After reading the article “How to Design a Restaurant: The First Steps” you probably know already how to conceptualize, and set a framework for your design. Or if you are currently working on your project, maybe you have already made a concept for your restaurant. Like any other profession or task, you have to learn some basic principles to follow and keep in mind.

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Here are some points and principles that will surely come in handy if you want to make an efficient plan, that is, a plan that converts.

Flexibility

Flexibility is you plan’s ability to adapt to the different needs of your clients, crew and operation. These changes may be something which concerns menu, type of service, dining room or kitchen configuration. A good application of flexibility is by using movable walls or partitions. Through this the restaurant may easily adapt with different reservation or event sizes.

Simplicity

Simplicity can be applied in a number of ways. Simplifying the menu by reducing the items will make the kitchen set up simple. It will also help your crew to execute recipes better, and more consistent. You can also make the arrangement of the tables in the dining room simple so that aisles would feel more comfortable and organized.

Flow

Flow is the traffic in your restaurant. Traffic of customers, personnel, and materials. It is a very critical point in your floor plan: in the dining room, and especially in your work area.

It is important that you build a diagram before actually making your floor plan as it will help you determine what falls to where so that you end up with an efficient plan.

Here are a few points to consider:

Movement of employees from one section of the kitchen to another.
Flow of dishes through the dish washing system and back to the service area.
Flow of customers from the entrance to the cocktail lounge and/or to the main dining room.
Flow of all materials to minimize cross traffic of dirty items and clean items

Sanitation

Aside from using only non corrosive materials for the work surfaces, one thing you have to remember is to set a space for trash bins for easy waste disposal. Trash bins in restaurant kitchens are too huge a factor to ignore. There must be at least one adjacent for every strip of work tables in your kitchen floor plan.

Supervision

How do you make your area easy to supervise?

Open type of design
No partition for easier movement and communication.
Avoid different floor levels of production area for easier supervision.
Half wall between departments (hot, cold, pre preparation, etc.) Â to define work spaces.

Space Efficiency

In planning the kitchen, we cannot just draw tables and equipment the way we want it. That will not yield and efficient plan. We must know what space is needed by the personnel and what is not. Listed below are the common components of an efficient work space.

Work surface (table)
Food prep sink
Hand wash sink (yes, separate from the food prep sink)
Cutting surface
Storage for utensils
Storage for pans
Storage for raw ingredients
Storage for the finished product
Proper aisle space for movement

Now that you’re done with the basic principles of design, next thing you will need are dimensions, standard measurements and most especially, space requirements. Always keep these principles in mind and stay guided. Remember that there must always be a reason for every line you make.

Source: http://guide-house.com