Deli / Sandwich / Salad / Fast Casual Conversion Inspection Manual

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Deli / Sandwich / Salad / Fast Casual-specific conversion gotchas

• 01 · Make-line cold-table geometry

  A fast sandwich line needs a build station 30"–34" deep with the ingredient rails reachable without a sidestep; inherited 24" prep tables force a two-step build and slow tickets at lunch. Plan a refrigerated 8'–10' sandwich table (typically $6K–$10K) sized to your menu width.

• 02 · Slicer + deli case workflow

  Daily slicing of meat and cheese means a 250–300W heavy-duty slicer on a dedicated 20A circuit, plus refrigerated proof storage for sliced product. Most retail shells have neither. Plan the slicer zone with washdown floor, splash wall, and a back-room reach-in for slice par — typically adds $4K–$6K.

• 03 · Heat-lamp + grab-and-go interaction

  Keep a hot grab-and-go case (panini, hot sandwiches) and a cold one apart and out of each other's air path — the hot case adds heat and humidity and the cold case sweats. Give each case its own dedicated circuit at the voltage its nameplate calls for.

• 04 · Queue length + ADA path

  Fast-casual lines typically need 12'–18' of queue space leading to the build station, and that queue must be an accessible route (2010 ADA Standards §227.5, §403.5): 36" clear between stanchions and, at a 180° switchback around a divider under 48" wide, 42" approaching and leaving and 48" at the turn — or 60" at the turn. Inherited spaces with narrow vestibules push the queue out the front door at peak, so lay it out on the floor plan before furniture is ordered.

• 05 · Bread + dry-pantry ventilation

  Bread storage needs steady 65–72°F with low humidity. A back-pantry next to a steam-condensate-heavy dish room ruins crust quality within hours. Specify a separate climate-controlled dry-storage room, even if it's just 60 sq ft with its own mini-split. The bread is the product.