The Storeroom

1. The Storeroom Chapter 7

2. Objectives • Relate the storeroom as a service provider • Describe the organization of staffing • List the different positions employed in storeroom operations • Define the different categories of employees

3. Objectives (cont’d.) • Identify common features found in receiving docks • List common files kept in the buyer’s office • Describe common features found in dry and refrigerated storage

4. Objectives (cont’d.) • Identify the various types of shelving used in dry and refrigerated storage • Explain storeroom sanitation • Describe the use of herb gardens, hydroponics and live seafood tanks • Compare the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle

5. The Storeroom as Service Provider • The storeroom is like a central hub • Issuing food in a timely manner 7.1 Storeroom: Hub of Operations

6. Organization of Staffing • Positions in food service or production are known as line positions • Staff positions support the line workers • Examples: bookkeeper, storeroom staff • Food and labor costs are largest controllable costs of the organization

7. Labor Laws • Fair Labor Standards Act sets minimum wage and overtime pay standards • Exempt (salaried) employees are not covered under FLSA • Some states and cities have passed laws more stringent than FLSA • May also regulate hours worked or equipment used by minors

8. Personnel Files • Employee records should be kept • Name, address, birth date, gender, position, rate of pay, and hours worked each day and week • Total earnings, deductions, and paycheck history • All employers must complete an I-9 form for each person they hire

9. Common Storeroom Positions and Duties • High volume operations have several positions assigned to the storeroom • Storeroom manager • Buyer • Meets with supplier sales staff or local growers • Receiving clerk • Storeroom assistants

10. Organization of Facilities • Storeroom should be organized with safety, sanitation, and efficiency in mind • Ensure enough room in each section • Areas kept clean and clutter-free • Shelves and bins labeled • Needed tools and equipment kept nearby • Lighting and walkways adequate

11. Space Requirements • Kitchen and storerooms generally smaller in size than customer areas • Considered a drain on profits • Kitchen/storerooms require adequate space to provide proper support • Rule of thumb: storeroom needs 10-12% of total space

12. Receiving Dock • Certain features and equipment should be designed into receiving spaces • Flexible loading docks, overhead lighting • Cleaning equipment, carts, hand trucks • Scales, sinks, ice machine • Waste, recycle and container storage • Beverage, soiled linen, pest control storage

13. Buying and Receiving Office • Receiving office should be located near receiving dock and storeroom areas • File systems: • Organize variety of information • Right-to-know information • Inform all employees about potentially harmful chemicals; provide MSDS sheets

14. Refrigerated Storage • Refrigerated foods stored between 34-38°F • Larger operations have dedicated coolers for meat, seafood, and dairy • Cooler doors should have windows • Reduces opening of doors and theft • Work table inside the cooler a good idea

15. Equipment Needs for Storage Areas • Types of equipment used in dry and refrigerated storage areas • Shelving, wall racks, can racks, and scales • Dunnage racks (for stacking cases of products) • Work tables, sinks, and drain tables • Vacuum processing equipment • Thermometers and alarms

16. Reach-In Refrigeration Temperatures • Reach-in refrigeration used for smaller storage needs • Chocolate is best stored between 57-61°F • Cheese is best stored at 45°F • Susceptible to absorbing other foods’ odors • Perfect for use in the kitchen • Smaller units stored under work tables

17. Storing Food and Paper Temperatures • Dry storeroom should be controlled for air circulation, temperature, humidity and light • Dry and canned goods best stored in cool, dry environments • Recommended dry storeroom temperature between 50-70°F and 50-60% relative humidity

18. Storeroom Layouts • Tips for organizing food and paper goods • Develop a room layout • Properly labeled freestanding shelving along walls and in rows • Group items by category • Store glass items close to the floor

19. Storing Beverages • Beverages must be stored at consistent temperatures and rotated regularly for freshness • Canned and bottled beverages may be stored in dry storeroom, cage, or cooler • Wine may be stored in cellar, cage, or cooler • Spirits stored in liquor storeroom or cage

20. Storing Returnable Beverage Containers • Some states require a deposit on containers • Operators must store returnable containers until they are returned for deposit • Cans and bottles should be cleaned prior to storage

21. Storing Chemical Supplies • Health codes require operators to store cleaning supplies and chemicals away from food • Some chemical companies will supply the operator with racks and dispensing equipment • For mixing and storing the chemicals

22. Storing Linen and Sundries • Uniforms, towels and linen napkins • Own and wash • Large operations operate own laundry facilities • Rent • Buyer responsible for ordering and storing various linen supplies • Rental company picks up soiled linens regularly

23. Storing Small Wares and Equipment • Tabletop supplies, glassware, flatware and china • May be purchased from broadline distributor or specialty distributor • Best to have enough for 2.5 times the seating capacity of the restaurant • Plus an additional 0.5 times in backup storage

24. Seafood Tanks • Use of live seafood tanks • Provides quality and appearance of freshness • Holding tanks placed for customer to see • Live product will survive only briefly in captivity; stock must be rotated frequently • Tanks must be cleaned regularly

25. Hydroponics • Growing plants in nutrient-rich solution • Without soil • Generally occurs in tightly-controlled areas such as hydroponic greenhouses • Storeroom staff must manage the growth and harvesting the herbs and vegetables

26. Herb Gardens • Many restaurants raise their own herbs • Traditional or hydroponic gardens • Fresh herbs from local growers • Culinary herbs can be made into value-added products • Herbal teas, jellies, flavored butters, and sauces

27. Storeroom Sanitation • Storeroom must be maintained with highest sanitation standards • Types of hazards • Biological hazard: bacteria, yeast, mold • Chemical hazard: food contaminated with chemicals stored on premises • Physical hazard: foreign particles

28. Sanitary Practices • 76 million food-related illnesses each year • Most caused by poor food handling by food service employees • Cross-contamination • When safe foods come into contact with harmful substances • Employees should take preventive steps

29. Food Deterioration • Two major causes of food deterioration • Chemical changes within the food that cause loss of quality and nutrient value • Spoilage organisms that get into the food • Receiving staff should place perishable food in refrigerated storage immediately • Keep food outside of the temperature danger zone

30. HACCP • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System • Purpose is to ensure food remains safe and sanitary during all phases of handling • To implement the process, a food service professional must evaluate his operation based on seven principles

31. Environmental Concerns • Recycling is a major component of waste reduction • Aim is to reduce trash and restore natural resources • The three “R’s”: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle • Voluntary program

32. Summary • Storeroom is a central hub of food service operation • Storerooms should: • Have adequate space • Be well-organized and sanitary • Different types of foods have different storage requirements

33. Summary (cont’d.) • Chemical supplies must be stored separately from food • Seafood tanks, hydroponic, and herb gardens are extensions of the storeroom • HACCP processes should be followed to reduce food-borne illnesses