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Part 1 Unit 1 The Hospitality Industry Words and word combinations
The hospitality industry is a part of larger enterprise known as travel and tourism industry. The travel and tourism industry is a vast group of businesses with one goal; providing necessary or desired products and services to travelers. According to a recent World Travel and Tourism Council Report, travel and tourism is the largest civilian industry in the world, employing one out of ten persons worldwide. Travel and tourism industry is divided into five parts, which components you can see in the following exhibit. The hospitality industry consists of lodging and food and beverage operations. Lodging operations stand apart from other travel and tourism businesses since they offer overnight accommodations to their guests. Many lodging properties provide food and beverage service, recreational activities, and more.
Unit 2
Hotel definition
Words and word combinations
With so many services in such a huge industry, it is easy to see why people get confused about the differences between hotels, motels, inns, and other lodging establishments. The fact is that the distinctions are not always clear. But some general property distinctions exist and are widely accepted.
A hotel or inn may be defined as an establishment whose primary business is providing lodging facilities for the general public, and which furnishes one or more of the following services: food and beverage service, room attendant service, bell and door attendant service, laundry or dry cleaning, and use of furniture and fixtures. Hotels range from 50 to 2000 rooms, sometimes more (some new hotels in Las Vegas have over 5000 rooms). Inns usually average between 5 to 50 rooms and provide a higher level of personalized service.
A motel – or motor hotel – is a lodging facility that caters primarily to guests arriving by automobile. Motels often provide parking spaces near guestrooms. Motels may be located in any setting, but usually found in suburban or roadside areas. Many motels are two-story or low-rise buildings located near major highways. In most cases, motels do not offer the full range of services and facilities available in a hotel.
Unit 3 Hotel classification (size, level of service) Words and word combinations
Hotel Classification Placing a hotel in a particular grouping is not easy. Because of the industry’s diversity, many hotels do not fit into any single well-defined category. But several general classifications exist and they are based on hotel size, levels of service, ownership and affiliation, and target markets. It is important to note that a particular property may fit into several categories. Size Size – or the number of guestrooms – gives one common way to categorize hotels. Hotels are typically grouped in four size categories: Under 150 rooms 150 to 299 rooms 300 to 600 rooms More than 600 rooms
Levels of service Service level is a measure of benefits provided to the guest. Rating services are provided by private organizations and by governments. For example, the Mexican government provides ratings of hotels from one star to five stars, in the USA hotel evaluation and rating services are provided by the American Automobile Association, which awards the diamond rating, and Mobil Travel Guide, which awards star rating. Some hotels offer more than one level of service. World- class service Hotels offering world-class service are sometimes called luxury hotels; they provide services for business executives, entertainment celebrities, high-ranking political figures, and wealthy clientele. They propose upscale restaurants and lounges, exquisite décor, concierge service, private dining facilities. Guests may find oversized bath towels, soap bars, shampoo, shower cars, clock radios, and more expensive furnishing, décor, and artwork in the hotel’s guestrooms. Housekeeping services are provided twice daily, magazines and daily newspapers may be delivered to each guestroom. Several food and beverage outlets are frequently available to cater to the tastes of the hotel’s guests and visitors. There may be a variety of retail outlets, such as gift shops, clothing and jewelry stores, specialty retail shops, international newsstands. World-class hotels stress personalized guest services and maintain a relatively high ratio of staff members to guests. They frequently employ a multilingual concierge who provides extra assistance for guests: helps guests register, obtains tickets for transportation and entertainment, provides travel direction and sightseeing information, and arranges for secretarial or business services. Mid-Range service Mid-range service is often modest but sufficient. Hotels offering mid-range service may provide uniformed guest service, airport limousine service, and food and beverage room service. The typical hotel offering mid-range service is of medium size – roughly 150-299 rooms. It may offer a specialty restaurant, coffee shop, and lounge that cater to visitors as well as hotel guests. Guests likely to stay at a mid-range hotel include businesspeople, individual travelers, and families. Rates are lower than world-class since the properties offer fewer services, smaller rooms, and a smaller range of facilities and recreational activities. Since meeting rooms are usually available at mid-range hotels, people planning small conferences, group meetings, and conventions may also find mid-range hotels attractive.
