilize microbiological parameters, preserve sensory quality, and ensure predictable shelf life. Packaged meals were delivered to regeneration kitchens, where they were reheated directly inside Rational combi ovens without opening the packaging. After regeneration, the peelable film was removed, and the dishes were placed directly into self-service buffet lines while still hot, using CPET containers suitable for high-temperature operation. The same principle was applied to cold salads, cold starters, hot soups, and main courses.

Total capital investment in the project amounted to approximately six million US dollars. Engineering design and equipment selection were carried out jointly with the German engineering company KNP, while Easy2Cook was responsible for end-to-end technology implementation, operational logic, staff training, food safety systems, and menu development. Particular attention was given to new product design, as the assortment for an international exhibition venue must be universally understandable, culturally neutral, and scalable without quality degradation.

A defining feature of the factory kitchen was the implementation of continuous production flow supported by buffer refrigeration and freezing chambers. Traditional internal walls between production zones were eliminated. Instead, refrigerated and frozen chambers formed the physical boundaries between areas. Products moved cyclically through vegetable processing, cold preparation, hot cooking, meat processing, and back into chilled zones via controlled temperature buffers. This architectural solution ensured an uninterrupted cold chain and eliminated temperature breaks, which are among the most critical food safety risks in mass catering environments.

The production facility operated under a strict no-touch concept. All food handling was performed using disposable gloves, with no direct hand contact. Liquids, soups, broths, sauces, and beverages were produced in vacuum bags. All meals were prepared during night shifts using overnight cooking modes in Rational combi ovens. This approach allowed for load balancing across equipment, reduced peak energy consumption, and improved process stability.

Engineering systems were designed to exceed standard sanitary requirements. Water treatment, air handling, and supply ventilation systems were equipped with ultraviolet disinfection. All finished products passed through a dedicated ultraviolet tunnel developed and engineered by Easy2Cook and manufactured by a specialized industrial partner. This tunnel provided an additional safety layer, particularly important given the volume of production and internal logistics within the complex.

The factory kitchen operated on an advance production model, with meals prepared two to three days ahead of major events. This buffer strategy allowed the operation to absorb demand spikes, reduce pressure on staff, and maintain consistent quality regardless of event scale. On event days, regeneration kitchens received fully prepared meals ready for reheating and service, significantly reducing skill requirements for on-site staff and minimizing operational risks.

The project has been in continuous operation for several years and is considered one of the most successful and innovative centralized catering systems designed for organized feeding volumes exceeding 100,000 meal portions per day. It clearly demonstrates the Easy2Cook philosophy, where a factory kitchen is not treated as a production site, but as a controlled system integrating technology, logistics, food safety, economics, and human factors.

This case confirms that modern exhibition and convention centers cannot operate efficiently without centralized food production. Only factory kitchens designed around high-barrier packaging, advance cooking, controlled regeneration, and strict cold-chain management can simultaneously deliver scale, quality, safety, and economic sustainability. This systems-based approach forms the foundation of Easy2Cook’s methodology when designing and implementing factory kitchens for the world’s largest mass catering environments.

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