Inside Food Service Design – Details to the Millimetre

Can 1 or 2 ever-so-tiny millimetres really make a difference to how smoothly your project runs? When it comes to food service design, every single detail – down to the last millimetre – counts.

Getting the measurements right

Too often, construction headaches are caused by the designers or architects getting the measurements wrong on the drawing board. A discrepancy in recorded dimensions for space and equipment can snowball into a major design flaw.

Kitchen layout design is much like a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces have to perfectly fit one another in order to create a complete picture. One wrong contour, incorrect size or shape of the puzzle piece, could affect the entire project. In food service design, incorrect measurements become costly mistakes, either through designer re-draws or shopfitters needing to adjust or rebuild components of your food fit out. Commercial space cannot be increased at whim, so all the equipment must fit perfectly inside the allotted space no matter what.

Equipment planning

Planning how and where to position kitchen equipment is a key component of food service design. An incorrect or inaccurate kitchen layout and design can pose a number of implications including the following:

• Food safety risks caused by cross-contamination as in the case of hand basins installed too close to the food prep area
• Occupational safety hazards caused by poor equipment fit
• Equipment and fitout components not joining or fitting seamlessly (watch our video of a bain marie and stainless bench above)
• Inefficient use of space which can further limit staff movement around the kitchen
• Non-compliance to building codes and health standards which can lead to costly renovations
• Having to do the entire planning and construction process all over again

Plan it right the first time

Choosing the right food service designer is crucial to the success of any restaurant or cafe. As a business owner, it’s important that you are aware of the kind of tools and resources your designer will use to create your vision with accuracy. Check out our ebook on the most important questions you should be asking your food service designer.

At Food Strategy, we keep our designs accurate to the millimetre to ensure that projects move forward smoothly and we maintain solid working relationships with all stakeholders. Contact us for a discussion on how we can bring your vision to life today.