Economy/Limited Service Economy/limited service hotels provide clean, comfortable, inexpensive rooms and meet the basic needs of guests. Economy hotels appeal mostly to budget-minded traveler who wants rooms with minimal amenities required for a comfortable stay without costly extra services. The clientele of economy properties may include families with children, bus tour groups, traveling business people, vacationers, retirees, and groups of conventioneers. Most economy properties now offer cable or satellite television, swimming pools, limited food and beverage service, playgrounds, small meeting rooms, but they do not usually offer room service, uniformed guest services, large group meeting rooms, laundry or dry-cleaning service, banquet rooms, health clubs, so any of the more elaborate amenities found at mid-range and world-class properties. An economy property generally does not provide full food and beverage service (so, guests may need to eat at a nearby restaurant), but some hotels of such type provide a free continental breakfast in the lobby area.
Unit 4 Ownership and Affiliation
Two basic equity structures exist: independent hotel and chain hotels. Independent hotels have no identifiable ownership or management affiliation with other properties: in other words, they have no relationship to other hotels regarding policies, procedures, or financial obligations. A typical example of an independent property is a family-owned-and-operated hotel that is not required to confirm any corporate policy or procedure. The advantage of an independent hotel is its autonomy: there is no need to adhere to a particular image. Moreover, the flexibility inherent in a smaller organization often allows the independent hotel to quickly adapt to changing market conditions. But independent hotel may not enjoy the broad advertising exposure, management insight, and consultancy and is unable to take advantage of the volume purchasing power of a chain hotel.
Chain hotels usually impose certain minimum standards, rules, policies, and procedures to restrict affiliate activities. A chain is usually classified as operating under a management contract or as a franchise or referral group. Management companies are organizations that operate properties owned by other entities. These entities range from individual business people and partnerships to large insurance companies. Under the management contract the owner or developer usually retains the financial and legal responsibility for the property. The management company usually operates the hotel, pays its expenses and receives agreed-upon fee from the owner or developer. After operating expenses and management fees have been paid, any remaining cash usually goes to the owners, who may use this cash to pay debts, insurance, taxes, and so on. Franchising is simply a method of distribution where the franchiser grants to franchisees the right to conduct business according to established standards for design, décor, equipment, and operating procedures to which all franchised properties must adhere. Referral groups consist of independent hotels, which have banded together for some common purpose. Hotels within the group refer their guests to other affiliated properties. Through this approach an independent hotel may gain a much broader level of exposure. Belonging to a franchise or referral group provides several benefits: a more extensive reservation system, expanded advertising, providing central purchasing services and reducing expenses to the individual hotels as items are purchased in larger quantities.
Unit 5 Target markets
One of the most important marketing questions facing a hospitality operation is:”Who stays at our property and whom else can we attract?” Commercial hotels Today’s commercial hotels are usually located in downtown or business districts. These hotels are the largest group of hotel types and cater primarily to business travelers, but many tour groups, individual tourists and small conference groups find these hotels attractive. Guest amenities at commercial hotels may include complimentary newspapers, morning coffee, free local telephone calls, cable TV, personal computers, fax. Car rental arrangements, airport pick-up services, coffee shops, semi-formal dining rooms, and cocktail lounges are usually provided. Most commercial hotels have conference rooms, guestroom suites, room service, and banquet meal service. They also may offer laundry-valet service, concierge service, and retail stores. Swimming pools, health clubs, tennis courts, saunas, and jogging areas may also be among the features.
