In an effort to create a fresh and energetic African dining experience for guests of all ages in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom & Lodge, the theme park giant hired Ricca Newmark Design to design the foodservice facilities' 32,023-square-foot food and beverage operations.
Celebrating the majesty of nature, Disney's Animal Kingdom offers guests a host of attractions designed to highlight nature and wildlife. In keeping with the animal motif, the goal of the foodservice at Disney's Animal Kingdom & Lodge was to give guests a safari experience. In addition to offering menu staples, such as burgers and pizza, the Animal Kingdom's foodservice options include a unique variety of African stews, South African melon salad, vegetable lentil kofta and Ghana chicken salad.
To provide guests a wide array of dining options, David Olson, FCSI, of the Centennial, Colo.-based design company worked with Disney Operations Development to develop three distinct dining experiences, supported by a central kitchen. Olson was given a $3.2 million budget to meet for kitchen equipment for the 910-seat facility. The two main restaurants are located on opposite ends of the kitchen. According to Olson, this provided a challenge for space allocations and preparation proximity.
"Because of the nature, shape and size of the building we were challenged in balancing all those factors to obtain a workable solution," be added.
In addition to coming in under budget, Ricca Newark Design helped Disney World save on labor costs with the central kitchen. Adding self-service components to the various foodservice designs also helped Disney keep labor costs in line. While Olson said the majority of African theming in the restaurants is due to the interior design, some of the open cooking areas added to its African-style appeal.
"The idea of freshly prepared foods and exhibition cooking. especially the rotisserie/broiler combination in the Boma and the ovens in Jiko [where] meats and foods prepared over an open flame ... were inspired by Africa," Olson said.
Boma, a 280-seat casual restaurant, features an open-kitchen, buffet-style service with a marketplace design. The 6,720-square-foot restaurant was designed to accommodate 1.000 meals at both breakfast and dinner. Although Boma relies on buffet service, Olson opened up many elements of the central kitchen to create a fresh atmosphere for diners. Boma, which means "'flavors of Africa," has an open bakery and pastry conking area as well as wood-burning rotisseries and broilers.
To give Animal Kindom visitors a more upscale dining experience, Disney created the 230-seat Jiko, which offers table service coupled with a vast wine display. The space incorporates both booths and tables to give guests a variety of seating options. Tiled pillars are accented with copper rings reminiscent of the large necklaces worn by many African tribal women. The light fixtures in the space sport curved wings to resemble birds in flight. At the centerpiece of the plush restaurant is its appetizer bar. To bring the on-stage cooking theme into Jiko, Olson flanked the bar with two mango-orange-colored ovens.
For customers in a hurry. Disney made sure to add a quick-service option to the Animal Kingdom's foodservice menagerie. The Mara combines exhibition-cooking stations offering burgers, pizza, rotisserie chicken and couscous specials with grab-and-go sandwiches and salads. The area also connects to the lodge's pool deck.
Fast Facts:
Project: Disney's Animal Kingdom And Lodge
Client: Walt Disney World
Foodservice Facilities Consultant: David Olson, FCSI, Ricca Newmark Design, Centennial, Colo.
Interior Design: Jeffrey Beers International
Profiles In Consulting is sponsored by the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI). (FCSI) members offer a wide range of services, from concept to design to operations.
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