Kitchen design trends

Nation's Restaurant News, August 26, 1985

KITCHEN DESIGN TRENDS

"No surprises.'

That is the current watchword in kitchen design. High labor and construction costs, as well as rapidly changing consumer tastes, are causing the food-service industry to look more carefully than ever at the elements of kitchen design. Equipment, layout, lighting and surface coverings are all being evaluated to control costs and ensure safety.

And no surprises is what his foodservice clients want, says Earl McKinney, a principal of Hamill & McKinney, an architectural design firm with offices across the country. What this means, he says, is that the entire design process, from start to finish, is now being carefully controlled.

"That means that everything must be designed within a budget,' says McKinney. "We make a preliminary layout, we draw up estimates and then we go to our client. We say this is what you wanted--and this is what it will cost. Now--where do we cut?'

Under this procedure, according to McKinney and others, cost-related decisions can be made in a timely and rational fashion. And the client is involved every step of the way.

With the increasing sophistication of both consumer tastes and food-ser-vice equipment, many operators are working more closely with their designers and suppliers to get exactly what they want.

The extent to which some of them are willing to go these days to achieve the type of back-of-the-house support that will give them an edge over others is recounted by one kitchen design specialist. "One of our clients wanted a bun that would show finger marks where it was held,' he says. "He had one manufacturer try out 48 different formulas to get one that had the right moisture content, the right resiliency,' with each formula tried on the baking equipment under test. "It's a matching process,' says the designer. "You have to get the right equipment to make the right product. It's so competitive out there that even a simple bun becomes a high-tech item.'

Meanwhile, times have changed in other ways as well. Labor needs are being scrutinized more closely, while equipment that can perform more than one task is put high on many shopping lists.

"We are seeing fewer people in the kitchen, and that affects design. We have to plan so that fewer people can accomplish the same tasks,' says Charles Wood, a designer with Boston's Group One architectural firm. At the same time, though, kitchens are getting smaller. The result, says Wood: "We have to think in a multidimensional way.'

For example, Wood says, every piece of equipment, even a table, has to solve several problems at once. "In the old days, a worktable was a worktable,' he says. "But now we think of space in terms of a cube--using all three dimensions. So now that table will have bins beneath it and maybe a system of overhead shelves as well. It has to provide storage and enhance function at the same time.'

Portable systems and multiuse equipment continue to gain ground, a number of designers report. Mobile cooking batteries provide flexibility and also promote sanitation since they may be moved around for cleaning purposes.

Equipment like food processors not only accomplishes many tasks but saves time and space. By allowing a worker to remain at one machine, many steps can be saved in the preparation process.

But the emphasis on multiple-use may also foretell dooom for some specialized equipment. Says McKinney: "We are relying on convection ovens rather than cheese melters. The oven can do the whole jb.'

Another approach to efficiency involves the concept of "dedicated space,' in which certain areas are allocated to specific menu components, such as salad or fish. The current emphasis on salads, for example, has changed the arrangement of space, says Doug Collier of Douglas Collier & Assoc., a Phoenix-based design firm.

"A sidetable used to be fine for salads,' he says, "but not anymore. Now, if space permits, you group all your salad-related machines--your walk-ins, ice machines, vertical cutter mixers, food processors--and keep that area cool.' Such an approach enhances labor efficiency and saves energy, he explains.

Although all operators and their consultants are striving to keep design costs to a minimum, many operators have a new appreciation of the need to spend money up front on design elements that will save energy or ensure safety over the long run. They are considering future menu expansion and even changes in overall concept. They are less inclined to specify custom fixtures. Above all, they are also trying to covey to their designers a sense of the complicated human processes that are required to accomplish any food-service task at acceptable speed.

Time is a concern for all operators --in terms of both labor and service. By enabling staffers to work more efficiently, they can cut payroll costs. And this increased efficiency in turn helps workers provide speedier service to customers--which gives the operator a competitive edge.

McKinney, who has carried out time-and-motion studies in the food-service industry, says that only by going through every step of the process can a designer arrive at the most efficient system.