Minimum equipment needed

[dellavecchia]

For those who own a pizza shop or have extensive experience in one:

With a small space serving pizza only (no apps, sides, salads, pasta, nada - just pizza) made to order for take away or self serve tables, what would be the minimum of kitchen equipment needed (besides the oven and mixer) to run the operation? I am looking for specifics, ie, a dishwasher unit (whatever the restaurant term is for it), etc. I understand there will be obvious ones, but I am curious to find out if there are things I never thought of. And I am looking for the minimum, not extravagance or nice-to-have. Any insight and advice appreciated.

John

[norma427]

John,

I don’t know if my small pizza stand at market qualifies as a pizza shop, but my space if very small at market.  If you want to know what is in my market space, let me know.

Norma 

[AimlessRyan]

Here's a start:

Oven
Hooding/exhaust
Mixer
Prep table
Dishwashing sinks
Refrigeration
Hand-washing sinks
Scales
Knives/pizza cutter
Work tables
Containers for toppings
Dough boxes
Peels (and pans?)

Cash register/POS system

[AimlessRyan]

Soda fountain
Ice maker
Counter
Trash cans
Shelving
Safe
Grease trap...

[AimlessRyan]

Signage...

[AimlessRyan]

Heavy duty can opener...

[dellavecchia]

John,

I don’t know if my small pizza stand at market qualifies as a pizza shop, but my space if very small at market.  If you want to know what is in my market space, let me know.

Norma 

Thank you Norma - That would be very helpful.

John

[dellavecchia]

Thank you Ryan - I am more concerned with large, more expensive kitchen equipment - but your list is very comprehensive.

John

[Pete-zza]

John,

You might also search over at the PMQ Think Tank. An example: http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=61900#p61900.

Peter

[norma427]

Thank you Ryan - I am more concerned with large, more expensive kitchen equipment - but your list is very comprehensive.

John

John,

I am not sure what kind of pizza business you want to know about, but I make NY style, Greek style and Sicilian at market.  I have a deli case for displaying sodas, water and other products made out of pizza dough.  It also holds my cheeses and some other stuff.  I also have a pizza prep fridge.  My deck oven needed venting, but in my area I didn’t need a hood exhaust system for my deck oven.  I don’t have a dishwasher, but do all the dishes by hand in the 3 bay sink.  I also have a Pelican Head cheese grater for my cheese that can be put on the Hobart mixer.  The Pelican head also has a slicer attachment.  I have a heated, humidified holding cabinet that is digital that holds the whole pies on revolving racks.  The rack system on the back wall holds a lot of stuff.  I also have 2 stainless steel tables.  One is where I have my racks for the pizza pans and where I open up the dough balls.   

I don’t know if you can tell from this video that I posted before at Reply 529 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,9908.msg104786.html#msg104786  but this is about what my small pizza stand looks like. 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzCyvu4p2k4" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzCyvu4p2k4</a>

I can also take another video Tuesday if you want me to.  I also have pictures of the front of my small pizza stand if you want to post them.  Those pictures also show about what my pizza stand includes. 

If you want anymore specifics of what are in my pizza stand, let me know.  Most of my equipment for my pizza stand was purchased used, but some of it was new when I opened my pizza stand. 

Norma 

[dellavecchia]

John,

You might also search over at the PMQ Think Tank. An example: http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=61900#p61900.

Peter

Thanks for that link Peter.

How about this for a bare bones pizza counter shop (major appliances and furniture):

Oven
Hooding/exhaust
Mixer
Walk-in Fridge
Refrigerated Pizza Prep Table
Prep table
3 piece sink
Dishwasher
iPad using Square
Tables
Chairs
Refrigerated beverage unit (San Pellegrino sodas and sparkling water in glass bottles)

John

[dellavecchia]

John,

I am not sure what kind of pizza business you want to know about, but I make NY style, Greek style and Sicilian at market.  I have a deli case for displaying sodas, water and other products made out of pizza dough.  It also holds my cheeses and some other stuff.  I also have a pizza prep fridge.  My deck oven needed venting, but in my area I didn’t need a hood exhaust system for my deck oven.  I don’t have a dishwasher, but do all the dishes by hand in the 3 bay sink.  I also have a Pelican Head cheese grater for my cheese that can be put on the Hobart mixer.  The Pelican head also has a slicer attachment.  I have a heated, humidified holding cabinet that is digital that holds the whole pies on revolving racks.  The rack system on the back wall holds a lot of stuff.  I also have 2 stainless steel tables.  One is where I have my racks for the pizza pans and where I open up the dough balls.   

