[Sca-cooks] OP, by a long shot: Questions for Professional Chefs

[Chris Stanifer]

--- JAMES REVELLS <sudnserv5 at verizon.net> wrote:
>     My plan is for a theme of New Orleans (I am hoping to call it the "Big 
> Easy Cabaret"). 

How about "Crescent City Cabaret"??  Heck, if you name it that, I'll even give you my recipe for
Crescent City Shrimp... one of our top sellers at Gumbeaux's Cajun Restaurant here in So-Cal :)



>     The questions I have are all based on a 5000-7000 square foot club, 
> which the kitchen will probably be open from 11 AM to 11 PM Monday to Sunday 
> (club will be open from 11 AM to 2 AM, dinner shows at 6:30, 8:30 & 10:30 on 
> Friday to Sunday). 


Will the local populace support these hours seven days a week?  I'm not familiar with the
demographics in your region, but you'll want to have a traffic study done for your proposed
locations covering all of the hours you intend to be open.  Even if your place becomes a nightlife
'destination', and won't need to rely on passing traffic for business, you'll still want to know
if your customers will be fighting late-night traffic to get in or out.  Just a suggestion.  Also,
if you intend to remain open to attract the lounge crowd, you might want to situate your club in
an area of town which caters to college students and a younger clientelle.  It sounds like your
Dinner Shows will attract an affluent, sophisticated crowd...which is great...but they likely
won't all stay to keep your doors open during traditional 'bar hours'.  You'll need to take a peek
at the age/income demographic for your area, as well.  Your local Building Department or Dept of
Public Works probably has this information (or may be willing to conduct the study for a fee), or
contact your local Board of Trade.  of course, with 6 clubs under his belt already, your partner
probably knows a hell of a lot more than me about this.


 The cuisine I have planed is standard steaks, salad, & 
> sandwiches (we are in New England got to serve to the local pallet) along 
> with traditional Cajun & Southern dishes.:
> 
> What equipment would be needed for the kitchen? (there is nothing in my 
> preferred place now)



Obviously, you're going to need a broiler for the steaks.  I wouldn't look at anything with less
than a 4' cooking surface.  Give me 24 hours and I'll have prices for you on the equipment (I just
packed up my equipment catalogs for the move to Vegas).

You're going to need a few decent refrigerated 'make tables' for your salads and sandwiches.  If
you can find one which is designed as a 'pizza station', it will usually be longer than a pair of
standard tables combined.  Of course, this means that you will have to have your sandwich and
salad stations in the same area (a standard Pantry or Garde Manger station).

You'll want at least 6 high-output 'Star Burners' (stovetop burners) if you plan on doing a lot of
scratch cooking, 4 if you plan on doing a lot of things out of cans (like soups, chowders, etc.) 
When I give you the prices, I'll include several specs for you, as well, so you can see the
options available.  Most ranges have single or double ovens beneath them, which you will likely
need, as well.  The reason I suggest 6 burners (at least) is because Cajun food, if it is done
properly, requires a lot of burners (blackening station, gumbo, Sauce Piquant, Etoufee, etc).  if
you can find one in your area, an 'in-line' setup would be ideal.  This is where all of the
burners are on the same line (no reaching over a boiling pot of Creole Sauce to get at the burner
behind it).

You may want to consider a Salamander (for melting cheese, glazing steaks, browning bread crumb
toppings, etc), but this will be decided by your menu.

Refrigeration:  Either a decent sized walk-in Refrigerator/Freezer combo (6 x 10 is allright for
starters, and they have models now which can be dropped outside to conserve kitchen space), or
several commercial reach-in refrigerators.  Believe me.... you can NEVER have too much
refrigeration space.  The minute you think you have finally reached maximum coolage...WHAM-O!!!! 
You'll get booked for an event which requires at least half again as much :)

You'll need a moderate capacity stand mixer (20 quart or more) for mixing cornbread, bread dough,
pastry cream, whatever.  Even if you think you'll never use it, you'll need one.  Something will
come up.  Just get one.  Used, if you can find it.  As a matter of fact, if you can buy all of
your equipment used, do it, as long as it is still operable.  You'll save bunches (or you can opt
to lease, and not have to worry about outgrowing your equipment)

You'll need a commercial dishwasher.  High temp or chemical??  That's up to your pocketbook, and
the utility-to-chemical cost ratio in your area.  Which is cheaper for you.... the heating bill
for a high-temp machine, or the chemical costs for a low-temp machine?  That's something to look
into.  If you don't mind paying an employee to stand at a sink washing dishes, then you can get by
with a 3-compartment warewashing sink.  Of course, you'll inevitably have to put up with the
grumbling and mumbling of the dishwasher, and you can forget about him/her being an eager member
of your operation.  It's my personal opinion that the Dishwasher (or Dishwashing Team) is one of
the single most important members of the kitchen staff... right up there with my best cooks and
servers.  If you hire the right team, and you treat them well (like providing them a back-saving
automatic dishwasher) they will bend over backwards for you, and bail you out of trouble every
time.  I have the utmost respect for the dishwashers I have employed in the past.

There is more equipment you will need, but I'll throw some at you when I post the prices for those
items I have already mentioned.


> 
> What would be a reasonable size for the kitchen space?


This is simple.  Once you have decided which equipment you want to buy, and have their dimensions
and regulated seperations placed on your kitchen floorplan (meaning, arranged on paper the way you
want them to be set up), calculate the kitchen space and add about 200 - 300 square feet for
walkways, prep tables, and dish/equipment storage.  Then add on another chunk for the Dry Storage
space you think you will need.  You won't want a huge kitchen, with a lot of wasted (i.e. open)
space, but you don't want your cooks to be too cramped, or too close to the dish station.  The
only thing worse than not having any room to work is having too much room to walk for things you
need.  Keep it close, but not claustrophobic.  Will your office be in the kitchen??  You'll need
space for that, as well.

> 
> What would an approximate cost for the equipment be?


Again, I'll post some average prices for you tomorrow.


> 
> What would be a reasonable level of kitchen staff?


This is going to depend on your business volume, and the final size of your kitchen.  At the very
minimum, you are going to need one line cook and one dishwasher (please don't ask your cook to do
his own dishes.  Please.  That's just mean).  A moderately busy kitchen can probably get by with
one cook during slow periods, 2 during peak hours, and then a closing cook.  Unless your cooks
will have to do their own prep, in which case you may want 2 in the am, 2 or 3 during peak hours,
and 1 or 2 at closing depending on business. Hopefully, however, you will need a heck of a lot
more than that during lunch and dinner :)  Oh, and don't forget the dishwashers... if you pick the
right staff, you may be able to cross-train your DW to act as a part-time prep person or relief
cook.


> 
> What is a reasonable rate of pay for the staff?  (when I was a short order 
> cook some 33 years ago I only made $4.50/hour-I trust the rate has gone up?)


Pay your cooks as much as you can realistically afford.  Plain and simple.... you get what you pay
for.  If you pay too little, you will have a disloyal staff who will bail on you without notice,
probably on the busiest night of the year.  That just sucks....   You might be able to get away
with asking local cooks how much they get paid, and meeting that average rate, but you're better
off keeping it as high as you can reasonably afford.  I'm not just saying this because I'm a cook,
and want to see fellow cooks taken care of, either... really.  Like I said...you get what you pay
for.



> 
> Any one know a professional Cajun chef in New England?


Depends on how much you are willing to pay :)  If you pay enough, I'll be a professional Cajun
Chef in New England :)


William de Grandfort




Through teeth of sharks, the Autumn barks.....and Winter squarely bites me.


	
		
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