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Planning a Foodservice Operation

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"Preliminary Planning of a Foodservice Operation"
This is a comprehensive guide that is designed to assist you in your foodservice facility preliminary planning. RDA's goal is to help you plan a facility that works and successfully meets your needs. Because of the hundreds of issues involved in facility planning, it is impossible to address them all in this guide. Ultimately, this guide will help you not lose sight of the client's needs and opinions. We hope this guide will generate thoughts and questions and that your knowledge of foodservice operations will increase.


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Preliminary Planning

Preliminary planning is the first and most important phase of designing a foodservice facility. During this phase, the main outline of the facility is established.

  1. Determine the needs of the client.
  2. Get to know the client's menu and how the food is prepared and served.
  3. If it is a remodel, upgrade, addition, or retro-fit, prepare a layout of the existing building.
  4. Prepare a schematic layout that supports the menu and handles the volume expected. Compare with the existing layout (if any), showing recommended changes.
  5. Incorporate full scope and function of the operation and support areas.
  6. Layout the function and flow of the space.
  7. Begin a list of all foodservice equipment, existing and new, to be designed into the drawings, note all utility requirements.
  8. Review the budget for foodservice equipment and related items.

The following guide will assist in determining what the facility planner needs for the foodservice facility.



General Information About the Type of Foodservice Operation

DIFFERENT TYPES/CLASSES OF FOODSERVICE OPERATIONS
(Check all that apply)

____ Food Processing/Packaging
____ Education
____ Senior Center/Day Care
____ Industrial Feeding
____ Prision/Detention
 ____ Grocery Store
____ Convenience Store
____ Deli Market
____ Meat Market
____ Fish Market
 ____ Health Care
____ Restaurant
____ Fast Food
____ Bakery

TYPE OF SERVICE Check all that apply
1. Waitress (sit-down, table services, china, glass,
     silverware) 		_______
2. Buffet/Salad Bar (sit-down, self-serve,
     cafeteria) 		_______
3. Carry-out, take-out (paper service) _______
4. Patio (china, silverware, or disposable dishware) _______
5. Banquet Facility _______
6. Drive-up _______
7. Beverages _______
8. Liquor:  
    Beer/Wine service only _______
    Full service _______
    with bar/lounge area _______
    with service bar only _______

TYPE OF FOOD
(Check all that apply)

____ American
____ Mexican
____ French
____ Italian
 ____ Chinese
____ Japanese
____ German
____ Pizza
 ____ Seafood
____ Steak House
____ Hamburgers
____ Salad Bar

MENU TIMES
(Check all that apply)

____ Breakfast
 ____ Lunch
 ____ Dinner
 ____ Other

RESTAURANT THEME Check all that apply
1. Neighborhood _______
2. Sports, movie theater, shopper's area _______
3. Business Area (lunch crowd) _______
4. Tourists (seasonal) _______
5. Tour Buses _______
6. General Dining Crowd _______
7. Entertainment (night club) _______
8. Specialty _______

NUMBER OF MEALS - Estimate the number of meals per mealtime and other meals.
(Indicate number)

1. Breakfast ______________
2. Lunch ______________
3. Dinner ______________
4. Room Service ______________
5. Take-Out ______________
6. Catering ______________



Preliminary Review of Planned Lay-out or Existing Facility

DINING ROOM
(Indicate number)

1. Seating capacity ______________
2. Number of rooms ______________
3. Number of tables ______________
4. Banquet room seating
   capacity 		______________
5. Patio seating capacity ______________

BAR & LOUNGE Check all that apply
1. Bar Seating _______
2. Lounge Seating _______
3. Entertainment Area (dancing, band stand) _______
4. Bar storage and support area _______

SUPPORT AREAS Check all that apply
1. Host/cashier station _______
2. Entry/lobby _______
3. Waiting area _______
4. Public restrooms _______

WAIT STAFF SUPPORT STATION Check all that apply
1. Beverage equipment _______
     a. Coffee _______
     b. Espresso _______
     c. Hot and cold tea _______
     d. Soft Drinks _______
     e. Fruit Drinks _______
     f. Water (tap/bottled) _______
     g. Ice _______
2. Menu Support Equipment _______
     a. Soup _______
     b. Salad _______
     c. Desserts _______
3. Table settings and support (glasses, silverware, etc.) _______
4. Soiled dish and trash handling (busing cart) _______
5. Cleaning support for tables _______



