Since it opened in 1975 in Madrid’s Plaza de los Cubos, Burger King has established itself on the Spanish scene as one of the most popular restaurant chains with . A growth that has meant that Spain has already become the second most important market for the company, only behind the US.
The idyll between Burger King and the Spanish is evident, which is why from the fast food chain they advocate “close ties” and promote “closeness” with the Spanish market. To do so, they have opted for communication work, social media strategy or landing on their own home delivery, but what is the Burger King kitchen like inside? At elEconomista.es we have visited it.
When one goes to their restaurants, the client’s view reaches little beyond the counter, but behind it, there is an architecture that seeks efficiency, hygiene and product quality. Everything is thought out in detail so that each Whopper tastes the same in any restaurant in the world.
The kitchen of every Burger King is like a clock, everything is made up of small parts that fit together in such a way that everything works correctly. Amidst a bustle of sounds, timers and utensils, everything is designed to make your workers as operational as possible with coordinated work.
The grill, the star of the kitchen
The star of the kitchen is the grill. “It is what differentiates us from the competition”, they explain in the company, and it is real, the frozen meat is cooked at that moment.
Do not imagine a grill like the one you would have in your garden or the industrial ones that can be seen in other restaurants. Burger King’s grill, in addition to being patented, is closed and reminiscent of an industrial oven. The meat is inserted through a frontal slit and ‘magic’ happens inside: the fillets remain on top of the grill and cook over a fire that can be seen when the slit is opened.
The cooking process, except for the introduction and removal of the meat, is automated, like most of the actions that are carried out in the kitchen with the idea of maintaining product quality standards and that is because the level of detail goes beyond than one could imagine. And it is that everything is measured and thought out to the millimeter, from how the meat is placed once cooked, to how the packaging of each burger is folded.
Once the meat is removed from the grill, the fillets are placed on trays, always staggered, to distribute the heat and juices, and that all the fillets retain the same properties. These trays are placed on some shelves that conserve heat that are placed on top of the tables where the hamburgers will be assembled.
The first thing that stands out about the tables, beyond cleaning, is that they are heatable, that is, the surface on which the hamburgers are mounted is hot with the idea that the product does not stay cold at any time. This chain of heat is maintained until the customer receives their order, either in the sandwich dispenser that connects the kitchen with the counter (which is at a high temperature) or with the delivery bags, which are heated before they are delivered. The delivery man leaves the restaurant.
Adjacent to the sandwich assembly tables is the toaster, which caramelizes sandwiches to give Burger King’s iconic texture. And between the tables, there are tubs of fresh ingredients such as vegetables, everything is distributed in such a way that everything is at hand and there is no need to move.
Fresh produce arrives at the restaurants every other day, and the vegetables for the burgers are cut on the premises on a regular basis. And it is that although the tomato slices look identical due to their shape, the vegetables are cut in the premises with special machines that make them have that iconic and determined shape.
Measurements are key so that all products are the same. The 21 grams of mayonnaise, the four gherkins or the three onion slices of the Whopper are by no means the only measures when cooking each order. The chips have a dispenser that marks the exact amount, the salt shaker also has a limit and the shakes and ice cream glasses are meticulously studied to manage the exact proportion between flavors and textures.
The rhythm is set
If the quantities are marked, the times cannot be less in a fast food chain. When several trays of meat are made, the worker knows from which tray he has to choose the fillet thanks to the fact that each hole in the shelf has an indicator based on the time it has been cooked.
The grill has a timer, the shelves that keep the meat warm also have it, but the fryers also have a countdown clock and not only to indicate when the potatoes need to be removed from the oil.
Each serving of potatoes is measured. They are dispensed and go to the fryer, which will tell the employee when he has to take them out, move them so they are loose and put them back. However, the timer not only warns when the potatoes must be removed from the fryer, but also when they must be highlighted because they have spent too much time on display.
The rhythm of the kitchen is set by customer requests, whether in the dining room, through the vehicle service or delivery. The orders are entered directly to a screen installed in the kitchen, so that the workers know what they have to prepare at all times. Of course, in view of demand forecast, since Spain has very marked hours for lunch and dinner -explains the company-, the necessary elements are being prepared to prepare the most requested hamburgers.
cleanliness and security
The direction of this particular orchestra is controlled by the person in charge of each shift supported by software that indicates, in addition to the state of the kitchen, all the steps to follow to keep it clean and the food safe. And it is that as with the quantities and preparation times, each Burger King also has a series of cleaning, decontamination and food safety protocols so that nothing can affect the client.
When an employee goes to work for his shift, the first thing he does is dress in the uniform that is not used outside the restaurant. Once changed, they go on to wash their hands with an eight-step protocol, which is repeated every time they stop handling food (such as going to the store) or every so often.
The tables where the burgers are assembled are cleaned after the sandwiches are made, although the kitchen undergoes a more thorough cleaning every four hours, according to company protocol. Likewise, surfaces and machines are not only cleaned, but also completely sanitized, in the event that a product for intolerant or allergic people is going to be prepared.
Products that are likely to cause allergies, such as peanuts or nuts, are separated and marked to avoid possible poisoning for customers. In this way, the processes are slightly modified so that their hamburgers or shakes do not present consumption problems. Likewise, each product has a label that indicates when it entered the restaurant and until when it can be consumed.
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