Pizza Store Layout Simulator

Pizza Store Simulation

OPS/571

January 25, 2012

Barnie Wallace, Ph.D.

Introduction

“Equivalent of 350 slices of pizzas are eaten by Americans every second – a clear indication of the size of this multi-billion dollar industry (University of Phoenix, 2011).” A significant number of the pizzerias serve customers who, on average, arrive in groups of 2 to 4 every 3 to 5 minutes. In this simulation, we are to create a system to maintain a balance between the demand for service and the capacity to provide the service. Our purpose is to manage waiting lines as well as increase the service capacity of the business. We will implement different scenarios for a period of two months. Mario’s Pizzeria has been in business since 1950 and the current owner wishes he could still bake the pizzas in the traditional brick ovens. He does not oppose new systems or new equipment but wants to see sound financial results from such changes.

There are four elements that are common to all waiting line problems – a customer population, a waiting line, a service system and a priority rule for determining which customer is to be served next. After observing the store during two weeks, we notice that the current system causes an increased number of customers expressing dissatisfaction about the waiting time to be served. The average waiting time in the restaurant during peak time ranges between eleven to twelve minutes which overpasses the upper tolerance limit of nine minutes.

Modifications

We made a change in the distribution of customer-sitting arrangement. During the first two weeks of our observation, there were 14 tables for four at 100% utilization and zero tables for two used. We modified it to provide ten tables for four at 96.6 utilization and eight tables for two at 86% utilization. We left the wait staff at 87.5%, kitchen staff at 65.6% and ovens at 87.5% utilization. At the beginning, 37 groups of four balked or left the restaurant without being...