Kroger’s New Store Formats Put the Prep Room Back on the Equipment List

Kroger plans to open 110 stores by 2029. Its three layouts range from 50,000 to 99,000 square feet, with more emphasis on fresh food, prepared meals and space for online-order fulfilment, according to Supermarket News on October 28.

The report gives no stainless-steel equipment schedule. That still needs to be worked out room by room: where ingredients are washed, where staff portion them, and where meals are packed before collection. Agreeing table lengths before settling those jobs leaves part of the equipment decision unfinished.

Give each table a job

A table labelled “prep” tells the fabricator very little. Name the task and show what arrives at the station and where it goes next. Washing vegetables, portioning raw ingredients and packing finished meals call for different arrangements.

At the packing bench, trays, labels and packaging all compete with food for space. A preparation bench may carry containers or equipment that occupy much of its top. Draw those items in. Two tables with the same outside dimensions can leave different amounts of usable work surface, and the arrangement also needs to allow cleaning access.

If the specification calls for a stainless steel work table with an undershelf, name what goes underneath. Check the containers against the space between the legs and confirm the shelf position. “With shelf” does not tell the fabricator what has to fit or how the operator will reach it.

Set the sink around the things being washed

Start with the trays, utensils or containers that must fit inside the bowl. Then mark the water connections and drain, along with space to put items before and after washing. The overall sink length says little about either the internal bowl or the drainboard.

The operation and local requirements determine which washing functions can share a unit. Keep that decision on the project review list.

A custom stainless steel sink enquiry should include internal bowl dimensions and depth, the drainboard position and the available footprint. Send a marked-up sketch. A photograph helps explain the intended appearance, but it leaves those dimensions open.

Keep packing and collection visible on the plan

Kroger’s plans include space for online orders. In a prep-room drawing, give packing and collection their own locations as well. Finished orders need somewhere to wait without taking over a preparation surface.

The number of tables still comes from the menu, peak workload, delivery pattern and usable room dimensions. Total supermarket floor area cannot supply that answer. Stores of similar size can need different schedules.

For repeat orders, keep the agreed materials, construction and accessories consistent while checking wall lengths, columns and service positions at each building. Use a revision number for every store drawing; an earlier layout can otherwise travel with a later order.

To request a fabrication quote, send that drawing with the equipment schedule. Each table and sink needs a reference, dimensions, quantity and a stated task.