I don’t know if you can tell from this video that I posted before at Reply 529 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,9908.msg104786.html#msg104786  but this is about what my small pizza stand looks like.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzCyvu4p2k4

I can also take another video Tuesday if you want me to.  I also have pictures of the front of my small pizza stand if you want to post them.  Those pictures also show about what my pizza stand includes. 

If you want anymore specifics of what are in my pizza stand, let me know.  Most of my equipment for my pizza stand was purchased used, but some of it was new when I opened my pizza stand. 

Norma 

What a great video Norma. Thank you for the insight. This whole thread is just hypothetical for me, as I am working through numbers for the fun of it. Every now and again I get something in my head, and then the numbers bring me back down to earth.

John

[norma427]

What a great video Norma. Thank you for the insight. This whole thread is just hypothetical for me, as I am working through numbers for the fun of it. Every now and again I get something in my head, and then the numbers bring me back down to earth.

John

John,

You are welcome anytime.  I didn't have to purchase my stand and only rent the space, but then I am only open one day a week.  My costs to open my small stand weren't that bad.

Norma

[JConk007]

I was just gonna ask  John     I can tell yuou bare bones is a great way to start. From a money standpoint obviously your oven should be the biggest investment? Most important - a dishwasher that can handle the trays ,equip, and con stant flow of dirty tools, dishes that are generated daily. I would not spend the extra on the fancy italian prep tablewith cab over for $7500 when a nice $2500 unit from an equip wholesaler or ebay keeps the same temp ? But a new stefano and Forni Napoletana  OH YEAH !
John

[dellavecchia]

I would not spend the extra on the fancy italian prep tablewith cab over for $7500 when a nice $2500 unit from an equip wholesaler or ebay keeps the same temp ?
John

Thanks John - What are the fundamental differences in the two units, ie. what are you paying extra for in the more expensive table?

John

[Sqid]

Hey John

Sounds great - walk in fridge - wow - I'm using 3 home style units and not enough even though only doing 30 pies a day!

The only thing I would suggest is 3 prep areas.  Pizza, veg cutting and boxing/serving.   Don't know thge temperature where you are but aircon might be important.

'Nother thing - plenty of stowage space.

[dellavecchia]

Hey John

Sounds great - walk in fridge - wow - I'm using 3 home style units and not enough even though only doing 30 pies a day!

The only thing I would suggest is 3 prep areas.  Pizza, veg cutting and boxing/serving.   Don't know thge temperature where you are but aircon might be important.

'Nother thing - plenty of stowage space.

Excellent info - thank you. I had wondered about smaller fridges and if they could be used in a commercial setting.

John

[scott123]

Re; a fridge.  If you have access to a cool cellar or have a small room or closet somewhere that you can put a window AC unit in, you can cut back on your refrigerator space considerably.

Someone here is probably going to tear me a new one for saying this, but I think you can get away with a room or a cellar that's constantly in the 60-70 realm.

[Chicago Bob]

I've worked a place or two that had a diy built "lean over while you" walk-in cooler jus outside the back door. Cost is prolly bout 80% less than a traditional commercial unit and in your scenario it is THE money item.
Auto-dishwashers are waaay more expensive and finicky than the manual kind....

[BrickStoneOven]

The place I worked at was pretty small, all together front and back was about 600sq ft. The back had a 3 bay sink, SS prep table with a small deli slicer on top, a med size freezer, and a 3 door frig, and a 20qt or 30qt mixer(the smallest size floor model hobart you can get). The front. It was pretty much a rectangle split down the middle. When you walk in the entire left side of the wall are the usually old school pizzeria booths. Theres 6 or 7 of them. On the right is the counter that splits the front in half. The prep table is right behind the counter against the window. It's just a wooden table on top of two knee level refrigerators. Right behind that is the deck oven. Next to the oven is another 3 door frig where all the dough is kept along with some supplies, like extra sauce, cheese, ex. Directly in front of that frig is a sandwich prep table(I think it was a 48"). Then on the back wall was a soda frig and a soda fountain. There is a basement but there wasn't really anything in there. Only the soda fountain packs and a smaller lift up door freezer.

I probably didn't have to write all that but I wanted to paint a picture on how the place was set up. It's a pretty minimal place. Nothing fancy, just what you need to get the job done. We did about 125 pizzas a day and on weekends would reach close to 200 in that area. Very basic stuff. He actually just replaced the oven last year after having the original one for 40 years.