On the stage, behind-the-scenes support is critical for enabling actors to perform at their highest levels. In the world of action-station buffets, that kind of support is just as essential to the cooks in the spotlight.

At Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee, the behind-the-scenes help takes the form of bulk food preparation in its new 8,000-square-foot production kitchen, which is attached to the casino’s new 400-seat action-station outlet called The Buffet. The culinary “heavy lifting” is done in the back, so cooks working The Buffet’s six stations can perform in their own mini-kitchens, finishing food live in front of guests.

“The production kitchen plays a crucial role,” says Peter Gebauer, executive chef at Potawatomi. “We wouldn’t be able to manage the buffet at a high volume without it, and the menu would certainly be different. We would be limited to whatever equipment is at each station.”

The buffet and production kitchen were built from scratch and are part of Potawatomi’s recent $240 million expansion. Since opening a year ago, The Buffet has doubled its sales, now averaging 40,000 covers a month.

“Our previous buffet was old-fashioned,” says Mike Tsuchihashi, Potawatomi’s F&B director. “We cooked everything in the back and put it in holding boxes before delivering it to guests. We’re now following the larger casino template for buffets.”

EMULATING THE MASTERS
The Buffet’s cutting-edge concept might be novel to the Milwaukee market, but it has deep roots in Las Vegas. Tsuchihashi says that city’s action-station buffets were something they intentionally sought to replicate at Potawatomi.

“I think Vegas invented it, and different operators have perfected it through the years. We wanted our concept to follow a lot of the models in Las Vegas, where they have the ingredients right there, and they finish in front of the guest. That also enables us to more closely monitor the amount of food we use, controlling portions and waste,” Tsuchihashi says.

BACK TO FRONT
Each action-station kitchen in The Buffet is between 250 and 350 square feet and features four to eight pieces of equipment, including a pizza oven, pasta cooker, rice cooker, tortilla exhibition cooker, wok range, and rotisserie broiler. “We critiqued it piece by piece to make sure the action-station kitchens are not only aesthetically pleasing but are also able to keep up with our increased volume,” Tsuchihashi says.

Because the production kitchen is connected to The Buffet, a seamless flow of food is created, without the need for hot boxes or other transportation. Here are some examples of how the production kitchen lends a helping hand to each buffet station:

• American Station: Whole chickens are skewered and placed in a rotisserie from the production kitchen side, which then rotates to the buffet station in the front. The station’s cook removes the chickens when they’re ready and carves them in front of the guest.
  
• Mediterranean Station: Pizza dough is created in bulk in the production kitchen, and guests can watch it as it is rolled out, topped, and cooked in a pizza oven.
  
• Asian Station: Proteins and vegetables are cut in the production kitchen, and guests can watch as they are turned into meals in a three-burner wok range.
  
• Latin Station: Tortilla dough is prepared and portioned in the production kitchen, and guests can watch as it is flattened and finished in the tortilla exhibition cooker, to be used for quesadillas, taquitos, and burritos.
  
• Salad station: Produce is washed and toppings are prepped in the production kitchen and are later turned into Caesar, Niçoise, and other salads, in front of the guest.
  
• Dessert station: Cakes and pastries are baked in the production kitchen, then portioned, plated, and decorated in front of the guest.

BUILT TO LAST
Only minor changes have been made to The Buffet since it opened, including increasing signage and adding more comfort foods, such as macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and homemade fried chicken, to the American Station.

There’s more to The Buffet than simply upgrading the dining experience for the guest, however. Chef Gebauer says a major reason for the expansion was that the casino had completely outgrown its previous buffet operation, which centered on a 4,000-square-foot production kitchen that was simultaneously used for the rest of the property’s F&B outlets.

“It was chaotic. That kitchen was running 24/7, and much of the production had to be done on third shift because there was no space otherwise,” Gebauer says. “I consider myself pretty lucky now. We probably got about 90 percent of what anyone would wish for in a dream kitchen.”

Michael Costa is industry relations editor for HOTEL F&B. He worked for several years in the kitchen and in F&B purchasing at a large convention hotel in Chicago, as well as having attended culinary school.