CHAPTER 8: PLANNING & EQUIPPING THE KITCHEN

• Kitchen Planning

• The Open Kitchen

• Kitchen Floor Coverings

• Kitchen Equipment

• Meeting with the Health Inspector

KITCHEN PLANNING

• The Overall Objective:– Minimize the number of

steps taken by wait staff & kitchen personnel.

– Equipment is placed so that servers only need to take a few steps.

FACTS

• Servers will take the shortest & most convenient route.

• Chefs want their work organized in a manner that minimizes excess activity & unnecessary steps.

• The efficiency & comfort of the staff is important to the operation.

FACTS• Ergonomics, the applied science of

equipment design intended to reduce staff fatigue & discomfort, influences foodservice facility design.

• Legislation & public policy affects foodservice design:– Operators must maintain standards to

accommodate the needs of workers & customers who are disabled.

• Designers must also understand the National Sanitation Foundation standards & apply them to the actions of the workers.

OPEN KITCHEN• Highlights the kitchen and/or a

piece of equipment.• Standard food preparation is not

usually featured.• The open kitchen is reserved for

what is glamorous: bright, shiny ladles, stainless steel & copper utensils, etc.

• Some use under the counter refrigerator units to conserve space.

• The area set aside for open kitchens costs about 25% more than a standard kitchen.

OPEN KITCHEN

• Drawbacks:– The noise level of a completely open

kitchen must be reduced with washable acoustic tile in the ceiling.

– The dining room & banquet rooms must feature carpet, upholstered chairs, washable window drapes, & acoustic ceilings (to absorb kitchen noise).

– Chefs & cooks are completely exposed to the customers.:

• Every word & every gesture has a spectator.

– Customers may also feel that since they can see the chefs and/or cooks that it is okay to talk to them.

KITCHEN FLOOR COVERINGS• Materials should be nonabsorbent,

easy to clean & resistant to the abrasive action of cleaners.– Kitchen floors are usually covered

with quarry tile, marble, terrazzo, asphalt tile, or sealed concrete.

• In areas that accumulate water neoprene matting provides traction.

• All kitchen areas should be covered with nonskid materials.

• The number-one cause of restaurant accidents is slipping & falling.

CATERGORIES OF KITCHEN EQUIPMENT :

• Receiving & storing food• Fabricating & preparing

food• Preparing & processing

food• Assembling, holding, &

serving food• Cleaning up/sanitizing

the kitchen & kitchenware

SELECT THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT • Which will be the most efficient for the menu, item

by item, & for menu items contemplated in the future?

• What is the equipment’s purchase cost & operating cost?

• Should the equipment be gas fired or electric?• Will the equipment produce the food fast enough to

meet demand?• Is it better to buy a large unit or two or more smaller

units?• Are replacement parts & service readily available?• Is reliable, used equipment available?

MENU DETERMINES THE EQUIPMENT

• Variables include the following: – The projected volume of sales

for each menu item. – Fixed or changing menu. – Menu size. – Speed of service desired.– Nutritional awareness &

equipment selected.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER

• Total cost vs. original cost.

• Match equipment with people skills.

• De-skill the job with equipment.

COOKING EQUIPMENT• The Oven/Stove• Deep-Frying Equipment• Low Temperature Ovens• Forced-Air Convection Ovens• Microwave Ovens• Infrared Cooking Equipment• Hot-Food Holding Tables• Refrigerators & Freezers• Ice machines• Pasta-Making Machines• Evaporative Coolers

OTHER COOKING EQUIPMENT

• Numerous other kitchen items are available that may be useful for a particular menu:– Ice cream holding units,

display cases, cream dispensers, meat patty–making machines, garbage disposals, infrared heating lamps, drink dispensers, dough dividers, bakers’ stoves, etc.

MAINTAINING KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

• Maintenance of equipment is a little like preventive medicine.

• By following certain practices, major problems can be avoided.

• Restaurant equipment is generally thought to have a life expectancy of about ten years. – Properly cared for equipment can

last much longer!

HEALTH INSPECTOR• Public health officials and planning

boards want to assure the public that eating in restaurants under their jurisdiction is safe.

• To this end, local health officers draw up extensive requirements for a number of factors, including:– Floor covering– No. of toilets– Foodservice equipment– Lighting– Fire exits

HEALTH INSPECTOR• Requirements vary from place to place.• Floor drainage systems, exhaust

ductwork, distances between dining room tables, # of seats permitted, # of parking spaces required, # of entrances & exits to the parking area & to the restaurant—all must meet safety requirements.

The End

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.