 |
| Image source: BBC |
Pop up restaurants are big in Europe. They pop up for one week to many months using anything from shipping containers to recyclable materials.
Europeans usually eat indoors but they do love to enjoy the alfresco dining experience when the sun eventually shines.
Europeans usually eat indoors but they do love to enjoy the alfresco dining experience when the sun eventually shines.
But this is Australia.
We have different climatic conditions and compliance standards.
Can the concept work in Australia?
To design any restaurant the purpose must be defined. Why is it there? Is it to showcase the talents and skills of chefs, a marketing exercise for a key sponsor or restaurant in a separate fixed location, to fundraise for a charity or supply the community with an appreciation of food and hospitality. And then there’s the money; is it expected to be a viable return on investment, loss or break even. Who will be paying the bill? These are all factors that will influence the design, materials and catering equipment used.
Our friends at Electrolux Professional have been enjoying the promotion of the pop up “Electrolux Cube Pavilion” around Europe as a marketing exercise to high acclaim. The concept is not new, however the regulations are always evolving.
Australian regulations are stringent however they vary from city to city. Any pop up restaurant concept must still comply with the basics. That’s the law.
Among others, external (environmental) conditions have to be considered. A pop us restaurant may be ok in winter in Melbourne but not in the summer of Queensland. We grow our critters big in Australia (think vermin and flies) and must give thought to how we control them and keep food temperatures controlled in a foodservice environment. Compliance with health codes and occupational safety is at the fore of any foodservice set up.
Does size really matter
The pop up process draws similarities to satellite kitchens which operate from a main establishment.
Torbay Retirement Village is serviced by The Village Caterer which uses their 700sqm foodservice kitchen in Hervey Bay . This central food production kitchen prepares thousands of meals per day using HACCP compliant cook – chill processes. It then transports the food cold (to maintain the safety and food integrity) to the satellite pop up facilities for regeneration and service.
At the small end of the scale; there’s the portable restaurant called ‘Double Deckerdence’ which has converted a London double decker bus to a fun day out with food and drink. Council allows food hygiene standards to be relaxed but they apply additional standards for food transportation businesses.
It’s a case of designing portable systems to work within the confines of the local council code. To comply, the bus required potable water and a means of disposing of waste water. Like any foodservice it needed hot water, hand washing, refrigeration, food preparation space and dishwashing to suit the particular application. It’s a case of designing portable systems that work within the confines of the local council code.
For the bus; gas hot water and an on board generator were integral along with the ability to remotely plug into a mains power supply when available. Portable water storage tanks were installed onboard with pumps powered by the onboard generator. To comply, the waste-water tanks must exceed the capacity of the water tanks. Space is at a premium so creativity is key.
Everything is customised to suit the footprint; from the water tanks stored in refrigeration cavities to stainless steel benches to suit the footprint.
Equipment technology choices are aimed at minimising power consumption, eg, portable induction cooktops and keeping power supply and usage to a minimum. Water and energy efficient catering equipment is the only option. The whole process requires sustainable thinking from consumption to waste. The only rule – it must comply with the health codes. Everything else comes second.
Everyone knows the Saturday sausage sizzle – is that a pop up restaurant? How does it rate?
You decide.
We have different climatic conditions and compliance standards.
Can the concept work in Australia?
To design any restaurant the purpose must be defined. Why is it there? Is it to showcase the talents and skills of chefs, a marketing exercise for a key sponsor or restaurant in a separate fixed location, to fundraise for a charity or supply the community with an appreciation of food and hospitality. And then there’s the money; is it expected to be a viable return on investment, loss or break even. Who will be paying the bill? These are all factors that will influence the design, materials and catering equipment used.
Our friends at Electrolux Professional have been enjoying the promotion of the pop up “Electrolux Cube Pavilion” around Europe as a marketing exercise to high acclaim. The concept is not new, however the regulations are always evolving.
Australian regulations are stringent however they vary from city to city. Any pop up restaurant concept must still comply with the basics. That’s the law.
Among others, external (environmental) conditions have to be considered. A pop us restaurant may be ok in winter in Melbourne but not in the summer of Queensland. We grow our critters big in Australia (think vermin and flies) and must give thought to how we control them and keep food temperatures controlled in a foodservice environment. Compliance with health codes and occupational safety is at the fore of any foodservice set up.
Does size really matter
The pop up process draws similarities to satellite kitchens which operate from a main establishment.
 |
| Torbay Retirement Village main kitchen serves satellites |
 |
| Mobile Cafe |
It’s a case of designing portable systems to work within the confines of the local council code. To comply, the bus required potable water and a means of disposing of waste water. Like any foodservice it needed hot water, hand washing, refrigeration, food preparation space and dishwashing to suit the particular application. It’s a case of designing portable systems that work within the confines of the local council code.
For the bus; gas hot water and an on board generator were integral along with the ability to remotely plug into a mains power supply when available. Portable water storage tanks were installed onboard with pumps powered by the onboard generator. To comply, the waste-water tanks must exceed the capacity of the water tanks. Space is at a premium so creativity is key.
Everything is customised to suit the footprint; from the water tanks stored in refrigeration cavities to stainless steel benches to suit the footprint.
Equipment technology choices are aimed at minimising power consumption, eg, portable induction cooktops and keeping power supply and usage to a minimum. Water and energy efficient catering equipment is the only option. The whole process requires sustainable thinking from consumption to waste. The only rule – it must comply with the health codes. Everything else comes second.
Everyone knows the Saturday sausage sizzle – is that a pop up restaurant? How does it rate?
You decide.
This article written by www.FoodStrategy.com.au and also published in Eat Drink magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment
Food Strategy welcomes your comments. Please be genuine. We value comments that aim to improve our information or assist other readers to be successful in their search for knowledge.