Kitchen Areas
RECEIVING AREA Check all that apply
1. Outside Backdoor Area  
    • Trash dumpster _______
    • Grease trap _______
    • Grease recycle bin _______
    • Recycle bins _______
    • Can wash _______
2. Inside backdoor area  
    • Staging and receiving _______

JANITORIAL Check all that apply
1. Janitorial mop sink (with mop rack) _______
2. Chemical storage cabinet _______

MISCELLANEOUS SUPPORT AND OFFICE Check all that apply
1. Ice Maker _______
2. Soda system _______
3. Non-food storage (paper, equipment, etc.) _______
4. Office _______

FOOD STORAGE Check all that apply
1. Dry goods (food storage room) _______
2. Refrigerator storage
   (produce, dairy, meat - 40° to 45° F)		 _______
3. Freezer storage (0° to 10° F) _______

FOOD PREPARATION AREA
Things to consider:
  • It is very important to understand what kind and how much food preparation is required.
  • Equipment will vary based on menu and type of food to be prepared.
  • Salad bars will have more vegetable preparation which consists of more washing, cutting, and dicing.
  • A steak house may cut and trim their own steaks.
  • A foodservice operator may do his/her own baking, etc.

TYPES OF FOOD PREPARATION
A major health issue is cross contamination. If the operation is preparing serveral different types of food, the issue of cross contamination needs to be addressed. A list of food preparation equipment will need to be provided.
  Check all that apply
1. Produce _______
2. Meat _______
3. Chicken _______
4. Fish _______
5. Baked goods _______
6. Sauces, pastas, stews, soups _______
7. Other cooking preparation _______

PREP-COOKING EQUIPMENT Check all that apply
1. Open burners _______
2. Ovens _______
3. Fryers _______
4. Steamers _______
5. Kettles _______

HOT & COLD FOOD HANDLING  
Things to consider:
  • Does the foodservice operation pre-cook for another day or in advance?
  • Does the foodservice operation need to cool the product and re-heat later, or just hold until needed?
  Check all that apply
1. Hot food holding cabinet or steam table _______
2. Quick chill unit _______

MAIN COOKING EQUIPMENT  
The following equipment will change based on the different types of food and methods of preparing, cooking, and serving. Also, based on the size of the foodservice operation there may be more than one cooking line.
 
  Check all that apply
1. Open burners _______
2. Char-broilers _______
3. Salamandar broiler _______
4. Griddle _______
5. Fryers _______
6. Rotisserie _______
7. Steamers _______

CHEF'S ASSEMBLY COUNTER - HOT & COLD FOOD HOLDING  
  • Note: In an education application this becomes a cafeteria serving counter.
  • Based on the menu, the chef will need to access everything that goes on the plate (already cut lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sauces, vegetables, potatoes, gravy, garnish, etc.)
 
  Check all that apply
1. Hot food steam table - How many wells (wet/dry)? _______
2. Cold make table for main course _______
3. Cold salad station _______
4. Desserts _______

WAREWASHING  
There must be a separation between soiled and clean dishes at all times.
 
  Check all that apply
1. Dishwasher _______
2. Pot rack _______
3. Clean dish table _______
4. Dirty dish table _______
5. Clean dish storage _______
6. Grease trap interceptor _______

EMPLOYEE BREAK AREA Check all that apply
1. Tables and chairs _______
2. Employee restrooms _______
3. Employee lockers _______
4. Time clock and bulletin board _______



Other Areas That Should be Addressed
SPECIAL SYSTEMS Check all that apply
1. Cooking exhaust hood/canopies and fans _______
2. Phone systems and com line _______
3. Music system and PA _______
4. Soda systems, CO2, cylinders, soda lines _______
5. Cash register, Point of Sales Computer System (P.O.S) _______
6. Waitperson pager/call system _______

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Check all that apply
1. Sanitation _______
2. Food contamination _______
3. Health _______
4. Fire and safety _______

ENGINEERING (Electrical and Mechanical) Check all that apply
1. Mechanical HVAC and cooling ventilation _______
2. Plumbing _______
3. Gas _______
4. Electrical _______

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