Emphasizing On Efficiency and Food Safety

Designing restaurant kitchens can be very complicated and many factors to be considered when planning where to put equipment and what materials to use. Health departments require detailed documents showing the site plan, floor plan, equipment layout and plumbing/mechanical/finish schedules even before any construction begins. These plans should be developed with food safety in mind. These can be used as a general guide to help new restaurateurs understand health regulations when designing their kitchens. A site plan should show the facility and surrounding areas such as parking, storm drains and garbage areas. Most operators want the option to spray out their garbage areas to keep them clean, but this can’t be done if a storm drain is nearby. Position and slope a garbage container area to prevent any runoff entering open outdoor drains. This is the most important part of the planning in where to put commercial kitchen sink Queensland sets the flow of all restaurant operations. A good floor plan can increase efficiency for kitchen staff and servers and improve food safety.

A bad floor plan can cause confusion and contribute to cross-contamination because floor plan should show all areas of food service, storage, commercial kitchen sink Queensland, server prep, restrooms and janitor areas. Hand wash sinks should be convenient and easily accessible to all areas of the kitchen. Multiple sinks may be needed and employees should have access to hand wash sinks on the line, in prep areas and in the wash room. At least a mop sink should be available to fill up and dispose of mop water with three compartment sink must be available to show that commercial kitchen sink can be washed using the wash, rinse and sanitize method. The sinks should be large enough to submerge the largest piece of equipment. A three compartment sink is needed even if a mechanical dishwasher is in use because these separated areas for washing and food preparation. To prevent cross-contamination, the washing area should have a separate entrance for staff to deliver dirty dishes without walking through any prep areas. Equipment on the line should be positioned to improve the execution of the menu efficiently as well as prevent raw meats from mixing with ready-to-eat foods.

This can be tricky, but putting the salad prep station on the opposite end from where raw meat is handled will keep foods from contaminating each other from storage and handling. All commercial kitchen sink Queensland must be commercial grade. This is verified by showing equipment is either sanitation solution certified which is important to provide manufacturer and model number information to help prove the commercial kitchen sink is compliant. It is recommended in using stainless steel for all shelves and counters just to facilitate cleaning, all stationary equipment should be sealed to the wall or spaced for cleaning. A finish schedule should show the materials used for all floors, walls and ceilings, understand the finishes in the kitchen will be different than in the restrooms or seating areas. As a general rule, all finishes in food prep areas should be smooth, easily cleanable and non-absorbent. Some health districts also require that light colors be used so it’s easier to see if areas are clean. Typical kitchen finishes are tile floor, fiber-reinforced plastic walls and smooth vinyl ceiling tiles.

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