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.