What Is a Summer Kitchen?

A summer kitchen is Florida's outdoor kitchen: a place to cook and gather outside, usually under cover.

In Florida, 'summer kitchen' usually means an outdoor kitchen, often under a covered patio, lanai or gazebo, set up so you can cook and entertain outside. The name comes from the old practice of moving cooking outdoors to keep the house cool.

AY Luxury Designs LLC · Certified Building Contractor CBC1268168 · Amany Youssef: Registered Building Contractor RB29003947 · Registered Electrical Contractor ER13016631 · Registered Underground Utility & Excavation Contractor RU11066663

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What a Summer Kitchen Usually Includes

A grill and counter space, often with a bar for seating.
Storage, and sometimes a sink, refrigerator or side burner.
A cover overhead so you can cook through sun and rain.
Lighting and power planned for evening use.

Historically, a summer kitchen was a separate kitchen used in the hot months so cooking wouldn't add heat to the main house, as the National Park Service describes.

Summer Kitchen vs. Outdoor Kitchen

The terms mean nearly the same thing. 'Summer kitchen' is common in Florida listings and usually implies the kitchen sits under cover. See our Summer Kitchen and Outdoor Kitchen pages. Gas and plumbing connections are made by our licensed trade partners.

NFPA recommends keeping children and pets at least three feet away from the grilling area.

Why AY Luxury Designs

You design it with the founder. Amany Youssef designs every project with you in person and stays involved through the final walkthrough.
We manage every step, from design to final inspection. We handle the AutoCAD design, the HOA paperwork, the engineering, the permits and the build. We handle electrical work with our licensed electrical partner, and gas and plumbing with our licensed trade partners.
Built for Florida. Every permitted structure gets its necessary engineered documents.
A Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite.

Our Design-Build Process

Design session with Amany. Your project starts at our Jacksonville design studio, where you sit down with founder Amany Youssef and watch your project take shape live on screen in AutoCAD.
Free AutoCAD design and a custom quote. You get to-scale 3D renderings and a fully itemized custom quote within 24 hours of your consultation, so you know exactly what you're getting.
In-home design visit. Amany comes to your home for an in-person walkthrough, so we look at the project together where you're most comfortable, finalize the details and choose your colors and finishes.
Engineering, HOA and permits handled. We get the necessary engineered documents for every permitted structure, prepare your HOA/ARB package and pull the permits.
Build. We can start most projects within two to four weeks. Our crews follow a build process we've refined over many projects, and you get daily updates.
The AY Advantage. You hold back the final 5% for seven days after completion, so we can take care of any touch-ups before you sign off.

Financing is available through Synchrony Bank, including 18 months of no-interest financing, and we have other financing options as well.

Related Projects

From old pool to cedar A-frame and outdoor kitchen, Ponte Vedra Beach We filled in an unused pool and built an A-frame cedar gazebo carried into the roof, over a new paver patio with a gas fire bowl. Underneath sits an outdoor kitchen with a bar and granite counters. This family came back to us for their second project.

Cedar gazebo with outdoor kitchen, bar and outdoor TV, Pace Island (Fleming Island) Planned as a cedar pergola, this project grew into a full cedar gazebo with custom column build-ups over an outdoor kitchen with a bar and granite counters, set on new pavers that wrap around the house. In a second phase the family added an outdoor TV and ceiling speakers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an outdoor kitchen worth it? If you entertain or cook outside often, an outdoor kitchen makes the backyard a true living space. We design it to fit how you cook.

Does a summer kitchen need a permit? If it includes electrical, gas or plumbing work, or a structure overhead, it usually does. We handle the permits and coordinate our licensed trade partners.