„BACK OF THE HOUSE”

Week 9
Week 10 Objectives

 Planning & Equipping the Kitchen

 Food Purchasing, Receiving and
Storing
 A Few words about Food Production
Kitchen Planning
 Involves the allocation of space within
the kitchen based on:
 Equipment needs
 Spatial relationships within the kitchen
 Need to keep traffic flow to a minimum
 Good idea to turn to experienced,
professionals to draw up plans for new
kitchens or to modify existing ones
Kitchen Planning
 An Overall objective of layout planning
is to:
 Minimize the number of steps taken by wait
staff and kitchen personnel
 The flow in Full-service restaurants
is from receiving to cold and dry
storage to prep, then cooking area
and final station is where food is
finished, plated and readied for
serving staff.
Kitchen Flow
Kitchen Plans-Workflows
Kitchen Plans-Workflows
Work Flows
 Efficiency and comfort of the staff is
important to an operation
 Servers will take the shortest and most
convenient route
 Chefs want their work organized to
minimize excess activity and unnecessary
steps
 Ergonomics
 Applied science of equipment design
intended to reduce staff fatigue and
discomfort
Back-of-the-House: Green
 Ways to cut utility costs:
 Induction ovens
 High-speed ovens
 Purchasing equipment wisely can cut
energy costs 10% to 30%
 Exhaust hoods are high-energy users
 Use new super-efficient exhaust hoods
 Open Kitchens
 Open Kitchens (also
called exhibition
kitchens) are growing
in popularity.
 Many chefs believe
that it brings energy
to the dining room,
creates a show for the
customer and gives
the customer a sense
of being on the
„inside” (like a reality
show).
Open Kitchens
 Highlights the kitchen or one piece of
equipment (i.e. wood pizza oven)
 Standard food preparation is not usually
featured
 Reserved for what is glamorous: bright, shiny
ladles, stainless steel, copper utensils, etc.
 Some use under-the-counter refrigerator units
to conserve space
 Area set aside for open kitchens costs about
25% more
Open Kitchens
 Some Disadvantages
1. Noise level:
 Can be reduced with acoustic tile in the
ceiling
 Dining areas must feature carpets,
upholstered chairs, washable window
drapes, and acoustic ceilings
2. Chefs and cooks are completely exposed
to customers:
 Every word and gesture is visible
Size of Kitchen
 The size varies depending on the
type of restaurant
 General rule is that kitchens are
about half the size of the dining area
 Example:
 Fine Dining 1,5-2m2 per person for
dining are so half that for the kitchen
 Need to check with local fire codes
as well
Kitchen Floor Coverings
 Usually covered with quarry tile, marble,
terrazzo, asphalt tile, or sealed concrete
 Nonabsorbent, easy to clean, and
resistant to abrasive cleaners
 Neoprene matting
 Provides traction in water accumulation
areas like dishwashing
 All kitchen surfaces should be covered
with nonskid materials
Kitchen Equipment
 Ask for advice from equipment dealers
or restaurant planners
 Can help you with plans and
recommendations
 Today, trends are advancing in
sustainable kitchen equipment
 Help businesses save money and protect the
environment through energy-efficient
products and practices
Categories of Kitchen
Equipment
 Receiving and storing food
 Fabricating and preparing food
 Preparing and processing food
 Assembling, holding, and serving food
 Cleaning up and sanitizing the kitchen
and kitchenware
Questions to help select
the Right Equipment
1. Which will be the most efficient for the menu,
item by item, and for future items?
2. What is the equipment’s purchase cost and
operating cost?
3. Should the equipment be gas or electric?
4. Will it produce the food fast enough?
5. Are replacement parts and service readily
available?
6. Is reliable used equipment available?
7. Is more energy efficient equipment available?
Matching Equipment with
the Menu
 The MENU determines the equipment
needs
 Specific Variables include:
1. Projected volume of sales for each menu item
2. Fixed or changing menu
3. Menu size
4. Speed of service desired
5. Nutritional awareness and equipment selected
Equipment Stars
 The principal pieces of cooking
equipment– the „stars”, are selected
to best prepare the principal menu
items.
 The other equipment is arranged
around the stars.
 Think of the dominant menu items,
those expected to have the highest
volume of sales.
Equipment Stars
 Main Cooking Equipment:
1. Traditional Range
2. Deep-frying equipment
3. Low temperature ovens
4. Forced-air convection ovens
5. Smart ovens
6. Microwave ovens
7. Infrared cooking equipment
8. Hot-food holding tables
Range and Grill
Convection Oven and
Sous Vide
Deep Fryer and Smart
Oven
Equipment Stars
 Refrigerators/Freezers
 Ice machines
 Specialty cooking equipment
1. Pasta maker/Pizza oven
2. Salamander
3. Ice-cream maker
4. Dough mixers
5. Sous Vide
6. Smokers
Used Equipment
 Because so many restaurants fail,
used equipment is readily available.
 Good prices because kitchen items
fall drastically in value after purchase
(as much as 80%).
 Used items without moving parts can
be as good as new.
 Be a careful shopper with used
equipment
Maintaining Kitchen
Equipment
 It’s a little like preventive medicine:
 By following certain practices, major
problems can be avoided
 Restaurant equipment:
 Generally thought to have a life expectancy
of about ten years
 Properly cared for equipment can last much
longer
 Food Purchasing,
Receiving, Storing and
Production
Food Purchasing System
When setting up the system:
 Establish standards for each food item used
 Establish a system that minimizes effort and
losses and maximizes control of theft
 Establish the amount of each item that should be
on hand
 Identify who will do the buying and who will
keep the system in motion
 Identify who will do the receiving, storage, and
issuing of items
Sustainable Purchasing
 Restaurants are moving towards buying
more locally in order to:
1. Cut down on freight costs
2. Strengthen regional economies
3. Support family farms
4. Preserve the local landscape
5. Foster a sense of community
 But for a producer to be truly
sustainable, many other factors are also
involved( such as health & welfare of the
animals, fair wages for workers, etc.)
Food Purchasing System
Food Purchasing System
1. Determine the food standards
required to serve the market
2. Develop product specifications
3. Gather product availability
information
4. Have alternate suppliers in mind
5. Select a person to order and
receive supplies
Food Purchasing System
6. Set up storage space for maximum utilization
7. Establish the amount needed to be stocked (par
stock) for each item
8. Set up inventory control system
9. Decide on optimal delivery size to reduce cost
of delivery and handling
10. Check all inventories for quality and quantity
or weight
11. Tie inventory control and cost control system
together
Purchasing Cycle
 Can be set up to roll along efficiently
 Should be a system that repeats itself day
after day with minimal demands
 Product specifications need only be reviewed, not
reset, each time food is ordered
 Par stock and reorder points are relatively fixed and
changed only as sales volume changes appreciably or
as the menu changes
 Major suppliers are changed infrequently
 One person should set up and operate the
system.
Food Quality Standards
 Standards for food quality are set to
serve a particular market/target customer
(and the price-value relationship
expected)
 Determined by the owner and chef/cook
 Some operators serve fresh fish only, never
frozen
 Some restaurants use only fresh vegetables
Buying by Specification
 Each operation needs a quality of food
that fits its market
 Quality needed varies with the market
and the food item being produced
 Meat for grinding into hamburger may well
come from lower-graded meat, and still be
satisfactory
How Much Inventory?
 Every food item has a shelf life
 Length of time a food item can be stored
without appreciable loss in quality or weight
 Nearly every food that contains a large
amount of water shrinks with storage
 Temptation is to buy a large quantity
when a price reduction is available
 Requires extra handling space and time and
ties up your money
 Ties up your money
Types of Purchasing
 Buying from a full-line purveyor
 Carries a large line of supplies
 Offers more one-stop shopping

