kitchen

hi, i just bought a bar & grill. seats 84,bar and tables. is there a way to figure out how to make the kitchen function efficently,i mean equipment. a formula for equipment to dollars taken in. if possible or some advise. thank you gene

1. I do not know how much you know about cooking but learn
2. Hire a good Chef (when you know a bit about cooking you can hopefully sort out the good cooks who care from those who will rip you blind)
3. Spend the money. It is hard when first starting out but it is better to spend money on good equipment that you will have for the life of the restaurant (hopefully a long one) than have to repair/replace 6-12 months down the road.
4. Alot of the design of the kitchen will be dictated by the type/style of food you will serve (ie. pasta needs different equipment vs. steaks)

Best of luck with your new baby.

Hi Eugene, There is a book called "Restaurants That Work--Case Studies of the Best in the Industry" by Martin E. Dorf. You should try to find a copy...also, do you have any experience in the biz? If not, you may want to consider hiring a consultant to help you with the numbers game. It can be very overwhelming...I think the joke goes like this: How do you become a millionaire? Borrow 2 million dollars, open a restaurant and in a year you'll be a millionaire. Good luck to you and let us know how things go.

[This message has been edited by missyk1999 (edited August 08, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by missyk1999 (edited August 08, 2000).]

[Pete]

If you don't understand the flow of a kitchen definately hire someone to help you out. Restaurant consultants are great, but expensive. Many operators I know skip the consultants and call on chefs who have opened successful places themselves. They tend to be less expensive than consultants. The first thing you must do, though, is decide what type of place you are going to run and the type of food you will serve. Each style of service requires a different type of set-up. Im not talking significant changes, but details that will make the kitchen more efficent, and thus in the long run save you money. Also, look at the long term goals for your place. Do you see plans for expanding the dinning areas in the future? Maybe add an outdoor cafe or private dinning room? Make sure your kitchen can grow with the business, if those are your desires. Finally, take a good serious look at the equipment already there. Of course, it would be nice to drop in a whole new line, but the reality of money usually makes that impossible. Look at what must be replaced. Then look at things that can stay as is for right now and budget for replacements in the up coming years. But please don't skimp on the kitchen-it is where you make your money and can spend lots of money in repairs.