The Storeroom
Chapter 7
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
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
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
The Storeroom as
Service Provider
• The storeroom is like a central hub
– Issuing food in a timely manner
7.1 Storeroom: Hub of Operations
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Refrigerated Storage
• Refrigerated foods stored between 3438°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
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
Reach-In Refrigeration
Temperatures
• Reach-in refrigeration used for smaller
storage needs
– Chocolate is best stored between 5761°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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Herb Gardens
• Many restaurants raise their own herbs
– Traditional or hydroponic gardens
– Fresh herbs from local growers
• Culinary herbs can be made into valueadded products
– Herbal teas, jellies, flavored butters, and
sauces
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
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
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
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
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
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
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