Junior's Restaurant & Bakery in the MGM Grand, Foxwoods, Conn.
Larger-than-life graphics and murals create a Broadway set design for Junior's newest location. Heavy-duty equipment set in an efficient layout that is virtually wall-less supports the large volume of customers who come here for Brooklyn comfort food.
By Donna Boss, Contributing Editor -- Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, 12/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
|
View Photo Gallery |
Junior's Restaurant began as a family-style diner founded by Harry Rosen in 1950. Located in Brooklyn, N.Y., the restaurant has been a landmark on the corner of Fulton Street, DeKalb Avenue and the Flatbush Avenue extension. Since the early days, bright exterior lights have enticed customers into the interior where orange booths and chairs and bright lights shout comfort New York-style.
In addition to the menu's deli sandwiches, steaks and seafood, cheesecake gradually became a signature item. The recipe, created by Rosen and Eigel Peterson, a master baker, has long competed for the distinction among dessert aficionados as the “best” cheesecake in New York City.
In 2006, Junior's made its debut in New York City's Times Square. In May 2008, its doors opened in the MGM Grand Hotel in Foxwoods, Conn., a new property added to the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Junior's was one of several dining establishments invited to be part of a $55 million renovation project designed to enhance the casino's culinary and retail offerings. The casino contains 340,000-square-feet of gaming space in a complex that covers 4.7 million-square-feet. More than 40,000 guests visit the resort each day.
Walking into Junior's, customers enter what appears to be a Broadway stage set with artwork and murals of wonder wheels on the soffits and boccie ball court lighting. “The project's architect Jay Haverson came up with the ideas. And, in fact, we hired a Broadway set designer to make the artwork, similar to what we use in our restaurant in Times Square,” says Alan Rosen, the third-generation owner of Junior's.
The orange booths, woodworking and poured terrazzo floor complete the lively décor. A full-service bar and 16-seat dining counter add a lively station to the already energetic space.
Efficiency is crucial to accommodate so many guests during peak periods. “The layout works for speed,” Rosen says. “Everything is consolidated, so the waiters and food runners come together to get food and beverages. The waiters/expo station isn't separate from the kitchen. Nothing blocks communication.”
The dessert station, which sits outside the kitchen area, allows waiters to pick up this menu item without crossing over into another area. The dessert station backs up to the take-out department, which sits about 15 feet from the dessert station.
In the back, a utility distribution system sits on a short wall in between two cooklines. “This also allows free-flowing communication,” Rosen says. “No microphones are needed because cooks are always able to see one another.” Rosen, who is a hands-on owner, also likes to be able to walk in the kitchen and see what's going on in the prep and receiving areas.
“We extend the utility distribution system to the pot-washing area,” says Jerry Kouveras, director of engineering for The Sam Tell Cos., and kitchen designer for Junior's. “So, all of the plumbing needed for pot washing goes through the wall extension. This eliminated the need for traditional floor-to-ceiling sheetrock walls in the pot-washing area.”
The absence of walls also assists staff in maintaining top sanitation standards. “The walls containing the utility distribution system don't go down to the floor, which makes it easier for staff to sweep and mop from one line to anther,” Kouveras says. “In addition, anything that is a workstation or prep surface area has a cabinet base, so everything is enclosed.”
The installation of a self-washing floor trough system also contributes to keeping the facility clean. “The fiberglass grates designed with the system have great resiliency so mats don't have to be put down,” Kouveras says. The floor system runs the entire length of the cook- and prep lines, as well as in the warewashing areas.
“I'd never do another restaurant without this self-cleaning floor system,” Rosen says. “We don't have to take out mats, which frees up staff. Also, this keeps our place extremely clean.”
In the kitchen, looming 14½-foot ceilings offer staff a great deal of vertical space, which makes the area seem more open. Nine walk-in compartments hold food, supplies and systems for soda and draft beer. One of the compartments is a 558F. prep room with the self-cleaning floor system. “Everything is hosed down daily,” Kouveras says. A blast chiller also contributes to maintaining high sanitation standards.
In the back production area, staff use a pressureless steamer for vegetables, a tilting skillet for soups and sauces, and convection ovens for brisket, roast beef and turkey. A deep-fat fryer in this area cooks onion rings and french fries.
On the production line, at the left side, a custom-made steam table holds hot deli meats such as corned beef, pastrami and brisket. Cold pans also hold ingredients for sandwich prep. A slicer and plating ledge stand just in front of the table, while a wall-mounted conveyor toaster sits above. Bread storage is underneath the table. “Employees making sandwiches have everything at their fingertips in order to continually operate without doing anything more than turn around,” Kouveras says.
To the right of the sandwich station, a flat-top griddle cooks eggs. Strategically placed refrigerators hold ingredients for use on both production lines. A deep fryer turns out chicken, seafood, calamari, chicken fingers, potato pancakes and fries.
A range at the end of the line serves as the sauté station for staff to make omelets and pasta dishes.
Broilers on this line sizzle steaks, fish and chicken. A grill sizzles hamburgers and turkey burgers.
On the other line, staff toss and arrange salads from greens held in large salad dispensers.
At the right side, staff plate cheesecakes and other desserts and assemble ice cream sundaes. Junior's commissary in New York City prepares and bakes cheesecakes and ships them out to the other restaurants.
A beverage station contains equipment for coffee, espresso and tea drinks.
The dish- and warewashing area contains a disposer, pre-rinse faucet, a rack conveyor warewasher, dishwasher, shelving and tables for soiled dishes.
“All the remote refrigeration equipment is handled off a scroll system,” Kouveras says. “This saves energy because only one of the two compressors runs at a time. Compressors serve all the remote applications. Every two and a half days, the compressors alternate, thereby extending the life of each. Also, when one goes into defrost cycle, the other one takes over.”
As tough economic times begin to have a toll on even the busiest restaurant cities such as New York City and on casinos, Rosen remains optimistic. “We're going to ride this tough economy and look for the next location,” he says. “This concept is right for the times. We're not trying to open large numbers of restaurants, but rather we'll open one at a time, even if that's one every two years.”
During Junior's lifetime, equipment selection has remained fairly consistent, with the exception of upgrades and products such as the self-cleaning floor system. “Kitchens are built for speed,” Rosen says. “We need it to handle very high volume. We believe in buying for durability and taking care of it so it will last a long time.” That approach has served three generations of owners well.
How do you prepare for the upcoming year?
11/30/2005Café at The New York Times, New York City
04/30/2008H.P. Schmaltz & Co.
02/28/2007Restaurant Inspirations from the NRA Show
05/17/2009Colors, New York City
06/30/2006
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
