Kitchen As A “healthy Heart”
The kitchen is the heart of any foodservice business. Like a human heart, its job is to pump and circulate life-giving blood throughout the rest of the operation. Therefore, kitchen placement will affect the quality of the food, the number of guests who can dine at any particular time of day, the roles and workload of the servers as well as kitchen employees, utility costs, and even the atmosphere of the dining area. Remember, each of these elements also figures in the overall profitability of the business.
A poorly designed kitchen can make food preparation and service more difficult than it should be, and it can even undermine staff morale. So, if a new restaurateur has little cash to spend on professional designers, that cash is probably best spent planning the location and design of the kitchen-the one area where equipment, ventilation, plumbing, and general construction costs combine for a major investment.
Today’s kitchen designers also strive to consider the comfort and safety of the people who work in them. They realize that human engineering will have positive effects on workers’ productivity and morale. Each of the next topics must be addressed to make the kitchen a “healthy heart.”
a. Sufficient space to perform the required tasks. Elsewhere in this chapter, you will learn about the various production and preparation areas in a commercial kitchen. Each of these requires different amounts and configurations of space. A baker shaping dinner rolls, for example, has different space needs from a waiter filling iced tea glasses. Space requirements are generally influenced by:
1. The number of persons who work in a specific area.
2. The amount and types of equipment required in the work area.
3. The amount of storage required for immediately accessible supplies.
4. The types of products being produced in the area.
5. The amount of clearance required for moving equipment, opening appliance doors, and so on
b. Adequate aisle space. If an aisle is not wide enough, employees will struggle to work comfortably in the space, and it may even be insufficient for compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If the aisle is too wide, employees add steps and fatigue to their workdays. In addition to foot traffic, there will be rolling carts and equipment around constantly. Where space is at a minimum, some narrow aisles can be declared one-way. Overall, however, kitchen aisles should be at least 36 inches wide, and wider if they carry two-way traffic or mobile cart traffic.
c. Intelligent design to minimize injury risks. Most people have to do some reaching, twisting, lifting, and bending to perform their jobs, but if these motions are repetitive or excessive, they become unnecessarily strenuous and can prompt injuries, from back problems to carpal tunnel syndrome. For instance, most culinary tasks require the use of some type of surface space. It must be the correct height for the task, and located within easy reach of the employees who will use it. Putting heavier equipment on rolling carts or ordering it with casters also prevents back injuries.
d. Properly designed equipment, in good working condition. Sharp knives and red-hot range tops and motorized equipment are part of any kitchen, but they need not invite disaster. Look for safety features as you purchase. On heated equipment, for instance, check the amount of insulation and order insulated handles and doorlocking safety mechanisms.
e. Comfortable temperatures and humidity control. Many restaurant owners are concerned about making their guests comfortable-but what about the employees who spend entire workdays there? The ideal balance of fresh air, humidity, and air movement is a technical topic best left to ventilation experts. What we have noticed is that many commercial kitchens pay attention to grease control because it is part of their fire code requirements, but, overall, the kitchen space is not properly air-conditioned.
f. Adequate lighting for the required tasks. For kitchens, adequate lighting includes attention to glare and shadows as well as light levels. Fatigue sets in and errors multiply when lighting is insufficient; and good lighting also is necessary to monitor the sanitation of food, surfaces, and utensils.
g. Noise control and abatement.Kitchens can be noisy places, from chefs barking orders to the whirring of appliances and the clatter of dish rooms. It is no longer sufficient just to keep the din from the kitchen from spilling into the dining area. We can also learn to plan wisely by thinking of the restaurant kitchen as a manufacturing plant: With a combination of labor and raw materials, it turns out product. The unique aspect of foodservice is that this finished product is sold in an outlet that is attached to the factory.
Like any other type of manufacturing plant, productivity is highest when the assembly lines and machinery are arranged in a logical, sequential order to put the components together. In foodservice, this includes everything from tossing a salad to turning in orders so that no guest is left waiting too long for a meal.
Franco Zinzi has been involved with online marketing for nearly 3 years and likes to write on various subjects. Come visit his latest website which discusses of restaurant fridges and restaurant supplies for the owner of his own business.
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