Importance of a Functional Dish Room
Designing a functional dish room is imperative to the successful operation of any establishment. At the heart of every dish room, is the dish machine operation. Though there are countless solutions, most dish machine layouts consist of a soiled dish table, a dish machine, and a clean dish table. Advance Tabco offers dish tables in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles- both standard and custom- to complete any dish room. Here are some things to keep in mind when designing your dish room.
What is the Flow of the Operation?
This is the first question you will need to answer before ordering your dish tables. Simply put, the flow of the dish room refers to the direction the dirty dishes will be flowing through the dish machine. Soiled dishes start on the soiled dish table before moving through the dish machine to be cleaned. The clean dishes emerge and are moved along the clean dish table before being put back in use. With this in mind, you can now select your dish tables. At Advance Tabco, dish table model numbers are coded to easily identify how they fit into your flow. All Advance Tabco dish tables start with the letters DTC (dish table clean) or DTS (dish table soiled). Additionally, each model number ends with either R or L (right or left). For example, model DTC-G30-84L represents a clean dish table, designed to receive clean dishes from the left side of the dish machine. The other letters and numbers in the model number represent the other qualities of the dish table (more on that later)… Bonus tip: Just like in the kitchen, efficiency is paramount in the dish room. An ideal layout consists of the soiled dish table being close to the door of the dish room. This way, soiled dishes can easily be dropped off without interfering with the operation and cleanliness of the rest of the dish room.
What Dish Machine is Being Used?
Just like dish tables, there are countless considerations to make when selecting a dish machine. Local requirements, water quality, and types of dishes are just a few factors that go into selecting a dish machine. Your dish machine manufacturer will be able to assist you in deciding what machine is right for your dish room. After a dish machine is selected- it is important to confirm that it is compatible with the dish tables. Every dish machine is different, and not every machine will accept a standard dish table seamlessly. In some cases, slight modifications are required to the dish table to ensure the dish machine can properly function. Fortunately, Advance Tabco will always ask what dish machine is being used any time a dish table is quoted. Further, the Dish Machine Compatibility Chart is regularly updated so you can always check if any modifications are required to complete your dish machine setup.
Dish Table Shape, Size, Style
Knowing the flow of the dish room is only the first step in selecting a dish table. No two dish rooms are identical, and there is no one size fits all dish table for every operation. The size of your dish tables will largely depend on the size of your dish room. Most standard Advance Tabco dish tables range from 4ft to 12ft in length, but tables can be customized to be smaller or larger if needed. The more dishes you anticipate cycling through the dish room, the larger you’d want your dish tables to be for maximum efficiency. The most common shape for a dish table is straight. However, there are a handful of other shapes that might be perfect for your dish room…Corner Dish Tables , as the name suggests- sit in the corner of a dish room. They feature a large landing area before turning at the corner into the dish machine. Both sides of the corner dish table have tall backsplashes.
Island Dish Tables are similar in shape to corner dish tables, but the landing area is not against the wall (it extends, as an island), and thus does not have a backsplash. Dish Landing Tables feature a large angled edge on one side for bussers to easily drop off soiled dishes.
Bonus Tip: Advance Tabco offers the above dish tables at multiple price points. Each dish table can be purchased in either 14- or 16-gauge thickness. 16 gauge should be acceptable for most applications, but if you are anticipating heavy volume coming through the dish room- 14ga should be strongly considered. When price is the deciding factor, Advance Tabco offers select sizes at special value pricing. Reach out to us today for pricing options!
Even MORE options…
The above dish table shapes should satisfy most configurations, but here are a few more specialty dish tables for select layouts…Undercounter Dish Tables are straight dish tables, designed to accommodate undercounter dish washers. These come standard in 4-6ft, and are ideal for space saving configurations when a standard dish machine layout cannot fit.
U-Shaped Dish Tables are large tables that combine the benefits of a corner table, with a landing table. The mutli-functional dish tables take up a large footprint and are great when the dish room has space to spare.
3-Compartment Sink Dish Tables are growing in popularity recently. As the name suggests, they are dish tables with a built in 3-comp sink. It is typical for operators to order these with stainless steel covers so it can function as both a standard straight dish table, and a 3-comp sink.
Dish Storage Considerations
Removing clutter in the dish room is important to creating a well-functioning operation. When dishes pile up, the flow of the dish room slows down. Further, the more dishes that accumulate, the more likely they are to fall and potentially break. In addition to being a safety issue, this adds additional strain on the process. To help reduce clutter when dishes start piling up, it’s wise to consider some storage options. As previously mentioned, no two dish rooms are alike. Advance Tabco offers storage options for every space. Wall mounted shelves are a great solution when you want to free up space on your dish tables. Slanted sorting shelves are offered in either a solid design, or a tubular design. Another popular storage option are the table mounted sorting shelves. These are also offered in solid or tubular options, equipped with drip tubes for water drainage, and can be adjusted to accommodate different sized glass racks. Finally, a classis stainless steel undershelf is a great, simple option if you need some additional storage underneath your dish table.
Closing Thoughts
Because of the extensive list of considerations covered above, it is easy to feel intimidated when it comes to laying out a dish room. A well-run dish room leads to a well-run restaurant, so it’s important not to overlook any aspect of your dish room layout. This information should help you when it comes time to design your next dish room, but if you find you need some additional help- please don’t hesitate to reach out to Advance Tabco. We have the experience and expertise to help walk you through each step of the process. Whether it’s a basic layout, or a completely custom configuration- we’ve got you covered!Need help quoting your dishtables? Email us now!