Layout & Design

The layout of this kitchen reflects a design appropriate to a fast food facility that would

be located in the food court at San Francisco State University. Those food service facilities

already located in the food court are specifically structured so that customers are able to place

and pick up their orders at the front side of their individual facilities. Usually the kitchen is

directly behind the ordering booth in each fast-food organization. This will also be true for our

foodservice establishment. We will have a front window available for customers to place and

pick up orders from, and an appropriate sized kitchen will be built directly behind the

ordering/pick-up window. This kitchen will have the necessary equipment to help prepare the

menu items, as well as an appropriate flow of food, which will make this kitchen both efficient

and convenient. The equipment I have selected for this kitchen varies from station to station. The freezer

chest I have chosen will store extra frozen patties that serve as back up in case the kitchen freezer

runs out of patties for the burgers. The single door refrigerator and freezer located in the main

kitchen are used by employees on a daily basis when preparing menu items. The defrosting

microwave placed on a table next to the freezer will be used to thaw patties and frozen items.

The 60 qt. stainless steal floor mixer will primarily be used in preparing the dough for the

hamburger buns. The cooking area will have two gas ranges. The first being a four-burner gas

range with a grill in the middle, and the second being a six-burner gas range with a griddle on the

right end. There will be two chefs in total during operation, one for each range. The grill will be

used for more sturdy patties, while the griddle will be primarily used for more delicate patties.

The burners will be used for preparing various sauces and other condiments for the burgers. The

convection ovens will be used for roasting/broiling and baking the various types of vegetable

fries. The double decker convection oven may also be used for baking fries, but it will primarily

be used for baking the hamburger buns. The beverage station will consist of an ice dispenser

with a 250lb production, a water sink, a mini fridge for prepared hand made beverages, and a

worktable for the employee to prepare the beverage.

The equipment being used in the dishwashing area will be used for cleaning and

sanitizing dirty dishes. The three-phase dishwasher with booster heater will be used for washing

plates, silverware, and drinking glasses. The temperature of the booster heater will increase from

140˚F-180˚F in order to sanitize the dishes being washed. (Payne-Palacio, & Thesis, 2012). This

enables our facility to maintain clean and sanitary serving ware. The three-compartment sink

will also be used to sanitize dishes, as well as bigger items such as pots and pans that would not

fit in the dishwasher. The first compartment will be used for washing, the second will be used

for rinsing, and the third will be used for sanitizing. An extra dishwasher is placed in the

dishwashing area because our food service will be providing catering services as well. This will

shorten the dishwashing time if we do happen to have a catering event, because we will have an

extra dishwasher on hand.

The layout of the kitchen is structured in a convenient way, helping the flow of food in

being smooth and quick. The office is the first room located against the left wall, in the back of

the kitchen near the receiving area. This makes it very convenient for the employee responsible

for receiving, to document the necessary requirements when accepting produce and food

ingredients from reputable suppliers. This employee will check off that the supplier has come in

at the correct time to drop of the delivery, and if the quality of the delivered items are acceptable

before taking legal possession. The standards of quality are written as specs, and the quantity

needed for delivery are estimated by keeping track of inventory. The amount of items to be

purchased is calculated in the office, and purchase orders are then created. Once the items have

been delivered, inspected, and accepted in the receiving area outside the office, the items are then

stored in their appropriate storage units.

Most of the ingredients used to prepare the various healthy burgers on our menu consist

of ingredients we would store in different locations in the kitchen. To make it easier for storing

and retrieving food items conveniently during food preparation, the walk-in cooler and the dry

storage rooms have been placed next to each other, directly across the preparation area. The

walk- in cooler is closer to the receiving area so that perishables can be refrigerated quickly. The

vegetables ordered in bulk for the burgers will be placed in the walk in cooler, and items ordered

in bulk that need to be frozen will be placed in the second freezer chest in the walk in cooler

room. The dry storage area will store ingredients that do not need to be refrigerated right away.

For example, various types of dry flour used in preparing freshly baked hamburger buns will be

stored in air tight containers in the dry storage room. Shelves and cabinets in the dry storage

area will be used to store canned products such as various condiments, dry spices, and starchy

vegetables such as potatoes and yams.

