Patience, planning are orders of the day in building new kitchens

Nation's Restaurant News, Jan 7, 2002 by Gary Bensky

In the world of foodservice, chefs, cooks, dining-room staffers and managers learn very early on that the one absolute of their business is the unyielding deadline. If the banquet is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m., the room must be fully set and ready. The kitchen has to prepare the food to the highest quality level it can within the given time frame. If there is not enough time to produce a special garnish or other embellishment for the plate, so be it. The show must go on, and it does so in thousands of venues around the world on a daily basis.

When the show doesn't go on, the resultant catastrophe leaves a deep wound that we remember throughout our entire careers, such as the time the pilot light went out on the oven and the rib roasts were raw one hour before the party was scheduled to begin, or the time the inexperienced apprentice scorched beyond saving 10 gallons of lobster bisque -- a fact discovered right at the moment of plating. Or the time the salmon for the banquet of 250 had not been delivered and the banquet was scheduled to begin in 45 minutes.

Remember the infamous story of the 36-year-old Swiss maitre d'hotel named Vatel, who in April 1671 had the important assignment of organizing a great banquet for 3,000 people in honor of Louis XIV? Unexpected guests attended, and several tables went without roasted meat. After several other such humiliations, Vatel was in despair.

The next morning, after hearing that only part of the fish for the day's meal had been delivered, Vatel proclaimed, "I shall not survive this disgrace. "Then he went to his room and impaled himself on his sword at the moment the remaining fish entered the castle gates. While we don't have to respond to life's disappointments with equal verve, most chefs would find a way to see that something gets served.

Building a kitchen, however, can be full of unexpected obstacles that challenge even the best and most experienced designers, consultants and kitchen planners. Deadlines often are not met because documents that provide information may not be complete. Architects, designers, engineers, contractors and tradesman need reliable information to give accurate estimates on the cost of their work. Any details not included at the beginning are unlikely to be added. If you are planning a renovation or are in the middle of one, be patient. Incorrect or incomplete information could cost you far more both in time and in dollars wasted on later corrections.

But while a kitchen renovation can challenge those who face deadlines, there are ways to keep the project on track. Before you pick up the phone to call your consultant, designer or dealer, identify the demands that will be placed on your kitchen. Will your service be banquet, a la carte or both? How many covers are anticipated? How many meal periods will you serve? Will you cook from scratch or use convenience products? The answers should be analyzed to determine the kitchen's production requirements.

Do your homework by going to trade shows and learning what the equipment you want can and can't do. Ask the salespeople, "Who is using this equipment locally?" Go to operations that currently are using the equipment in which you are interested and ask them how they like it. Ask your service agency which equipment is easiest to repair and maintain. You'll probably be surprised at their candor.

Next, provide a budget that includes a contingency amount to account for the unexpected. The unexpected does and will happen. For example, you may have thought you could put the remote refrigeration next to the kitchen, but once the architect claims that area for dining space, you need to locate it 150 feet away outside on the roof. That means a much higher installation cost as well as a need to protect the compressors from bad weather, which will drive the cost up as well.

Look at alternative design plans early; then make clear decisions and stick to them. Changes in the plan and design become increasingly expensive as the project progresses through the various phases. Let's say the equipment is about to be ordered, and you decide you want to flip the garde manger and the hot line. Once the design and all of the electrical, plumbing and building drawings have been completed, a change such as that could cost thousands of dollars and leave the door open to all kinds of mistakes.

Always put the package out to bid among several foodservice equipment dealers. The comparative bidding process ensures that you will get the best price. By engaging experienced designers or consultants, you have an advocate in your corner who knows what equipment should cost and how the job should be done to be on time.