Lesson 6

Food Services/
Catering Industry

JVD.MDJ
 Learning Objectives:
At the end of this lesson,students should be
able to :

Discuss the early forms of food services.

Dining room etiquettes and table settings
Food service career opportunities
 Like the accommodation
industry, the food service
industry is a very old business.

Early Such service came out of the

early inns and monasteries.
With the development of
Food stagecoaches, taverns began
providing food and lodging

Services along the early roads

and in small communities.
Some believe that these
roadside taverns were really the
beginnings of the American
hotel industry.
 Menus can be of two types, a la carte
and table d'hote. The a la carte menu
consists of a complete list of all the food
items being offered on that day. The
patron then chooses the individual items
desired. In table d'hote, a combination of
items is chosen. Eating and drinking
places are big business.

Although much of this activity is local,

eating and drinking are favorite pastimes
of travelers, and the food service industry
would face difficult times without the
tourist market.
The Food Service Industry
The food service industry consists of restaurants, travel' food
service, and vending and contract institutional food service.
Local restaurants are made up of establishments that include
fast-food units, coffee shops, specialty restaurants, family
restaurants, cafeterias, and full-service restaurants with
carefully orchestrated "atmosphere."

Over the past two decades, the food and beverage business
has grown at a phenomenal rate. This has been especially true
for fast-food companies, with the franchising portion in the
fast-food segment becoming the dominant growth sector.
This remarkable increase has been gained at the expense of
other food service operators and supermarkets.
Fast-food Chains Fast-food chains have enjoyed great success in part
because they limit their menus, which give them
greater purchasing power, less waste, more portion
control, and, of importance to the consumer, lower
operating costs. They are leaders in labor productivity
in the restaurant industry.

Although the fast-food segment is the most rapidly

growing segment, the high-quality segment of the
restaurant industry must not be overlooked. Much of
this business is based on customers seeking a special or
different experience in dining out. Local entrepreneurs
who emphasize special menus, varying atmospheres,
and high-quality food and service have most effectively
satisfied this demand.

New concepts or trends include ethnic restaurants,

especially those with an Asian or Mexican flavor;
increased demand for health foods, fish, local produce,
and regional dishes; and variety in portion sizes.
The Meal The meal experience can be

Experience
said to comprise four elements:

a. food and drink

b. service
c. decor, furnishing and fittings
d. atmosphere.

By juggling these four elements,

caterers can direct their efforts
to reach a wide variety of niche
markets, depending on the type
of food served, its quality, level
of service provided, the
furnishings and price charged.
PERSONNEL: The food and beverage manager is the overall director of
the department. This person is ultimately responsible for all department
activities including administrative functions, food preparation, and
serving guests. The food and beverage manager supervises all
employees in the department including, in administration, the
purchasing and receiving stewards, and the controller; in food
preparation, the executive chef and the kitchen steward; and in service,
the maitre d', the wine steward, and the banquet manager. Because the
various jobs in the department overlap, close coordination between all
personnel is needed.

PURCHASING: The purchasing steward buys all of the vegetables, fruits,

meats, breads, and dry goods needed to produce the desired meals.

INVENTORY: The receiving steward is the quality-control link for the

restaurant. This person not only checks that the quantity ordered has
been sent and correctly charged, but also that the quality of what is
delivered meets the restaurant's standards.
Food service generally operates under what is called FIFO: first in-first out. The
barrel of flour bought four months ago is used before the barrel that was placed in
inventory last month. This promotes less waste by ensuring that food doesn't
exceed expiration dates. The purchasing steward must rotate the inventory shelf
space to facilitate this.
Keeping track of inventory is a vital activity of the food and beverage department.

CONTROLLING: The food and beverage department controller checks invoices

against receipts and may work with the general accounting office in paying bills.
Another important function of the controller is to put out weekly and daily forecasts
as to the number of guests who will be eating in the restaurant.
Food cost control is a primary function of the department controller, who keeps
records of food sales and food purchases.

FOOD PREPARATION: The executive chef is the manager of the food preparation
division. Executive chefs are traditionally temperamental and want total charge of
their kitchens. They are in charge of all people who produce food.

