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Guide to Warewashing & Janitorial Equipment
In every commercial kitchen, there is a silent engine powering cleanliness, efficiency,
and health code compliance — the dishroom. Often tucked away from the customer’s
view, the dishroom is one of the most operationally critical areas of a foodservice
establishment. When designed thoughtfully, it becomes a hub of efficiency. When
neglected, it becomes a bottleneck.
Key Principles of Dishroom Layout
1. Direction of Travel (Unidirectional Flow)
Every dishroom should follow a logical, linear workflow:
Dirty in
Scraped
Washed
Rinsed/
Sanitized
Air Dried
Clean Out
• Soiled Dish Table: Begins the process with space to stage dirty wares and scrape leftovers
• Pre-Rinse Station: Often includes a pre-rinse sprayer, food waste disposer, and scrap basket
• Dishmachine Entry: Typically with integrated dishrack staging or conveyor
• Machine Exit Table: Collects clean wares for drying or storage
• Clean Storage or Pass-Through Window: Keeps clean wares separate from dirty areas
Establishing Flow: Designing for Directional Travel
At the heart of every well-functioning dishroom is a clear directional flow — from dirty to
clean — with no
backtracking or crossover. Dishes arrive from the dining area, are scraped and rinsed,
pass through a dishmachine, and exit on the opposite side for drying, inspection, and
storage. This one-way travel minimizes the risk of cross-contamination and ensures
compliance with public health standards. In addition, it created designated areas for work
stations in the dishroom to ensure effective and efficient workflow.
The most efficient layouts typically follow a linear, L-shaped, or U-shaped path depending
on the space available and the kitchen’s production volume. A linear layout works well in
narrow or galley-style kitchens. L-shaped configurations are often used when retrofitting
an existing footprint, offering better separation between clean and dirty zones. U-shaped
designs are optimal for high-volume operations, reducing movement and making it easier
for one or two dishroom workers to manage the entire process with fewer steps.
Regardless of the layout, it’s critical that the dirty side — including the pre-rinse sink and
scrap area — is distinctly separated from the clean side where sanitized wares emerge.
The physical layout should reinforce this separation. Even the orientation of dishracks,
tables, and handwashing stations must reinforce the principle: clean and dirty never
cross paths.