The learning curve from a dead start can seem overwhelming. No one wants to make the wrong decisions, or just blindly accept other’s ideas about something as complex as a foodservice operation.

Time and money are always important factors, and there is never enough of either. So, finding yourself tasked with this opportunity, what steps should you take, what issues are important to understand, and how do you insure you are getting maximum value?

This task is hardly a do-it-yourself project. It is strongly recommended that you seek the help of a foodservice professional to assist you with the collection of the thousands of details and decision points needed to begin the design process.

As mentioned previously there are literally thousands of decision points to be made on even the smallest project. Each of the project steps are outlined below:

Scope of Project
Before you start with any drawings, the first step is to develop the scope of your project. This involves making general decisions concerning the purpose, space constraints, budget, scratch cook or heat and serve, full or self service, and many more questions. It is important to fully scope your project without getting too involved with the fine details. This will properly set the parameters of the project and will allow for modifications and improvements as the learning improves.

Preliminary Layout
Now it is time for the designer to begin blocking out a layout giving special attention to process and flow. A deliberative plan provides that all of the necessary elements (areas) will work seamlessly together without causing interruptions in flow. The food product should move smoothly from refrigerated or dry storage to pre-prep area, cooking line, serving line, dining room, and then cleanup. This takes the skill of a trained professional who understands the impacts of health, fire, life-safety, National Sanitation Foundation, HVAC and other codes. It also takes the art of spatial design abilities, and the knowledge of what does and does not work from experiences.

Preliminary Budget
At this stage of the project, the designer will give you an approximate cost of all of the scheduled equipment on the job. Excluding plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, this is a rough number for equipment only that most closely matches the customer’s quality requirements. Specifically, the designer’s best guess assuming standard purchase items, limited custom fabrication, non-exotic equipment specifications, and past histories.

Equipment Detail and Specification
After customer approval of the flow, process and general acceptance of a working budget, it is now time to detail the actual cooking line. Productivity is the key to the success of any foodservice operation, making it one of the most critical elements of the project. Just like the Goldilocks story--"not too many, not too few, but just the right amount" and type of equipment. The designer then creates equipment specifications that detail the exact equipment items required that will perform for you as intended. There may be specific brands of equipment you would like to be included in your specifications; however, the designer’s job is to balance the capital budget constraints with the functionality of the customer needs. This is the point of the project where tradeoffs or negotiations may need to be made. This involves possibly using economy equipment items, future purchase items, or standard manufacturer items in lieu of custom fabrication.

It is important to interject here that the equipment selection process needs to be scrutinized from many different angles. There are many considerations about each piece of equipment. You are now into an area of decision making that may be really difficult. It is important for you to understand the capabilities and performance of the equipment that will be employed in the kitchen. The evaluative process of the equipment items recommended will require you to have a great deal of faith in the design professional, but it is recommend that for each piece of equipment selected, the following questions would be asked:

• How much product per hour will it cook?
• What is the life-cycle cost?
• What is the purchase price?
• How much does it cost to operate?
• What is the impact in the quality of the food?
• What is the impact on labor?
• Does the equipment item cause work environment problems?
• Is it easy to operate?
• Can the equipment item serve more than one purpose?

Final Layout and Engineering
This is the last step prior to sending the project out to bid. All of the negotiated changes from the preliminary layout are incorporated into a final drawing set. Then all plumbing, gas, and electrical rough-ins are developed. Ventilation issues are incorporated into the drawings, along with special details that will help convey the finished plan. The long and arduous process is almost over.

You can now see why this is not an easy task; however, if you engage professionals in your planning process you will be guided painlessly through the obstacle course of decision making. Each missed opportunity or incorrect decision can stall or set a project back by many months. I hope that this article has been helpful in giving you a recipe to successful kitchen planning.

Jim Wixson is the cooking products manager for the Georgia Power Company.

Product Roundup

SmartCooking System by Henny Penny
The SmartCooking System automatically cooks food when the display depicting that food item is pressed. No need to enter cooking times, temperatures or humidity settings.  That means cost savings, increased profitability, and safe, consistent, great tasting food. The SmartCooking system provides:

• Simple operation
• Automated cooking
• 15% faster cook times
• 25% smaller footprint
• All-in-one grill, steamer and oven versatility

www.hennypenny.com

Platinum Series Gas Convection Oven ASC-4G from Alto-Shaam
The Platinum Series gas convection oven is now available in a 12-pan capacity. The oven features:

• A unique, transverse-flow burner system to provide even cooking without the need to rotate pans.
• A uniform flow of heat throughout the oven interior
• Even heat distribution
• Rapid heat recovery for maximum efficiency

The Platinum Series convection oven is also available in an electric model. 
www.alto-shaam.com

Sico Catering/Buffet Service Table
A Sico 2-tier Catering table allows a beautifully presented service to be completely set up in the kitchen and then rolled into use by one person. When the event is over, tables fold and roll into compact storage. Tables feature:

• Tops of MDF construction (outperforms plywood and particle board)
• Sico Armor-Edge for easy cleaning
• Easy set-up and take-down
• Storage racks underneath
• Two casters that can be locked when the table needs to be stationary.

To compliment the service tables, Sico offers solid fuel and electric food warmers.
www.sicoinc.com

Kitchen Restoration by Kitchen Tune-Up
Kitchen Tune-Up works extensively with churches, specializing in restoration of wood cabinetry. Kitchen Tune-Up typically updates kitchens by:

• Refacing existing cabinets
• Adding new doors and drawer fronts
• Adding organizers and accessories to make the kitchen more functional

The company also restores pews, altars and general woodwork throughout the church.
www.kitchentuneup.com

Touch-Free Handwashing System from Eagle
Eagle Foodservice Equipment’s Touch-Free Handwashing System incorporates ingenious design features that enable foodservice workers to establish safer handwashing practices, thereby helping to improve food safety and minimize contamination. Eagle’s touch-free handwashing system consists of:

• Stainless steel wall-mounted handsink
• MICROGARD antimicrobial protection
• Electronic eye faucet
• Adjustable water pre-mix feature
• An off-the-floor slide-in/slide-out refuse container
• Touchless towel dispenser

www.eaglegrp.com