What should be the placement and circulation flow around the dish display cabinets?

The layout of the dish display cabinets needs to consider both the customer side and the staff side, not just include the equipment in the floor plan as if it’s done. When a restaurant adjusts the connection between customers viewing dishes and kitchen preparation, actions such as viewing, picking up, replenishing, and cleaning often occur around the equipment. The focus of the planning is to ensure these actions can be seamlessly connected in the same space, rather than simply aiming for neat equipment arrangement.

The area where customers stand should not block the service staff’s path; Staff also should not pass through the waiting crowd during replenishment. Include menu descriptions, lighting reflections, and readability of labels in on-site testing, making the selection process more intuitive. During measurement, record the wall columns, door openings, fixing facilities, and channels planned to be retained. Do not directly consider the blank areas in the photos as available locations. The range after opening the cabinet doors, drawers, or other movable components also needs to be verified. The usage area of the equipment and the positions required for professional maintenance should be clearly defined separately.

Assuming the refrigeratory is located inside the entrance, it gathers customers and staff while they prepare the menu. Mark the waiting area and replenishment area on the diagram to identify whether there is enough space to move around, rather than relying solely on the distance from the entrance in meters as a layout criterion. When determining layout issues, first observe which action or time period causes the conflict, then discuss whether to adjust the equipment or the operation position. If only the orientation of the cabinet is changed without organizing the surrounding materials, the original waiting or detour problems may still occur.

It is recommended to conduct a simple simulation using actual containers, trolleys, or empty packaging. Demonstrate replenishment, retrieval, and organization for menu display trays, price tags, packaged ingredients, and turnover containers, and record whether employees need to turn around repeatedly, whether labels are hard to see, and whether they intersect with the customer waiting area. The more categories that can be displayed, the less likely customers will make decisions easily; The key is to clearly identify items, ensure smooth retrieval, and maintain consistent order even after replenishing the display. Write down these observations next to the floor plan, which makes it easier to achieve consistent understanding than simply describing ‘a bit more spacious’.

Before the plan is finalized, have the equipment supplier review the installation conditions based on on-site photos and dimensions. The space, supporting facilities, and surrounding environment required for the equipment should be specified according to the selected model, not inferred from photos from other stores. Include the number of display levels, door movement, compartment alignment, and installation locations in the confirmation diagram. The conditions for food storage should be confirmed according to the model specifications and store management requirements, and suitability cannot be judged solely by display photos. If renovations or changes occur to the product layout, the original drawings must be updated, and affected areas should be re-verified to ensure the actual implementation matches the original plan.