SERVICE: As in all other aspects of a hotel, service is the key to restaurant success.
Even with mediocre food, patrons will return to a restaurant for its excellent
service.
RESTAURANT F&B SERVICE
The maitre d' hotel is the master of the hotel's food service, acting as supervisor of the dining room.
Scheduling employees is one of the major responsibilities of the maitre d'. There may be a head
waiter who is responsible for training the waiters, waitresses, and bus people to be efficient and
polite. Training in the style of
service used is essential. The following are types of service:

a. Plate/ American service- Food is prepared in the kitchen, placed on plates, and brought to diners.
b. Family /English service- Dishes of food are placed on the table and diners serve themselves.
c. Plate/Russian service- Waiters take serving dishes to tables and serve each diner a portion.
d. Tableside/French service- Food is prepared by the restaurant staff at individual tables and served
to the diners.
 Classification of
Restaurant Businesses

While classifying restaurants, it is possible to see different approaches from

different sources. The classification of American Restaurant Union and
other Restaurant Professionals is as follows:

a. Traditional Restaurants
b. Specialty Restaurants
 Types of Restaurants
Family or commercial restaurants: Family-style restaurants offer a wide menu
of "meat and potato" selections with a price range that appeal to an average
family income. They serve beer and wine if they have a liquor license. The decor
is bright. A combination of counters, tables and booths is common. Parking is
necessary since customers usually arrive by car. Family restaurants are
normally located near a residential area and a highway.

Coffee shops: Coffee shops are characterized by a fast food service. The decor
is simple and prices are relatively low. It is usually located in an office building
or shopping mall.

Ethnic restaurants: Any restaurant where the main focus of the menu is dishes
that originated in a country or region other than the country in which it resides
could be considered an ethnic restaurant.
Types of Restaurants
Fast-food restaurants: Fast-food restaurants have increased in the past
twenty years as people have become more mobile. Franchising is
common in this type of restaurant. The menu is limited with low prices.
Because of low prices many customers patronize fast-food restaurants.

Deli Shops: Deli shops are often a combined grocery store and restaurant,
although the term may also be used for a strictly take-out or sit-down
restaurant. Delis offer a broader, fresher menu than fast-food chains,
rarely employing fryers (except for chicken) and routinely preparing
sandwiches to order. They may also serve hot foods from a steam table,
similar to a cafeteria. Although deli shops vary in size, they are typically
smaller than grocery stores.
Michelin Stars
Food and beverage businesses as stated are establishments
that profit in exchange of goods and service while people are
out of their homes for various reasons or in temporary
travels. A lot of small or large scale, food and beverage
serving business type, primarily aims to serve the food and
the beverage directly to the guests.

Restaurant businesses can be considered as the head of the

list among this type of corporations. The concept of quality in
the restaurant business, takes part in each stage of the
activities carried out within the business. As a part of these
standards are taking place in the Michelin Guide that the
importance of which is rapidly increasing- as it is beneficial to
restaurants' popularity and integrity.
General Information about
the Michelin Guide
Inspector for the Michelin Guide will look if the restaurant is
worth to be given stars. Firstly, the inspector with
responsibility for a particular area analyses the region, then
another inspector is sent to these restaurants for the second
report. If the second consideration is equally as good as the
first, a further series of inspections takes place to test the
consistency.

There is a guaranteed minimum of three very strong visits

before being awarded a first star, plus as many as eight, nine
or even ten visits in a year for potential two and three star
promotions.
 The Michelin Stars

The Michelin one-star system begun in 1926 and the additions of the second and the third stars in 1931
and in 1936. The definitions of the stars are as follows:

Three stars: for exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey

Two stars: for excellent cooking, worth a detour.
One star: for a very good restaurant in its category.

 The symbols used in the Michelin Guide, provides general

information about the conditions and the menus about the
restaurant in the guide. Restaurants may receive zero to 3 stars
for the quality of their food based on five criteria: quality of the
'ingredients used, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the
personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and
consistency between visits.

