Menu and proximity are big factors in fry station design.

One of two fry stations at Salt + Smoke, this one is dedicated for gluten foods and is located by the pantry.The debate about whether fried food has fallen out of favor notwithstanding, fry stations remain a key component to the back of the house and cookline. Designs can vary depending on the menu and footprint, however, a strong consensus forms when it comes to the location, equipment and other attributes that enhance functionality.

“In healthcare, I’m seeing a reduction or removal of fryers on cooklines, but in higher education and [Business and Industry], even with a focus on healthful eating, we’re still seeing a robust desire for fried food, as it’s hard to duplicate at home,” says Laura Lentz, design principal, Culinary Advisors, Elliott City, Md.

Lentz compares fry stations to griddle stations when it comes to flexibility, as both can convert from breakfast use to lunch and dinner. “Fryers are the ideal piece of equipment,” she says. “Fried foods sell well and provide big profits for operators.”

Best-in-Class Layouts

Designers say menus drive fry station designs. Proof of this is St. Louis’ Salt + Smoke, a fast-casual concept that offers a variety of fried appetizers and entrees, such as burnt end brisket ravioli, fried pickles and hush puppies.

Separate fry stations support two sides of the kitchen. Pantry area fryers handle fried items with gluten, such as toasted ravioli. A fryer by the cookline handles flash-fried smoked wings and other meats, along with gluten-free foods. Each of Salt + Smoke’s four restaurant locations segregates the fryers as outlined above, but the layouts differ due to varying footprints.

“Each space comes with different logistical challenges,” says Haley Riley, owner, chef and pitmaster of Salt + Smoke. “We have fryers on different ends of the line manned by two to three people.”

The restaurant places the fryers using vegetable oil for gluten items as close to the pantry as possible to minimize steps between the worktop, refrigerator and service window. It takes a similar approach with the other fryer, which operates from behind the grill, so the cook just has to turn around to fry.

“To eliminate steps, we usually have a reach-in freezer relatively close to the pantry,” Riley says. “On the line, it’s a combination of fryers and high-tech, hot holding equipment for barbecue items.”

Salt + Smoke’s cookline also includes a convection oven with six burners on top and a flattop grill. “We may eventually add a worktop table next to the fryer for storing seasonings and sauces,” Riley says. “In the past eight years, we installed wire shelving on the back of the line that sits over the fryers and flattops. This is where we keep our rib and wing sauces.”

With this setup, the fryer heat comes out the back and goes through the metal shelving, which keeps sauces in mixing bowls hot. “After seasoning the meat, we mix it with the heated sauce that has caramelized in the bowl,” Riley adds.

Two of Salt + Smoke’s locations position the fryers directly behind coolers, so cooks can do a 180-degree turn to quickly fry. The other two sites, though, require cooks to take between 7 and 10 steps between the prep and fry stations.

“If a pantry cook can turn around and drop food in the fryer, you’re eliminating seconds from ticket times,” Riley notes.

Purdue University Northwest’s WeBurg concept includes multiple fryers with a dump station in close proximity.

This year, Salt + Smoke will replace equipment stands with refrigerated worktop coolers. These will house flattop grills on top and store refrigerated items for frying, such as wings, ribs and fries. “Food will go directly from the cooler to the fryer, which will be a foot and a half away,” Riley says. “This small efficiency will make the service come together.”

According to Lentz, it makes the most sense logistically if fry stations flow in one direction, with the lineup starting with a reach-in freezer next to the fryer, which sits adjacent to the dump and holding station. Depending on the menu, the operation may require a breading and/or sauce station. “Operators may need to split the breading fry station from the frozen product fry station, which means there would be two fry stations located adjacent to each other,” she adds.

Carving out necessary space for prepping items prior to frying, such as in a breading station, ensures seamless production. “If there is a breading station, modified refrigerated prep tables can be used for preparing chicken and fish,” Lentz says.

Although many times food to be fried comes from a nearby reach-in freezer, a lower-volume operation may store these menu items farther away in a walk-in. “We also look at the number of fried menu items and whether a separate allergen fryer is needed,” Lentz says. “We had a project that called for five fryers, and we added a sixth for gluten-free items. This is becoming more common in healthcare foodservice.”

It is also not recommended to place fryers on back counters with dump stations on front counters. “You don’t want a basket dripping with oil having to be carried to a dump station,” Lentz explains. “The dump area should be positioned right by the fryer.”

For operations utilizing prebreaded product that comes out of a plastic bag, storage space is a factor. “Unlike burger patties that are stored on a sheet pan, bags holding product for fryers need to be stored in a freezer reach-in with shelves, and operators need to consider how the food will be distributed,” Lentz notes.

Brad LaBel, owner of Coram, N.Y.-based LaBel Foodservice Equipment & Design, recommends adjacent freezers for a la carte restaurants to help cut down the necessary steps. “We’ll put fryers on the chef table right by the freezers, so cooks are just turning around to grab product, rather than running across the kitchen,” he says. “Seafood restaurants cooking from scratch also will need a breading station next to, or across from, the fryers with refrigeration underneath.”

Functional & Critical Elements

Along with logistics and proximity, capacity is another main consideration with fry station design. “It’s really important to get the volume right,” Lentz says. “There are so many kitchens that don’t have enough or have too many fryers. First, look at how much product is being fried and where it will come from.”

