Keeping perishables at safe temperatures is the main objective at cold prep stations in the back and front of the house.

In commercial kitchens, the cold prep station, or garde manger, is tantamount to a residential kitchen during the holidays. “It’s no different than Thanksgiving, where we look at what can be accomplished ahead of time so dinner hosts can spend time with guests,” says Kristin Sedej, president, S2O Consultants, Chicago. “This includes cutting and chopping produce.”

In foodservice operations, taking care of cold prep prior to opening allows the culinary team to focus on cooking and plating during service hours. “It’s all about preparation and efficiency; when it comes to service, it’s crunch time,” Sedej says. “We are looking at what we can do ahead of time to get food out fresh and fast to customers.”

At these stations, there is a distinct difference between prep and order assembly. “Cold prep truly is getting everything ready by peeling potatoes, cutting onions and looking at what can be done to expedite the process of serving customers,” Sedej explains.

Because back-of-the-house space is at a premium, this is typically a multifunctional area. The thoughtful design of these stations will allow operators to use these areas for prep prior to regular customer service hours and to use these same spaces for other tasks, like meal assembly, later in the day. “It can be a pantry area for prepping ingredients for salads, desserts, appetizers or sandwiches,” says Cory Moe, senior designer, TriMark, Irvine, Calif. “There is usually not enough room for individual stations, so combining prep that uses similar ingredients [is more efficient].”

Design Logistics

Looking at its makeup, the cold prep workplace is fairly simple, with refrigeration for ingredients, power for equipment, and water for washing produce being the main design components. “With these designs, we need to provide the space and infrastructure to do what’s necessary ahead of time, which increases efficiency at the time of service,” Sedej notes.

Location and allocated space should be top considerations, followed by menu items that require prepping as well as the equipment and supplies needed to accomplish this. The kitchen’s logistics will impact the cold prep station’s location and layout.

“If located at the rear of the building, walk-ins should be separated by an aisle, with the cold prep space adjacent to service,” says Carlos Espinosa, vice president of consulting, Profitality Labor Guru in Miami. “With this format, the prep employee can help out service easily when needed and pop back into prep space during slow periods.”

In addition to considering the space and menu, it’s important to note that cold prep areas can look different, depending on the segment. For this reason, operators should consider whether this station needs to serve double duty or can be relocated during off-peak periods. It may be necessary to utilize a dormant station in nonpeak periods.

“Hospitals, schools and B&I are heavier on lunch with a smaller breakfast service, so there are instances where we can temporarily move cold prep,” Sedej says. “An operation may utilize spaces in the serving area to handle cold ingredient prepping, such as a deli station that’s not open for breakfast.”

While restaurants are more dynamic with staffing, noncommercial operations like schools and B&I have less flexibility and more fixed stations. “Restaurants have more menu changes, so variability at the stations is needed,” Espinosa says. “Any time you can have people doing more than one thing or utilizing space in different dayparts, the more efficient that area will be.”

In addition, even though cold prep generally takes place before or after, rather than during, meal periods, it doesn’t mean staff can’t prep during the day for the following day if it makes sense. Adding to the efficiency and speed of service is ensuring that all the necessary components are close at hand. “When designing any workspace, taking minimal steps is key,” Espinosa says. “In the work cell, team members should have everything they need within arm’s reach, left, right, forward and back.”

Like many stations, cold prep areas are designed in the space that’s provided, which may require thinking outside the box. “Sometimes, designers need to work with the size they’re given, then have to adjust and tailor to make things as versatile as possible,” Moe says. “Fortunately, cold prep is one of the more versatile areas in a kitchen.”

In a cold prep station, like in all areas of the kitchen, everything should have a home or place to land. “The design should ensure all items have a space and there is a space for everything,” Espinosa notes. “Also, this station should be designed with flexibility to transform into what’s needed. There is more versatility if this area can transform from a pasta to a salad prep station, for example. We need to make sure we can fit everything in the same space, which is ideal. Otherwise, if there are design constraints based on the layout, we may have to designate other areas for things like refrigeration.”

With cold prep designs, one size does not fit all. “We try to consider how the space will be used for multiple functions,” Espinosa says. “It’s important that the design is not too detailed because if the operation changes, you don’t want to be locked into something that doesn’t transfer operationally.”