Michelin Guide and the Star, has been a respected application in

the food and beverage sector from the very beginning of the
guide until today. And will continue spreading with the
incorporation of the countries and the businesses in the years
ahead

Basic Rules for Table Service

and Dining Etiquette
Basic Dining Room Etiquette

Proper etiquette will help keep guest perceptions positive. Every detail is noticeable to
someone dining with a restaurant. The following are areas to constantly be aware of:

1. Guests have the right of way. Stand aside to let them pass whenever they may be
walking through the restaurant.
2. Make eye contact, smile and acknowledge guests as you pass them. Say "Hello," "Good
Evening," "Goodnight," "How are you this evening?" etc. Use names whenever possible.
3. Escort guests rather than pointing out directions to another area of the restaurant,
(such as restrooms, bar, etc.).
4. When conversing with guests, keep the discussions professional, not personal.
5. Use proper language. Don't refer to guests as "you guys." Use "Sir", "Miss" or "Ma'am."
(But use names whenever possible) Use "of course" or "certainly" instead of "yeah" or "ok."
Use "my pleasure" instead of "no problem." These words and phrases sound much more
professional.
6. Always stand with good posture. Don't slouch or lean.
7. If problems occur, keep your guests informed. They will not feel neglected if they know
what is going on. It can do wonders for their patience! Stay visible! If there is a problem in
the kitchen, don't hide from them. It is more reassuring to them when you are in sight.
8. Profanity and discussions about guests are not acceptable in the restaurant.
Sanitation & Food Safety
As purveyors of food and beverages, personnel in a restaurant
all have the responsibility to keep guests
and employees safe from food-borne illness. To accomplish
this, personnel must follow proper sanitation
procedures in both the kitchen and the dining room.
Servers
The servers' basic job function is to serve each guest to their
complete satisfaction while exceeding their expectations.
Servers have the most interaction with guests, so may have
the most influence in terms of our guest's impression and
their overall experience. It's so important that the server be
smiling, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. They must service
the table in a professional manner and ensure that
everything is perfect. They must be on the floor and visible to
guests constantly.
Table Settings
Table settings make a tremendous impression on guests
and customers and most restaurants conform to standard
table setting etiquettes so customers know what to expect
when they sit down to their meal. As a restaurateur or caterer
you will want to know exactly how to have your tables set for
all dining occasions. The following guide provides todays
most accepted rules and tips for setting the perfect table
including informal dining, formal dining and setting a table
for banquet service.
General Rules
A general rule of table setting is that utensils are placed in
the order of use from farthest from the dinner plate,
utensils that are used first, to closest to the plate, utensils
being used last, in an "outside-in" order. A second
rule is that forks go to the left of the plate while knives and
spoons go to the right.
Informal Place Setting
Informal Place Setting

If your restaurant, hotel dining room or catering hall is serving

an informal three- course dinner, then you will usually require
the following utensils:

a. The dinner plate is the first thing to be set on the table, with
a napkin placed on top of the plate.

b. The dinner fork is usually placed to the left of

the plate. Since it is used for the main course; it will be
usually be used last.

c. The salad fork, which is the smaller fork, is placed to the left
of dinner fork and is used to eat salad or appetizers. Since
the forks are arranged according to when you need to use
them, if you were to serve dinner before the salad, then the
salad fork would be next to the dinner plate and the dinner
fork would be to the left of the salad fork.
d. The napkin is folded or put in a napkin ring and can be
placed to the left of the forks or on the center of the dinner
plate. If you prefer, the folded napkin can be placed under the
forks.

e. The dinner knife is set to the right of the dinner plate, with
the cutting blade placed facing inward. If the main course is
meat, a steak knife may replace the dinner knife.

f. The spoons are placed to the right of the knife. When soup
is served first, the soup spoon will be placed to the far right of
the dinner knife. The teaspoon or dessert spoon, (which will
be used last) goes to the left of the soup spoon, next to the
dinner knife.

g. Any type of drinking glass is placed at the top right of the

dinner plate, above the knives and spoons.
Other dishes that are commonly used for an informal meal are:

h. If using a salad plate, it is placed to the left of the forks. A salad plate may be omitted if the salad
is to be eaten with the meal, and it can be served directly on the dinner plate. However it is more
acceptable to serve the salad on a separate plate to keep things neater.

i. If your restaurant uses a bread plate with a butter knife, then the bread plate goes above the forks,
with the butter knife placed diagonally across the edge of the plate, with the handle on the right side
and the blade facing down.

