Kitchen Equipment

jam,
since your kitchen is almost the same size as our 8 x 18 ft rig here is what we have in that space.
i will go front of unit to rear.
left hand side;
artic air 22 cu ft reefer, artic air 7.2 cu ft freezer, fec100, sm150, 2 burner hot plate, 3 well steam table.
right hand side (again front to rear);
hand sink, 3 comparment sink with double side boards, 3 well chilled food.
we have 4 oz spoodles, tongs 2 and 4 inch hotels scale knives (sabatier are my choice for chefs and forstner for boning and slicing work) towels sani wipes and i know i left something out but this gives you an idea.
on the matter of knives i think henkels and wustoff are way over rated. if you have a culinary school near you call them and ask if they use fredrick dick for their students knife kits. i still have mine from when i was in school and they are great just make sure that your chef's knives are forged, not stamped and you can't go wrong.
hoped this helped you some as your kitchen is only 2 foot narrower than mine and 4 feet shorter. i weigh 275 and my wife is average size and we can both work in there together but it is kinda like dancing
jack
2 Greyhounds....SMOKIN!!!!
oh i forgot to say ours is a mobile rig

It's hard to wrap my mind around such a small kitchen. First thing I would suggest is to find out EXACTLY what will be required by local health inspectors(ie: triple sink, hand sink, etc). Once you know about that, your usable space is likely to be even smaller. But basically, I would suggest this if you just plan to do sandwiches:

*2 burner cook top
*Counter top fryer with 2 baskets(20#)
*Microwave
*The above 3 items can be placed on a griddle base with fridge drawers
*Sandwich unit(which may also have enough fridge space for your needs)

That's about all I think you'll have room for, but if you can find freezer space somewhere it would be great. Some 2 door sandwich units have a freezer side. Volume will determine how you hold food to serve. If you do 50 BBQ sandwiches a day, you could MW individual portions. If you do 150, you'll likely want to use some type of heated holding(steam table, etc). A deep hotel pan with third/half pan inserts will suffice for a low volume steam table on your cook top. Your sandwich unit will hold all your condiments, and can also hold cold meats for sandwiches. The cook top will allow you to cook sauce, heat water, or many other things, so unless you know that you'll never want to offer other items, I would not delete it. It can also double as a griddle with the proper accessory. This would let you do things like meatloaf or sausage sandwiches as a special. Smoked meatloaf is great in sandwiches.

As to equipment brands, that is something of a regional choice. If you know anything about equipment, buying used can save you some money, maybe. Check with your restaurant supply house once you identify your needs and they can put together an equipment package that will fit your budget. And don't forget the little things like saute pans, tongs, eating utensils, serving spoons, knives, cutting boards, mixing bowls, etc. They can add up. Hope this helps some.

prisonchef.

Do you have a digital camera? Would love to see pics of the rig.

Email me and let me know.

Smokin'

Smokin,
I sent you pictures twice. Did you never get them?
Peggy
P.s. It's kind of close in there when you get doors open, but we're getting the hang of it.

Hey Jam: Went to grade school in the Bronx (PS 102 near Parkchester). Looking for a place to open up here in Tarrytown. Have spent some time thinking about -- and looking at -- different kitchen setups, and would be glad to talk through some approaches. Really depends a lot on exactly what you plan to serve, and timing of service (lunch, dinner). email me if you want to talk. pitmaster@this-little-piggy.com

Hi Guys, Many thanks for your input. I really need (and appreciate) the help. I'll post again after I've done some more homework. In the meantime, I've registered, bbq4me.com for my website and will e-mail a menu draft to woodburner. Jam PS Keep on dancin prisonchef.

jam,
we danced like heck this weekend!!!!
did our 1st contest all four meats plus vending!!!
got 2nd in brisket and then collapesed!!!
jack
ps good luck on your venture and if you want to see how strange the trip can be look for took the plunge friday in this section. we still aren't done. state inspection is soon lol