 Saves time and simplifies billing

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 Small local producers and Farmer’s
Markets
 This is the # 1 trend these days
 Beware of their certifications, quality
„ Green” Best Practices
 Reduce transport greenhouse gases and
the carbon footprint of your business
 Go Local
 Go Organic
 Go Seasonal
 Buy imported produce with credentials:
certified environmentally friendly
Receiving
 Smart restaurateurs arrange with suppliers
for all deliveries to be delivered at times
convenient to the restaurant (not at peak
serving times.)
 Copy of the order should be available for
the receiver
 Management should check and sign for all
deliveries
 If time is limited, check high-cost items only
 Purchase Order Specifications will make it
easier to check the condition and quality of
orders
Receiving
Useful Tips for Receiving:
 Keep receiving area neat and tidy
 Check for product freshness by
touching, smelling, etc.
 Have a weigh scale
 Check all items you want to- don’t let
the delivery person rush you
 Once delivery is received, needs to be
dated, labeled & stored properly
Storage
 Should be arranged for easy receiving,
issuing, and inventory control
1. Dry-goods storeroom: canned, packed, and bulk dry
foods are stored according to usage (i.e.: Most used
nearest door)
2. As goods are received, they are stored toward the
back and the older ones brought forward (FIFO)
3. Rotational system helps ensure items don’t become
old or out-dated
Storage
 In order to maximize the shelf life of
a product, must store all items at the
correct temperature:
 Dry Goods 10 to 24º C
 Produce 3 to 4º C
 Dairy/Meat/Seafood -1 to 3º C
 Frozen -17 to -26º C
Food Production
 The daily production of food will
depend on the expected level of
business
 Future business levels can be
affected by many variables including:
 Holidays
 Social activities/events
 Weather
Food Production
 Kitchen Manager, Chef, or Cook begins
the production process by determining
the expected number of guests
 The Product Mix (list of what was sold
yesterday) gives an indication of what
needs to be prepared to bring the item
back up to PAR LEVEL for that
particular day.
Food Production
 Each morning the Chef or Kitchen
Manager determines the amount of
each menu item to prepare.
 The par levels of those menu items
are checked, and a production sheet
is completed.
 Most of the PREP is done in the
early morning (if there is a lunch
shift) or early afternoon for dinner.
Production Procedures
 Production in the kitchen is critical to
the success of a restaurant.
 Controlling the production process is
very challenging.
 Timing is a vital issue.
 When determining production, par
levels are changed according to sales
trends to control and minimize waste.
 Waste contributes to increasing food costs
and is also unsustainable
 Produce enough for one day sales only
Standard Recipes
WHY USE STANDARD RECIPES?
 Consistent Food Quality
 Predictable Yield
 Food Cost Control
 Efficient Purchasing
 Inventory Control
 Labor Cost Control
 Employee Confidence
Standard Recipe Example
Standard Recipe Example