j. If using a dessert spoon and fork, then these utensils can be placed either horizontally above the
dinner plate, with the spoon on top and its handle facing right and the fork below with its handle
facing left; or beside the plate. If placed beside the plate, the fork goes on the left side, closest to the
plate (because it will be the last fork used) and the spoon goes on the right side of the plate, to the
right of the dinner knife and to the left of the soup spoon for the same reason.

k. When a coffee cup and saucer are used, then the coffee cup and saucer are placed above and to
the right of the knife and spoons.
Formal Place Setting
Formal Place Setting

A formal meal usually consists of an appetizer, first course, fish

course, entrée, salad and dessert. The placement of utensils is
guided by the menu, so be sure that you place the proper utensils
in the order of how the meal will be served, with the utensil to be
used by the first menu item being placed on the outside, and so on
as the menu dictates in an "outside-in" order.

a. The charger plate is the largest plate on your table setting. It is

known by a few different names such as buffet plate, cover plate
and service plate. This plate serves as a base on which to lay the
plate for the appetizer course or soup course and is cleared from
the table after the first or second course is finished. When the first
course is cleared, the service plate remains on the table until the
plate holding the entree is served, at which point the two plates are
exchanged. The service plate can also serve as the base for
several courses served after the entree.

b. The butter plate is a small plate that is placed above the forks,
above and to the left of the service plate.
d. The position of the salad fork varies according to
when the salad is being served. If the salad is
served after the entree, then the salad fork is placed
to the right of the dinner fork, next to the plate. If the
salad is to be served first and the fish second, then
the salad fork would be first, then the fish fork, and
finally the dinner fork, closest to the dinner plate.

e. When fish is served as a first course, the small fish

fork is placed farthest to the left of the dinner fork as
it will be used first.

f. The large dinner knife is placed to the right of the

dinner plate.

g. The fish knife is placed to the right of the dinner

knife.
h. If soup or fruit is served as a first course, then the appropriate spoon is placed to the right of
the knives.

i. If shellfish are to be served, the oyster fork goes to the right of the spoons. Note: it is the only
fork ever placed on the right of the plate.

j. The butter knife or butter spreader is paced diagonally on top of the butter plate, with the
handle on the right and the blade facing down.

k. There can be up to five glasses on a formal dining setting and they are placed so that the
smaller ones are up front. The water goblet is placed directly above the knives. Just to the right
goes a champagne Flute; in front of these are a red or white wine glass and a sherry glass.

l. The napkin is usually placed on top of the service plate, or instead of one in a formal dining
setting.
 Food Service
Career Opportunities
Entry Level Positions

Food service entry-level positions usually require a minimum of training.

Dining room attendants include the positions of bus person, hat checker, food
server, host, hostess, sanitation/maintenance worker, and bartender's helper.

a. Bus person. Bus persons clear and reset dining tables with fresh linen and
silverware. They refill water glasses, and assist waiters and waitresses in
serving and housekeeping chores in the dining area. A job as bus person
provides an excellent way to start acquiring food service expertise.

b. Hat checker. Hat checkers are responsible for guarding coats, hats,
briefcases, and other personal articles that customers do not want in their
immediate possession while dining.

c. Host, hostess. Hosts and hostesses maintain reservation lists, greet

customers, show guests to tables, ensure order and cleanliness in the dining
area, and, in some cases, may handle complaints. This job requires good
organization skills, tact, a ready smile, neat appearance, and an affinity for
people.
d. Food server. Food servers, commonly known as waiters and
waitresses, are responsible for food orders and service to customers.
Food servers must like people and be poised and efficient under the
stress of simultaneous demands. Many energetic, outgoing people make
this their career.

e. Sanitation/maintenance worker. Sanitation/maintenance workers

ensure that walls and floors are clean and that there is a steady supply
of clean cooking equipment, utensils, dishware, and silver. Most modern
food service operations have dishwashers and other machines to assist
in speeding these tasks. Good sanitation and maintenance are vital to
any food service operation.

