02 · Open · Operating note

Build the equipment plan from the menu and throughput

Equipment should follow the production system. Begin with products, processes, batch sizes, peak volume, holding limits and cleaning requirements.

Decisions to make

What must be clear

01Core production methods
02Peak batch size
03New, used or leased equipment
04Maintenance and redundancy

Work the problem

Practical next actions

Map each menu item to equipment
Calculate simultaneous peak demand
Separate essential from optional equipment
Document installation, utility and service requirements

Avoid

Common failure patterns

Buying before the menu stabilizes
Ignoring smallwares and storage
Used equipment without service history
No plan for a single point of failure