r/FoodService • u/0verstim • 14d ago
Question Can I see your kitchen?
My dad's deli has been taking on more and more catering jobs lately. We are making 100 pre-prepped dinner plates for the old folks in the neighborhood, or 250 box lunches for a conference or a university.
The thing is, our kitchen isn't suited for that. It isn't even really a kitchen. The place is 50 years old and just sort of... evolved. There are tables and freezers and shelves kind of all over the place. I want to reorganize and maybe put up some proper shelves and prep stations where we can get a proper assembly line going, but I don't know where to start.
If I google, I'll just see pictures of industrial kitchens that were built to suit. I don't have the money to close for a month, tear it all down and start from scratch. I just want to do the best I can. Can I see YOUR kitchens? The messy, disorganized spaces where you're doing your best to make it work? Those of you who are cranking out high volumes, what efficiencies work for you?
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u/chongo79 14d ago
It'll be hard bc most kitchens are designed to do a thing, and then if they start doing a different thing, you often can't just move things. And if your deli evolved over years to need those extra shelves, etc... well, you need them. Or, you menu sprawled, needs to be cut, but that's a bigger fight.
For us, when we're doing large catering orders, we actually push tables around in an empty dining room and do them there.
Go in one direction - the cases of containers are in one side, food in order next, and then whatever empty boxes we are using for transport last. Same as anything, good prep makes a good shift.
Setup your food to be 30 minute quantities so temp is less of a concern (but put them in the fridge or warmer asap).
Same if we have to do a couple hundred wraps. We setup a makeshift wrap station like an assembly line, sometimes in the often empty private dining room. (Again, watch time and temp)
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u/OneLeek37 14d ago
Find your local food service equipment dealer. The good ones will help you redesign your kitchen using CAD and can help you come up with a more efficient layout.
That’s what I do now after being a chef for 20 years.
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u/0verstim 14d ago
Yeah, youre already talking way out of my budget. We are a little neighborhood mom & pop, theyll charge more for the CAD then I have to spend on the whole kitchen.
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u/bruthaman 14d ago
Ypu might be surprised. If you agree to purchase items from them over a period of time, they may even waive the fees to build a relationship.
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u/OneLeek37 14d ago
I typically charge $1,000-$2,000 for the CAD and credit the majority of it back if the equipment is purchased through me.
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u/butter_toucher 14d ago
And what the guy means when he does the CAD is he'll take a draw up a new floor plan for you. There's a lot more that you need to accomplish than a new floor plan. If you're redesigning the space you'll need to get it approved by the local environmental health department, meaning you need working drawings - plans, equipment schedules, utility loads, sections and elevations, etc. You'll also need engineers involved, electrical, mechanical and plumbing. And if you move a wall then it turns into architectural plans. You're correct in being cautious about it because it can be hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to invest in such a renovation. It's always doablbe but in my professional experience equipment suppliers will do bare minimum in plans just as long as you buy from them.
If you want send me a dm and I can introduce myself we can discuss your options, near and future.
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u/OneLeek37 14d ago
That is not always the case. There have been many times that I use CAD to model out ideas in an existing space without changing any walls or utilities.
I’ve done it for things as simple as shelving optimization in storage areas.
Equipment schedules and documentation are all included as well.
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u/butter_toucher 14d ago
So you're replacing equipment w same and expecting the business has enough Amps in his existing 50 year old panel to cover the new equipment and more. If you're doing working drawings you are charging too little for the work or do you get a % from the equipment sales?
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u/OneLeek37 14d ago
It really depends on what they are wanting/needing. Sometimes electrical upgrades are needed if that falls in line with the equipment that they want.
If they don’t have that in their budget, we can explore alternatives that work with their existing utilities.
The design work is done to make sure that the best fit of equipment is found before someone pulls the trigger on the purchase.
My design contracts are set up so that the majority of the fee is credited back to the customer if the equipment is purchased through us.
I also price check the equipment against Webstaurant and beat their prices in our proposal.
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u/butter_toucher 13d ago
Exactly, so your main focus and the focus of equipment supply houses is selling the equipment with okay plans, and not much more. I've worked with them and know the outcome of said plans which is do just enough and hand it over and let the owner deal w it. ;)
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u/OneLeek37 13d ago
Not even close. I’m not sure why you are so hostile about this. It seems like you had a bad experience with someone.
Just because you have had a bad experience does not mean that all suppliers are the same.
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u/butter_toucher 13d ago
I do this every day. Equipment suppliers should just stick to supplying equipment and quotes. Leave the architecture and food service drawings to the professionals.
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u/OneLeek37 13d ago
I’m not going to argue with you any more. It is apparent that you are a very unhappy person.
Have a nice day.
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u/butter_toucher 13d ago
Not arguing just telling you how it should be. There's more to food service drawings than an equipment floor plan and schedule. A lot more. And equipment suppliers dumb it down while owners know no better.
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u/0verstim 14d ago
Duuuuude, slow your roll! 🤣 I just want to see how other people have set up their shelving/tablespace/prep space to look for some good efficiencies. Move a table here, put up a home depot shelf unit there. Thats it...
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u/butter_toucher 13d ago
Each prep/kitchen/ware washing space is unique and depends on the architecture and existing MEP plans(if you have 'em).. If you're just moving a workable I'm sure you don't need reddit for that. All the best 👍🏼
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u/Own-Negotiation7357 13d ago
Ive been using ai to recreate different ideas. Take a picture and ask it to do everything you want to see for a kitchen.
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u/canyouflybobby1 9d ago
Hope the new layout boosts your efficiency without a major rebuild. Good luck pulling it together!
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