Airport hotels More than any other type of hotel, airport hotels vary widely in size and level of services. Typical target markets include business clientele, airline passengers with overnight travel layovers or canceled flights, and airline personnel. Hotel-owned limousines or courtesy vans often transport guests between the hotel and airport. Many airport hotels have conference rooms to attract a particular market: those guests who travel to a meeting by air and wish to minimize ground travel. Suite hotels Suite hotels are among the newest and fastest-growing segments of the lodging industry. These hotels feature guestrooms with a living room or parlor area and a separate bedroom. Some guest suites include a compact kitchenette with a refrigerator and in-room beverage service. Suite hotels appeal to different market segments: people who transform suites into temporary living quarters, frequent travelers who enjoy comfort, vacationing families who like the privacy and convenience of designed with a family in mind hotel. Some suite hotels offer complimentary evening receptions, breakfasts, or hors d’oeuvre or snack service. Extended stay hotels Extended stay hotels are similar to suite hotels, but usually offer kitchen amenities in the room, which suite hotels usually do not. They are designed for travelers who intend to stay five days or longer and require reduced hotel services. They do not provide uniformed services, food, beverage, or guest laundry service. Residential hotels Residential hotels provide long-term or permanent accommodation for people in urban and suburban areas. The layout of a residential guest unit may look like a suite hotel guestroom. Guest quarters generally include a sitting room, bedroom, and small kitchenette. A residential hotel may provide daily housekeeping, telephone, front desk, and uniformed services. A restaurant and lounge may also be located on the premises. Residential hotels may also offer short-term – or transient – guest accommodation.
Resort hotels Guests often choose resort hotels as their planned destination or vacation spot. A resort may be located in the mountains, on an island, or in some other exotic location away from crowded residential areas. The recreational facilities and breathtaking scenery typical of most resorts are not typical of most other hotels. Most resort hotels provide extensive food and beverage, valet and room services. Many resorts also provide special activities for guests such as dancing, golf, tennis, horseback riding, nature hikes. Bed and breakfast hotels Bed and breakfast hotels, sometimes called B&Bs, range from houses with a few rooms to small commercial buildings with 20 to 30 guestrooms. The owner of B&B – the host or hostess – usually lives on the premises and is responsible for serving breakfast to guests. Breakfast service may range from a simple continental breakfast to a full-course meal. Most B&Bs offer only lodging and limited food service. Meeting rooms, laundry and dry-cleaning services, lunch and dinner, and recreational facilities are usually not offered. Due to limited services, the price for a room at B&B is generally lower than at full-service hotel.
Casino Hotels Hotels with gambling facilities may be categorized as casino hotels. Although the guestrooms and food and beverage operations in casino hotels may be quite luxurious, their function is secondary and supportive of casino operations. Casino hotels attract guests by promoting gaming and headliner entertainments. Recent trends in Las Vegas casino hotels is to provide a broad range of entertainment opportunities, including golf courses, tennis courts, spas, and the theme recreational activities. Casino hotels frequently provide specialty restaurants and extravagant floorshow, and may offer charter flights for guests planning to use the casino facilities. Another recent trend is riverboat gambling. Because most riverboats do not provide lodging accommodations, hotels are often located where the riverboats dock to accommodate gamblers. These hotels are not considered casino hotels because they do not have gaming as a part of their facilities. Conference centers Conference centers are specifically designed to handle group meetings. Most full-service conference centers offer overnight accommodations. Meeting are their focal point and they place great emphasis on providing all the services and equipment necessary to ensure meetings – technical production assistance, high-quality audio-visual equipment, business service centers, flexible seating arrangements, flipcharts and display screens, and so on. Conference centers are often located outside metropolitan areas and may provide extensive leisure facilities: golf courses, and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness centers, spas, jogging and hiking trails, and more. A single price includes attendee guestrooms, meals, meeting rooms, audiovisual equipment and other related services. Convention hotels Convention hotels have a sufficient number of guestrooms (as many as 2000 or more) to house all the attendees of most conventions. The facilities are designed to accommodate large conventions: 50000 square feet or more of exhibit hall space – plus ballrooms and an assortment of meeting rooms. Most properties offer dining facilities ranging from self-service restaurants or cafeterias to elaborate formal dining rooms. Convention hotels are primarily directed toward business travelers with a common interest. A full line of business services is generally available, including teleconferencing, secretarial assistance, and language translation and fax machines. Among the greatest representatives of this type one can see Hilton, Circus and others. Unit 6 Reasons for traveling Words and word combinations