LaBel approaches fryer stations from a chef’s perspective. “Each application is different, depending on the menu and foods that are being fried,” says LaBel. “We ask if frozen and/or fresh product will be produced and request sample menus to see how the equipment will be used. Typically, multiple fryers are necessary, so there is no flavor transfer between products.”

Selecting the best piece of equipment for the job is also important. “Some do better with heavily breaded items than others,” says Kristin Sedej, president/owner, S2O Consultants Inc.

At Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, Ind., its new WeBurg concept utilizes four fryers to prepare up to five cases of chicken tenders daily. This concept serves as a modern throwback to the traditional grill, which was developed by Aladdin Campus Dining based in Canonsburg, Pa.

“This operation has seen a 30% increase in fried products, which is remarkable,” says Diane Wisniewski, Aladdin’s foodservice director. “We also have a pizza and wings concept at the university called Da Brix, which is supported by the WeBurg fryers.”

The fryer station setup at WeBurg includes a warming area flanked by two fryers on each side. “We have a slot to keep food hot and build trays with chicken tenders and fries,” says Vincent Alvarado, Aladdin Campus Dining’s executive chef. “This setup allows baskets to be emptied and more food to be cooked at one time.”

While one fryer cooks all chicken items, including wings, tenders and patties, the other unit is reserved for fries and macaroni and cheese bites. Adjacent to the fryers sit two flattops — one for burgers and chicken and one for burgers and buns. Next to this is the prep/sandwich area, which is by a double freezer/cooler. This is loaded up with product from a main freezer that is only about three steps away.

“Many times, we cook in big batches with a half case of fries or a case of chicken tenders,” Alvarado explains. “We have a hot table for holding fried items where the heat lamp can be raised and lowered.”

In some cases, a traditional fryer may not be warranted. “We had one client who was going to use a fryer but tested a combi oven, which does air frying, and it worked perfectly,” LaBel notes. “If used mainly for air frying, these ovens may be adjacent to traditional fryers in a fry station.”

Dump stations tend to be a controversial fry station component. “Some operators are very opposed to it, but in quick-service restaurants these are required for seasoning,” LaBel says. “If there is no dump station, cooks will be plating food directly out of the fryer using tongs. A filler table next to the fryer provides space to rest baskets prior to plating.”

Oil is a critical element that impacts fryer station designs. “The oil will get on the floor, so fryers should be on casters for easy cleaning below,” Lentz says. “If the fry station is not independent and is within a cookline, fryers should be at least 15 inches away from gas ranges, open flame charbroilers or any equipment with a live flame.”

The menu and budget will dictate how many fryer batteries and baskets an operation requires. “It’s imperative to have access to cooked product with minimal steps and that the station is sized correctly for the volume,” Sedej says. “With electric fryers, which are more energy efficient than gas, the higher the wattage, the quicker the recovery time.”

Culinary Advisors consolidated the fryer station as part of the cookline at Transylvania University.

Equipment Trends

There have been equipment innovations and options in recent years that have enhanced fry station efficiency. “With today’s labor issues, now we ask operators if they’d like to incorporate timers, automatic lifts and other accessories,” Lentz says. “That was not always the case, as these options are not budget friendly.”

Also a result of labor issues, batch frying has become more common. “We’re asking if fried product will be held in baskets for short periods, held in dump stations with heat lamps, or for those with bigger peaks or longer rush periods, we may include a humidity-controlled heated cabinet for holding hot foods,” Lentz notes. “These are typically used in quick service so fried food can be prepared in advance for larger surges.”

Because fried food does not hold well, the design should ensure that staff members serve items within three to four minutes of the food being cooked. “This requires a place to dump fried items that has overhead heat,” Sedej says. “It may be built into the battery, or there are countertop heated stations to drop fried product for plating or packaging. For banquets, fried food will be briefly held in a hotel pan and immediately plated. Food also can be partially fried and held in a warming drawer before being finished off and served.”

Salt + Smoke restaurants separate fry stations to ensure gluten-free foods are handled separately.

Sedej also sees fewer mobile fry filters and more built-in and oil reclamation systems.

“There is more of an effort to extend oil life,” Lentz adds. “Deciding whether or not to have built-in filtration, external filtration or to tie into oil reclamation is important when designing a fry station.”

Purdue University Northwest uses two tanks to filter oil at will. “Fryers are being cleaned on a continuous basis due to heavy use with just the flick of a switch,” Alvarado says, adding that this filtration system is key to the design.

Sedej recommends high-volume operations consider oil distribution systems, which utilize a tank to automatically pipe oil in and out of the fryer. “The key to a good fry station, like any design, is asking: What are you trying to accomplish? What’s the menu, volume and process?” she notes. “The goal is to handle fried items properly, but you need an efficient process.” This entails incorporating the appropriate equipment, minimizing steps by locating necessary components nearby and focusing on what’s being fried.

“Hand-battered fish will have different requirements than frozen prepared chicken nuggets, but either way, the fryer has to be under a hood with all the other cooking equipment,” Sedej explains. “There is no one formula, since the design is dependent on what’s being cooked and the volume.”

Looking ahead, automated fry stations are being tested by chains such as White Castle and Jack in the Box. “I talk to clients about how this will save them money in the future,” LaBel says. “Also, smart computers can prepare multiple items at once and go continuously 24/7. We’ll be looking into it for our future projects, especially with labor shortages.”