f. Bartender's helper. Bartender's helpers assist the bartender in

maintaining bar stock, cleaning glassware, replenishing supplies of ice,
and cleaning the bar area. This job offers excellent background for
becoming a bartender.
Middle-Level Positions

a. Bartender. A bartender requires an excellent memory for hundreds of

beverages ranging from the common to the exotic. Bartenders both
serve customers and fill drink orders taken by food servers. A
congenial personality and knowledge of how to order for and stock the
bar, as well as maintain inventories of liquor and glassware, is needed.
Also, bartenders must be familiar with state and local laws concerning
sale of alcoholic beverages.

b. Cashier. The cashier receives payment from customers, so good

mathematical skills are necessary. Because she or he is a customer-
contact person, the cashier must be tactful, friendly, and gracious.

c. Food checker. The food checker is responsible for verifying each food
order as it leaves the kitchen.
d. Cook. Cooks prepare food for eating

e. Chef. Although the term chef and cook are often used
interchangeably, the professional chef is generally
a far more skilled, trained, and experienced person.
Chefs, sometimes referred to as head cooks, coordinate
the work of the kitchen staff and often direct certain
kinds of food preparation. They decide
the size of the serving, sometimes plan menus, and buy
food supplies.

f. Pastry chef, baker. The pastry chef or baker is

responsible for the desserts. This includes baking cakes,
cookies, pies, bread, rolls, and quick breads. Sometimes
skill in cake decoration is also required.
g. Pantry Supervisor. The pantry supervisor is responsible for supervising
salad, sandwich, and beverage workers, and also should be able to
create attractive food arrangements. The supervision of cleaning crews
and responsibility for supply requisition may also be part of the job.

h. Dining room manager. The position of dining room manager requires

an objective, fair, conscientious, and observant leader. Dining room
managers supervise all dining room staff and activities, including staff
training, scheduling of staff working hours, keeping time records, and
assigning work stations.

i. Purchasing agent/storeroom supervisor. The purchasing agent/

storeroom supervisor orders, receives, inspects, and stores all goods
shipped by suppliers and oversees distribution to different food
preparation departments.

j. Meatcutter. Meatcutters must be expertly skilled in cutting down beef,

veal, lamb, and pork from full, half, or quarter carcasses to serving
portions which are cut, trimmed, and prepared to the chef's orders.
Cutting poultry and seafood also may be one of the duties.
Food Service Management Positions

Experience and education are two attributes that usually are required for
qualification for higher-level management positions in the food service
industry.

a. Restaurant manager. Managers are responsible for efficiency, quality,

and courtesy in all phases of a food service operation. In large
organizations, the managers may direct supervisory personnel at the
next lower level. In smaller operations, they might supervise kitchen and
dining room staffs directly. A thorough knowledge of the responsibilities
of all restaurant staff is necessary in this position.

b. Assistant manager. Assistant managers perform specialized

supervisory duties under the manager's
direction. They must be capable of filling in when the manager is absent,
and thus must have good
management skills and familiarity with overall food service operations.
c. Food production manager. This position entails responsibility for all food preparation and supervision of kitchen
staff. Workers must possess leadership skills and have knowledge of food preparation
techniques, quality and sanitation standards, and cost-control methods.

d. Personnel director. Personnel directors usually are employed in larger restaurants, food service chains, or as
specialists in hotel or institutional food service operations. Personnel directors are responsible for hiring and training
food service personnel and for administering employee relations, benefits, safety, and communications programs.

e. Menu planner. Menu planners select all food items offered on menus. They must know food service
costs, preparation techniques and equipment, and consumer trends and preferences. This position
usually requires a college or associate degree in dietetics or foods and nutrition. Restaurant managers,
food production managers, or chefs may have these responsibilities assigned to them.

f. Merchandising supervisor. Merchandising supervisors plan and carry out advertising and promotional programs
to increase sales. Creativity and the knowledge required to work with printers, artists, writers, and other suppliers are
necessary. In addition, they must know their employer's food service operation thoroughly, be able to apply market
research techniques, and be 'A! skilled in budgeting and planning. This position usually requires a college degree in
advertising, marketing, merchandising, or a related field.

g. Director of recipe development. This director creates new recipes for the menus of larger restaurants
or restaurant chains. Thorough knowledge of food preparation and the ability to apply this knowledge
creatively are required
Thank you! :)