restaurant development + design is a user-driven resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units.
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Other changes, including a new fryer model that accommodates more baskets and an upgraded grill that recov- ers its temperature faster after cooks place refrigerated meat on it, helped to increase cooking capacity. A small refrigerator at the fry station ensures that fry cooks always have product on hand at high-volume times and can replenish products during off-peak periods. All of Checkers' effciency improve- ments — gaining "a second here, a second there" — make employees more productive, enabling labor cost savings of 25 percent per location, Durham says. Average order-fulfllment time was re- duced from 194 seconds in the previous prototype to 180 seconds. In the frst year after launching the new prototype, sales were 50 percent better in new and remodeled units than the system average, with a proft almost three times better than company average. Simplicity is the key to effciency in the back of the house, Martinez emphasizes. "The more steps there are, the more pieces of the chain that can break," he says. It comes down to "cognitive ergonomics — how humans process information. If you get up to 15 items or more on a checklist, you get brain overload," he says. If the cook- ing process is overly complicated with several points of repeated failure, even an effciently laid out space won't yield an effcient kitchen. For example, a conveyor oven pro- vides consistently high odds of success because it requires little attention to cook food to specifcations, Martinez says. A sauté pan that needs human intervention, on the other hand, is a potential point of failure because it requires a cook to remove the food from the pan at exactly the right time. A minute of distraction could lead to overcooked food requiring a time-wasting, proft-killing do-over. Of course, many dishes, especially in fne restaurants, require chefs to use their skills in more labor-intensive cook- ing styles. Even in those cases, design attributes such as easy access to cooking equipment, minimum travel distance to obtain ingredients, and work stations positioned to foster effcient assembly line–style production will boost produc- tivity and maximize use of space. First Consider Function, Then Form In all design plans, both form and func- tion represent important considerations, but fnancial success depends heavily on getting function right. While aesthetics including fnishes, decor, acoustics and other qualities of a space that impact the guest experience and the look and feel of a restaurant are big considerations, function- al considerations should come frst. "The most important variable in design is fnal unit economics — the ca- pacity to drive sales and reduce costs," Martinez says. "I suggest that you do functional design frst; then do form." Absent an effcient use of space, even a design that hits all the right aesthetic notes may not result in a successful establishment. Indeed, a well-conceived space utilization plan can have a surpris- ingly outsized impact on proftability. + MAXIMIZE YOUR FOOTPRINT MORE DESIGNS EXPANDED OPTIONS Of the shelf or custom designed, with the acquisition of Carroll Chair, MityLite now ofers more styles & expanded capabilities to meet your furniture needs. MityLite.com or call 800-837-1456 See our combined ofering