A refrigerator and a freezer will be placed in the kitchen near the receiving area, which

will be used daily by the employees. The prep area will be located in the middle of the kitchen,

in between the refrigerator/freezer, and the cooking area. The prep area contains a long table with

a double-sided sinks that will be used for washing and peeling vegetables such as the various

root crops. Two more tables are located in the prep area, one for slicing vegetables that will be

used for the burgers, and the other for slicing the root crops into fries. The right side of the prep

area will be used for preparing the dough for the hamburger buns. A fitted dough mixer and a

standard bakers table are set up side by side for the employee to mix and roll out the dough.

The cooking area will be located near the front of the kitchen near the ordering window.

This is most convenient because once the order is prepared, it can be transported to the pick up

window very quickly. The beverage station is located on the left side of the facility, very close to

the pick up window as well. The beverage station is also considered to be the beverage prep-

station because this is where fresh fruit flavored water is prepared for the customers. Placing the

beverage station and the cooking area near the pick-up window makes it very convenient for the

customer to be able to receive their entire meal in a timely fashion.

Finally, the dishwashing area is located on the far right side of the facility, away from the

prep and cooking areas. It is specifically separated by a wall, which acts as a barrier for the

prepared food from being contaminated by cleaning detergents, and from the garbage cans when

they are emptied and cleaned. The entrance door for employees to enter and exit the facility is

located in-between the dishwashing area and the employee restroom. The employee locker room

is located next to the restroom so they can safely put away their belongings before they start

work. Once they are ready to begin work in their uniforms, they can proceed to the kitchen and

begin working.

The flow of food is important in any food service facility. The route the flow of food

takes is important because risk of food contamination may exist at various points in the flow of

food, which needs to be avoided. (National Food Service Management Institute n.d). A short and

simple route will that will prevent cross contamination of the food will be one way in which the

flow of food will be efficient. The first point in the flow of food will be when the food is

delivered in the receiving area of the kitchen, next to the office. The delivery items that need to

be placed in the daily-use refrigerator and freezer are put away first because it is right next to the

receiving area. The remaining items are then transported through the main traffic isle near the

left side of the kitchen, to the walk in cooler, and then to the dry storage room. The preparation

area is located in the middle of the kitchen, making each area of the kitchen accessible to the

employee. If there are items needed from the dry storage room or from the walk-in cooler, the

prep station employee can simply walk across the left aisle and directly into the designated room.

A mounted hand-washing sink is located conveniently in the prep station so employees can wash

heir hands before and after preparing food. The bread prep station is located in the main prep

area, directly opposite of the cooking area where the convection oven is located. Once the bread

dough is prepared, it is transferred to the double convection oven where it will bake.

Once the preparation is complete, the chefs are able to turn around from their cooking

station, and grab the prepared items that they need to cook or bake. Once they have finished

preparing the final product, it is placed on the assembly table, which is located in front of the gas

ranges. A hand-washing sink is located in the cooking and baking area to prevent cross

contamination. The employee responsible for baking the hamburger buns and fries then

assembles the plates, and brings it over to the beverage station. Once the beverage and the meal

have been made, they are placed at the pick-up window for the customer. Any dishes, pots or

pans that need to be cleaned are then transferred to the dishwashing area where they are cleaned,

sanitized and air-dried.

In conclusion, the layout, flow of food, and equipment used in this particular food service

establishment reflects the most efficient way in which fast food can be prepared and distributed

to customers. Our menu is what influences our selection of the equipment we have chosen to use

in our facility. While we will be using appliances to maintain the functioning of our foodservice

operation, the initial layout and design of our kitchen will be critical in constructing an efficient

and fully functioning commercial kitchen. The flow of food therefore has to be very efficient

because we will be having a high customer base and food will need to be prepared quickly. The

proper layout and design of the kitchen enables us to assess the most efficient way in which the

flow of food will exist. Acknowledging that these three categories are interconnected are

important when designing a functioning commercial kitchen, because these are some of the most

important factors in establishing a successful foodservice facility.

Reference

Payne-Palacio, J., & Thesis, M. (2012). Food service management (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

National Food Service Management Institute (n.d). Food safety and sanitation. Retrieved

November 13, 2012 from http://www.nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF /20080228031540.pdf