The more information a hotel has about its guests, the better it can anticipate their needs and serve them. Guests, like hotels, can be placed in categories. Classification of guests by their reasons for traveling offers some useful general insights into different wants and needs of guests. The market for the lodging industry can be segmented into three major categories, based on reasons for travel: business, pleasure, and group. Business Travel Business travelers average about five trips per year, and because business travelers are less likely to share rooms or stay with friends or relatives, they account for a significant portion of lodging demand. Frequent business travelers provide their travel agent with broad parameters outlining the type of hotel in which they wish to stay. Pleasure Travel The segment of pleasure travel market often depends on the attractions, products, and services offered by destination area of a lodging property. Typical market segments include specialized resort travel (for example, those seeking health, spa facilities or instruction in such sports as tennis and golf), family travel, travel by elderly, and travel by singles or couples. Group Travel Some groups, such as organized tours, travel for pleasure. In case of business group travel we shall deal with two markets: institutional and corporate/government. Gathering held by institutional market are usually open to the public (for example, national conventions held by various trade associations. Gathering held by the corporate/government market are usually closed to the public because they often deal with private corporate or government business matters (sales meeting, professional and technical meeting, stockholder meting, etc.). Unit 7 Unit 8 Room division Room division includes front office, housekeeping, uniformed services, and the concierge. In some properties the reservations and switchboard or telephone functions are separate departments within the rooms division. The front office The front office is the most visible part of a hotel. Front office personnel have more contact with guests than do staff in most other departments. The functions of the front office are to: - Sell guest rooms, register guests, and assign guestrooms; - Coordinate guest services; provide information about the hotel, the surrounding community, and any attractions or events of interest to guests; - Maintain accurate room status information and room key inventories; - Maintain guest accounts and monitor credit limits; produce guests account statements; - Receive and distributing mail, messages, and facsimiles (fax). Reservations Every lodging property has its own way of monitoring and managing its reservation functions. The receiving department is responsible for receiving and processing reservation requests. Although procedures may differ from hotel to hotel, the purpose is still the same: to accommodate guest requests in a manner that maximizes hotel occupancy and room revenue. - Communications The telephone switchboard area or department maintains a complex communications network. Switchboard operators place wake-up calls, monitor automated systems, and coordinate emergency communications. Operators also protect guest privacy. Uniformed service Employees who work in the uniformed service department of the hotel generally provide the most personalized guest services (baggage traffic, parking, and personal assistance in making restaurant reservations, getting tickets for theatre, sporting, or other special events, arrangement and transportation services, and so on). While personnel in reservations, front desk, and communication areas affect guest perceptions, it is often personnel in uniformed service who make a lasting impression. Concierge In some hotels the head concierge is the manager of the uniformed services department. In this case the concierge assumes additional responsibilities for supervising all uniformed service personnel. In large hotels the head concierge is often too busy to undertake such tasks and supervises employees in the concierge department only. Concierge duties include making reservations for dining, securing tickets for theater and sporting events, arranging for transportation, and providing information on cultural events and local attractions. Most successful concierges have developed an extensive network of local, regional, and national contacts for a variety of services (restaurants, box offices, car rental offices, airlines, printers and other businesses). Housekeeping Housekeeping is the most important support department for the front office. Housekeeping employees inspect rooms before they are available for sale, clean occupied and vacated rooms, and communicate the status of guestrooms to the front office. If the hotels has its own laundry, housekeeping department staff may be charged with cleaning and pressing the property’s linen, towels, uniforms, and guests clothing. Unit 9 Food and beverage division The hotel’s food and beverage division ranks second to the rooms division in term of total revenue. Many hotels support more than one food and beverage outlet. Possible outlets include quick service, table service, and specialty restaurants, coffee shops, bars, lounges, and clubs. The food and beverage department typically supports other hotel functions such as room service, catering, and banquet planning. Catered functions, such as weddings and anniversaries, may also provide significant revenue. Accounting division Accounting division monitors the financial activities of the hotel. Engineering and maintenance division is responsible for maintaining the property’s structure and grounds, as well as its electrical and mechanical equipment. Security division All work of this division should be concerned about the safety and security of hotel guests, visitors, and employees. Human resources division The basic functions of the room division remain: employment (including external recruiting and internal reassignment; training; employee relations (including quality assurance); compensation; benefits; administration (including employee policies); labor relations; and safety. Other divisions Many hotels staff a variety of other divisions to serve the needs of their guests. The range of possibilities reflects the diversity of hotels. Retail outlets Logging properties often establish gift shops, newsstands, or other retail outlets in their lobbies or public areas. These outlets generate revenue for the hotel based on a percentage of sales or a fixed space rental fee. Recreation Some hotels – primarily resort – staff a division providing group and individual recreational activities for guests. Some recreational divisions also undertake landscaping the grounds and maintaining the pool. Golf, tennis, bowling, sailing, walking tours, bicycle trips, horseback riding, hikes and other activities may be arranged by recreation division staff. The division may also plan and direct activities such as arts and crafts shows or children’s programs. Casino The casino division may offer various forms of entertainment and other attractions to draw customers into the property and its gambling facilities. For casino hotels, revenues derived from gambling are usually larger than revenues from hotel operations.
