Kitchen layout, system

Abstract

A kitchen layout is provided which includes a plurality of work areas and devices arranged to promote efficient cooking and handling. The kitchen includes a food cooking area for cooking food items which require further processing and assembly into a finished product. The food cooking area contains various food cooking devices, such as a grill, an oven or a fryer. A cooked-food assembly area containing an assembly area is spaced apart from the food cooking area. The cooked food items are assembled into finished products within the cooked-food assembly area in response to customer orders. A cooked-food buffer area is provided intermediate the food cooking area and the cooked-food assembly area and proximally located to both the food cooking area and the cooked-food assembly area. The cooked-food buffer area contains a cooked-food buffer device for holding a supply of cooked food items at elevated temperature for extended periods of time while maintaining the taste, texture and appearance of the food items prior to subsequent processing and assembly. The cooked-food buffer device includes a holding cabinet having a food inlet, a food outlet and an interior for holding food items. The holding cabinet is positioned within the buffer area such that the food inlet provides a passageway from the food cooking area to the interior of the device and the food outlet provides a passageway from the interior of the device to the assembly area.