Today's foodservice needs fast cruisers - not battleships

Nation's Restaurant News, Nov 13, 1995 by Foster Frable, Jr.

Traditionally, kitchen planning was developed on the premise that the layout and type of equipment selected were based almost solely on the functional needs to prepare a fixed menu. Equipment and preparation procedures have varied slightly since the military influence of the 1940s. Most kitchens of that era were developed around a fixed institutional model with few options and very little flexibility for change. Kitchens and service area layouts often followed the Navy model, with rows of single-use cooking equipment supported by heavy, custom-fabricated counters, most of which were built into the construction of the building - hence the often-heard phrase, "the kitchen area is built like a battleship."

A whole generation of kitchen designers grew up believing that one of their biggest contributions to the design of a project was the design and specification of large quantities of custom, stainless-steel fabrication. Many foodservice designers entered the business after working for fabrication shops or began their design careers detailing and elevating custom stainless counters and tables. A whole "religion" developed around designers and specifiers developing signature details, heavy-gauge construction, mirrorlike finishes, etc.

The end result was the specification of incredibly well-built, but very expensive, specialized custom fabrication that will last 50 to 100 years. Unfortunately, much of this equipment becomes functionally obsolete in five to 10 years as menus and service styles evolve.

This battleship mentality is not limited to hotels, hospitals and institutional projects. The fabricated, hot-and-cold-service counters in most McDonald's and other fast feeders have become an expensive albatross to many chains as they have tried to expand menus and reinvent their operating model. A look at the rear counters on some older units illustrates the pain that some chains have undertaken to cut, reweld, modify and add appendages to these counters to allow for new products and expanded menus.

The current marketplace dictates one absolute in food facilities planning - whatever is planned, whatever is installed will at some point need to change, to evolve. Success in facilities planning of all types of operations must then be measured in how these facilities can accommodate change and evolve, not whether the equipment will last another 50 years.

On a recent visit to Europe, I toured a variety of new kitchens serving a wide range of venues for different owners. The singular trend in these kitchens was a lack of custom fabrication. Custom fabrication is a dying business in Europe, almost totally replaced with standardized or modular tables, counters and other workstation components produced by major European companies like Cidelcem, Zanussi, Sissions and Tournus.

A chef or kitchen planner can achieve virtually all of the flexibility and special needs achieved with custom fabrication using these modular components. Europeans no longer endure the long lead times, demanding shop-drawing reviews or the extra cost of custom fabrication.

Modular design flexibility also carries over to other European equipment, such as upright and under-counter refrigeration. On a standard refrigerator, doors may be exchanged quickly for drawers, or shelves for pan slides. Door swings can be reversed, and freezers can be converted to refrigerators in minutes. In one new hotel we visited, almost 25 percent of the refrigeration had been changed or modified within the first year. With traditional American refrigeration equipment these changes would have been expensive or impossible to achieve.

In North America, many kitchen planners and specifiers often try to utilize and fill every inch and, consequently, they design counters, tables and dishtables to fit wall-to-wall and door-to-door. In addition to the cost of $800 or more per linear foot for complex custom fabrication, this type of design demands careful coordination so that the final wall dimensions, once constructed, exactly match the fabricated equipment. In some kitchens every inch of wall space is filled with custom equipment, making it impossible to park mobile equipment, racks or trash containers. Accommodating major menu or equipment changes requires extensive modification of the built-in equipment. When a facility is downsized or undergoes a major renovation, the expensive custom fabrication often is sold for scrap because it rarely fits the new layout or has any value for another facility.

This lack of flexibility is very apparent in many cafeteria and buffet operations with masses of fixed stainless steel and millwork counters Changes in menu offerings branding, kiosks. etc., today are so rapid that many of these facilities become functionality obsolete before they even open. The new Marche and Marketplace concepts, which use flexible countertop equipment mounted on movable hardwood tables and counters to provide a flexible alternative, are popular with guests and usually are less expensive to build.