If you are a Barista (which most of your are) when your espresso machine is right in front of you... Is your grinder to the left or right of the espresso machine? Where is your rinse sink? Does your under-counter frig. have hinges on the left or the right of the door. Do you like your current layout? Are you left or right handed?

Thank you for your help.

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I'm right handed. Sink behind me, usually whoever is barbacking takes care of whatever though. Grinder to the right, with decaf on the ourside of that. Hinges on under-counter fridge on the right with cups on top of machine and to-go cups on the side. I like the layout I have. It's efficient and nice for high-volume. I have worked with my grinders on the left, and I actually prefer that. It was nice. There was a trash can right under the knock-box, so you could either remove the box and knock right into the trash or you could use the knock-box and it was easy to empty. All of the extra syrups and etc. were under the grinder which was awesome for those times you need more of something. The kitchen door was 5 feet back and that made it easy to run back and grab something if needed. There was a fridge for extra milk and all other drinks in it, and then there was the under-counter bar fridge. This set-up has been the best so far that I've worked on. It had a sense of ease and it took away from some of those chaotic moments and looks on the baristas face. I hope this has been helpful.
Thank you Alex!
It has been a while since we were a ABCs and as I recall if the porta-filter is in your left hand the lever for the doser is on the right side of the grinder then it was easier to mover from the grinder on the left to the espresso machine on the right. Being right handed it allowed the right hand to dose, push buttons, grab for cups, tun on steam wand, check temp of steaming milk...
My husband is left handed so his memory of what was great at ABCs was different. It looks like I need to flip our layout while it's still on paper and that will put the dipperwell/ rinse sink (for rinsing steaming pitchers) to the far left of the barista station closest to the gelato case. That should save us some $ on a small dipper well that mounts on the gelato case.
3 grinders to the left of the espresso machine with knock-box in the center of the grinders (grounds go directly into the garbage). 3gp espresso machine then a milk-pitcher-rinser (which is also like a little sink to pour the first shot of milk into) with a couple feet of open space to the far right of the front bar to pour drinks.

All other machines are on the back bar.
Thank you Jason!
Do they mix it up at competitions? I was scanning the photos and saw a reversed layout.
Hi Denise.
We're all right handed here.
Grinders to the right, undercounter fridge directly below Marzocco and we've changed the hinge from side to side and prefer neither! Cashier will make up hot chocolates, steamed milks and various teas and mistos so that person needs access to the fridge at our shop, too. Grinds dump (directly into compost bucket) and rinse sink between Marzocco and grinders. Back-up Americano water at rinse sink with main Americano/French Press towers on backbar. Decaf grinder is closer to Marzocco in order that we can really shake our elbows when dosing non-decaf. Ceramic cups atop Marzocco, takeaways to the left of the machine so the cashier can pass them along to Barista. Extra ceramics on shelf above backbar. Syrops (5) to the right of grinders.
Generally, we like the set-up but would have liked a larger space between counter and backbar.

Good luck!
Dismas - what is the distance between your front & back bar? What would you like it to be?

We are in the process of changing ours from 3' to 5'
Does anyone know where there are some good pictures or architect drawings that might show some of the best layouts?
To my knowledge, this material is not common.

A whole lot of people build it out themselves.

But, if you give me dimensions, I can give you a floorplan. (was once proficient with AutoCAD)
I think most regional/national competitions will arrange to your specs between contestants...At least I recently saw the offer to do this in the rules for the Canadian Westerns
There are some drawings in "Bean Business Basics". (espresso101.com) .
As for the architectural drawing or best layouts... that's why I tried to go to a professional. I should have hired Design Layout Services or someone as equally well known for quality.
The difficulty when new to all of this is not knowing which professional's services overlap, who is needed and who is not but more importantly who is the best person for the job. For example, a roaster may have experience and be able to help with layout and training but they are roasters and that is where their expertise is. An architectural firm may have a kitchen designer who lays out the equipment but if they are not experienced in the Specialty coffee industry then their layout may prove weak. Once I get both the main Barista station and the single group for the drive thru both in the same order things should be okay on our plan. I'm still not sure about how the under counter frig on the back bar for the blenders is the same frig for the barista working the drive thru... there is too much space/ too many steps between them to be functional during a rush.
I like to have it: sink, grinder, machine; in that order from whichever side the cashier is on. Any place I've worked at that it wasn't like that just irked me a little bit, lol.

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