Floor plan design question

@thmakespho

In general the floor plan for a restaurant refers to the architectural drawing made by an architect that is submitted to the various local authorities (building, health, fire department, etc.) in order to receive approval to open and do business with the public. This is what most restaurant owners understand it to be and should expect it as the minimum. Unfortunately this is all most people think they need.

In addition to the general floor plan (which should include elevation, electrical, FFE (furniture, fixtures, equipment) plan, mechanical/electrical/plumbing schematics, etc.) an operator SHOULD also work up a number of other floor plan to help in the visualization and design of the whole operation.

Depending on the specific concept, these additional floor plans, which are mostly for internal use only, may consist of the following:

• Recipe Preparation Procedure Flow Plan. This is to show exactly how the prep flow plan should be conducted for each and every menu item.
• Inventory and Product Movement Plan. This is to aid in visualizing and training on how everything should move around the operation, mostly the BOH but sometime also the FOH depending on specific situation.
• High Volume Production Flow Plan. For use in specific situations where one or more signature dishes (such as pho) are the lifeblood of the business, require high volume and highly efficient operation and service, and/or require detailed training to always get it right.
• Service and Final Plating Flow Plan. This is to aid in the training, visualizing and performance tracking of the expediting area, when applicable.
• Other application such as Security, Safety and Fire Escape Plan. These are self-explanatory.

For a business to be effective, the owners should be able to track, measure and improve performance of every area of the operation, and these floor plans are helpful tools to do just that. I highly recommend all pho restaurant owners to take this on for their businesses.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need further clarification or have other questions.