Seafood / Cajun Boil Conversion Inspection Manual

WHERE THIS CUISINE QUIETLY COSTS YOU MONEY

Seafood / Cajun Boil-specific conversion gotchas

• 01 · Live-shellfish tank plumbing

  Live crab, lobster, or oyster tanks need chilled, filtered, aerated salt water at the temperature your supplier specifies for the species — a salt-water loop, chiller, protein skimmer, and dedicated drainage that can't be retrofitted onto fresh-water lines, typically in a 200–400 sq ft tank room with floor drains, chemical-resistant flooring, and 20A circuits per tank. Oyster and clam display tanks also need a health-department variance and an approved HACCP plan (FDA Food Code §4-204.110).

• 02 · Boil-pot BTU + outdoor vs indoor

  A 60–80 gallon Cajun boil pot is a high-BTU gas appliance (check its nameplate): indoors it needs a hood the city accepts plus make-up air (IMC §507: Type II over appliances that give off heat and steam, Type I where they produce grease or smoke); outdoors, confirm the fire marshal's rules for open-flame cooking near the building. Settle indoor vs outdoor with the city EARLY — relocating to an outdoor pad is often a $25K+ change order.

• 03 · Newspaper / brown-paper table service

  Traditional table-dump seafood service uses brown paper or newspaper instead of plates. Floors are sealed concrete with deep drains (not finished tile or LVT — they'll stain and crack from spice-water). Plan industrial epoxy floors with slip-rated finish; cheaper than tile and easier to refresh annually.

• 04 · Customer hand-rinse + bib stations

  Guests eating crawfish and crab want somewhere to rinse their hands besides the restroom; the health code's hand-sink rules cover employees, so dining-room sinks are your choice. If you add them (2–4 wall-mounted sinks with bib dispensers near booths is typical, at about $1,500–$3,000 each to rough in), at least one of each type must be accessible (2010 ADA Standards §212.3).

• 05 · Seafood-specific waste stream

  Shell, head, and exoskeleton waste decomposes fast and stinks within 24 hours. Plan a refrigerated waste room (40°F) with daily haul-out, not a general dumpster. A separate seafood waste contract typically runs $300–$600/month but prevents lease violation from odor complaints.