I had a customer with a very similar floor plan. They loved to cook but were on a budget so moving the slider was not an option. They were ok with the few extra steps to move the ref.

Here is what they did:

Just a thought!

Your kitchen layout is very similar to mine with the U-shape and stove and fridge on the opposite wall. I couldn't afford to change my layout but what I made sure I added were drawers everywhere I could. How wide is your current slider?

I like Debbie’s suggestion however would you consider loosing the uppers and wall separating the kitchen and dining? It would connect those areas nicely.

Yes we could totally do this

@Debbi Washburn i cant beleive how identical it is. moving the fridge there is a solution. i dont love it, but its a contender

Unless you are going to push the kitchen into the dining room, dropping that wall will take away storage and counters. You could also go more extreme. IF the patio goes all the way across the back of the house, then put the slider in the dining room, make the opening to the dining room wider, close where the old slider was and move the stove over there. Then you would have a nice Lshaped kitchen and can have pantries flanking the ref for bulk storage.

Or you could add a small peninsula on the diningroom side