Dishwashing is the term for collecting dirty plates, glasses, silverware, pots, and pans and scraping, rinsing, sanitizing, and drying them. It is by far the most essential and least exciting part of the foodservice business. Whether the dishes are carried out by hand or by machine, or a combination of both, it is a complicated job with high temperatures, high humidity and slippery floors that require constant caution. For the restaurant owner, this is also one of the most expensive areas to operate. Labor (and high turnover), utilities, and equipment are expensive, and breakages can account for 10 to 15 percent of plate area expenses.
It simply has a direct impact on public health. Done wrong, you jeopardize your business on a daily basis. For now, let’s cover how transportation and laundry affect the size and location of the dish room. First, the dirty dishes have to get there. Some restaurants have bus people or waiters who bring the dishes directly to the washing area; others try to save a few steps by stacking the dishes in bus tubs on carts located throughout the dining area and taking them in for washing only when the cart is full. (The largest mobile carts, which can carry a minimum of a dozen of the waiters’ large, oval trays, are nicknamed “Queen Marys”). Quick-service, cafeteria-style restaurants may choose to have customers bring their own tables, depositing waste and trays in receptacles near the doors when they leave.
Emphasis should be placed on designing a system to ensure that each plate, cup or fork has its own flow pattern, to get it in and out of service quickly and efficiently. A short, smooth flow pattern from the dining area to the plate area will keep breakage to a minimum and reduce labor costs. You will need to find the shortest route that minimizes the natural noise and rattling of running the dishes, and also keeps them out of the guests’ sight as much as possible. In institutional settings, the plate room should be placed in the outgoing guest flow pattern, so as not to interfere with incoming guests. A conveyor belt or the placement of walls or partitions can minimize contact with sights and sounds from the turntable area.
Dishes should be scraped and stacked when they reach the wash area. Sometimes scraping and stacking can be the responsibility of the people on the bus or the waiters who bring the dishes. This method is recognized as a decoy and allows dishwashers to focus on rinsing dishes and loading them into machines. No matter who scrapes, you better find out where the scrapes are going to end. A plastic-lined trash can? In the garbage disposal? Glasses and cutlery have specific hygienic needs. As used cutlery is removed from a table, it should be immediately placed in a pre-soak solution, either in a sink or in a bathtub. When heading to the dishwasher, the cutlery should be placed, facing up, in round perforated containers, much like the ones you are familiar with in household dishwashers. The glasses and cups are placed upside down on special racks, not placed on regular plate racks with the plates.
If glasses are used, such as tall glasses for wine or water, there are specific racks with higher individual compartments to prevent the glass bases from breaking. There should be enough space for the storage of these specialized containers, both full and empty. Neither cutlery nor glassware should be towel dried when removed from the dishwasher. Instead, place silverware on large absorbent towels and sort as they dry; Allow glasses to air dry before removing from shelves. Again, this requires space. Most restaurants store their glasses on the shelves until they are used again, saving time and storage space. There are many ways to organize your dishwasher. In most cases, you will place your equipment in a straight line, in an L shape or perhaps in a hollow square, with the gear making the sides of the square and the employees standing inside.
To determine the size of your plate area, consider the size of the dining room. Remember that each individual served will generate six to eight dirty plates. Calculate how many full dish racks your dishwasher can process in one hour. Lastly, keep in mind that the largest dish rooms run, on average, at 70 percent efficiency. Within the dish area, scraping, spraying, lifting and transporting mean higher labor costs and the possibility of disasters unless special attention is paid to safety. Non-slip floors and proper drainage are necessary. Generally, city ordinances also specify lighting requirements (70 to 100 foot-candles of brightness) and govern the ventilation program.
Dishwashing machines generate so much heat and humidity that adequate ventilation is essential for employee comfort; As a bonus, it also helps clean dishes dry faster. Acoustic wall and ceiling tiles are important in this area, to prevent noise from the plate room from spilling into the dining room area. An additional element that must be chosen carefully can be the type of door that connects the washing area with the rest of the installation. Double swing doors are not a great idea here, for the same reason we advise against them between kitchen and support areas, unless each door is installed to open in only one direction, there are at least two feet between the doors and all the doors are clearly labeled “IN” and “OUT”.