It’s best to consider equipment and smallwares before committing to a design. “It goes back to creating a flexible space that can be easily worked,” Espinosa says. “How it lays out depends on design limitations and the amount of space available.”

Logistics represents another factor in the design of cold prep areas. Those working these stations need easy access to walk-in coolers and storage for both bulk and prepped product. “The size and type of refrigeration depends on what is being prepped, and this hinges on the volume and menu,” Sedej says.

By providing ample workspace, staff can accomplish more tasks at one time, but cold prep areas should be plug and play. “Keep it simple. Don’t build a lot of things in, because, this way, if something breaks or changes, the station can still be worked,” Espinosa notes.

Operators can situate various aspects of cold prep in different parts of the kitchen. “There may be a pantry area and then a larger space may be set off as a separate part of this station by the hot line,” Moe says. “Depending on the size of the space, a cold prep station can even be directly adjacent to the grill and fryer.”

Do’s & Don’ts

The rule of thumb with cold prep stations is to keep cold and hot items as separate as possible. “These may only be apart by a few inches,” Moe says. “If the station is by the cookline, there should be 3½ to 4 feet of separation.”

With today’s technology, Sedej says refrigeration has become better in hot spaces, and cold rails are a popular option to consider. If cold prep is part of the cooking lineup, with a table located by a grill, then insulated panels are needed on cold equipment to protect the area from heat.

Proximity is key for efficiency and speed of service. “Just like the working triangle or distance between the sink, stove and refrigerator in residential kitchens, the same method is applied in commercial kitchen designs,” Moe says. “Except what we have is a number of smaller working triangles.”

On a busy line with grill, broil and pantry stations with three to four people working at one time, the area needs to be as self-contained as possible within the working triangle. “Stations should be kept as close to each other as possible to minimize steps,” Moe says. “With labor, it doesn’t make sense for someone to walk 20 feet to grab a loaf of bread for a sandwich, so we try to keep working areas to a minimum space-wise.”

Espinosa agrees that creating silos, or having big separations between stations, doesn’t make sense. “Some restaurants segregate the cold and hot prep areas to different parts of the kitchen,” he says. “This is not ideal nor the best use of space.”

Although it is sometimes unavoidable due to layout constraints, locating cold prep far from where the action happens can create labor inefficiencies. “If those in charge of prepping are isolated, they won’t be as efficient,” Espinosa notes. “It’s better for them to be adjacent to where the action is, which will encourage them to keep up the pace and not traverse the entire kitchen to get things done.”

Equipment Lineup

Just like the location and size of cold prep stations vary, so does the equipment lineup. This can differ, depending on whether cold prep happens in the front or back of house or both. “Flexibility is leading the charge for these workspaces, with technology and automation increasing efficiency,” Espinosa says.

Prior to confirming the necessary equipment, operators should determine what items staff will prep in-house, what prep will be done by hand versus equipment and what ingredients will be brought in already prepped. In addition, if the prep area will be used for catering, higher-volume periods may need to be accommodated.

“Operators need to consider both raw and finished product and where it will go,” Sedej says. “Having ample storage is huge, especially if there are not daily deliveries.”

The equipment type and size will depend on floor space as well as the menu items that need prepping. Staples include refrigeration, such as upright, undercounter or walk-in units, prep tables with cold storage, work sinks, hand sinks, automated slicers and knives, food processors, blenders and mixers.

“Prep tables, whether self-contained or with remote condensers, will have cutouts on top to drop in ingredient pans,” Moe says. “These units will have doors or drawers with refrigerated storage underneath as well as a serving shelf or overshelf nearby for waitstaff to pick up items. And there may be a utility sink attached to rinse produce.”

Temperature consistency plays a key role with equipment in these spaces, and there are a multitude of options operators can incorporate into cold prep areas. These include temperature alarms for walk-ins, cold rooms designated for prep and HACCP monitoring tools.

Also, some cold prep stations may incorporate heating or cooking elements for menu items such as hot sandwiches or salads with cooked meat. “In this case, high-speed ovens may be a necessary component [for stations not adjacent to cooklines],” Moe says.

With cold prep areas, it pays to align labor and tasks with the number of stations to ensure production goals are met. “Be creative. Instead of making kitchens bigger, we can designate other stations for prep,” Sedej says. “It’s important to think outside the box.”