The production and information flows of a theme restaurant kitchen were studied in this work in order to propose improvements in its layout. The application of a SLP approach was proposed, in order to assess the current scenario and the relationships among the PUs, developing alternatives that meet the restaurant requirements and correct critical issues. A wide literature review was carried so the proper layout indicators were used to measure the performance of each layout alternative. As a supporting tool for the decision-making process, the multi-criteria method called MAUT was adapted to facilitate this step.
The results from the implementation of this layout involved a reduction in WIP by removing refrigerators and the freezer from the production area, leaving only refrigerated counters. Further, the displacements of the cooking assistants were minimized because the cooled material needed during the operation was repositioned. Also, the access of the oven, stove or grill was simplified, since just a movement of rotating the body on its axis is required. This directly contributed to the increase in staff productivity, besides better production area utilization.