Unit 10
Hotel staff
Words and word combinations
The front office It is essential for reservation department personnel to work closely with the hotel’s sales and marketing division. On a day-to-day basis reservation agents must maintain accurate reservation records and closely track room availabilities in order to avoid overbooking. Cashiers post charges and payments to guest accounts.
Hotel’s switchboard operators may have responsibilities of answering and distributing calls, they may also place wake-up calls, monitor automated systems, coordinate emergency communications.
Among the primarily positions within the uniformed service department are bell attendants, door attendants, valet parking attendants, transportation personnel, and concierges. Uniformed service staff is usually classified as “tipped employees”, since a portion of their income is derived from guests’ gratuities.
Bell attendants are accounted to transport guest luggage to and from guestrooms; familiarize guests with the hotel’s safety features and in room amenities; provide information on hotel services and facilities; deliver mail, packages, messages; pick up and deliver guest laundry and dry cleaning; help guests load and unload their luggage in the absence of a door attendant.
Door attendants duties may include opening doors and assisting guests upon arrival; hailing guests load and unload luggage from vehicles; escorting guests to the hotel registration area; controlling vehicle traffic flow and safety at the hotel entrance; hailing taxes, upon request; assisting with valet parking services.
Valet parking is generally available at hotels offering world-class or luxury service. Specially trained employees park guest and visitor automobiles. Valet parking attendants are also responsible for the security of vehicles.
Transportation personnel: bus or courtesy van drivers must be well trained and properly licensed to operate the vehicle. Since these drivers are sometimes the first contact the guest will have with the hotel, it is important for them to be polite, efficient, and knowledgeable about the property.
Duties of concierges are described in the unit above, but it is worth adding that there is an international association of concierges Les Clefs d’Or (Golden Keys), which certifies and awards the most qualified concierges by the prominent gold crossed keys displayed on their jacket lapel.
Unit 11 Hotel Staff (continuation) Words and word combinations
Housekeeping department include inspectors, room attendants, and laundry personnel.
Housekeeping personnel inspects rooms before they are available for sale, clean occupied and vacated rooms, and communicate the status of guestroom to the front office.
Room attendants may clean from 8 to 18 rooms per shift depending on the hotel service level, average guestroom size, and cleaning tasks.
Executive housekeepers are usually responsible for maintaining of two types of inventories: recycled (which include such items as linens, uniforms, such guest amenities as irons and hairdryers) and non-recycled (such as cleaning supplies, small equipment items, guest suppliers and personal grooming items).
The duties of food and beverage division employees are described in the text “Restaurant staff”.
As for sales and marketing department, marketing staff researches the marketplace, competing products, guest needs and expectations, and future demand. Sales staff, on the other hand, strives to create revenue trough the sale of hotel products to guests and groups.
Accounting staff at the accounting division may be responsible for making bank deposits, securing cash loans, and performing other control as required by hotel management. Other financial activities like monitoring cash, checks, credit cards, receiving cash payments, making change, etc. are performed in close cooperation and coordination with the front office.
The staff of engineering and maintenance division is responsible for electrical and mechanical equipment, it may also be charged with swimming pool and fountain operations: quite often, the operation of hotel’s safety equipment comes under this division as well.
Security staff may include in-house personnel, contact security officers, or retired police officers. Their responsibilities may include patrolling the property, monitoring surveillance equipment, and, in general, ensuring that guests, visitors, and employees are safe and secure. But all employees should be wary of suspicious activities anywhere on premises, and report such activities to a member of the security staff.
As for human resources division, in properties that are not large enough to justify a separate human resources office or division, the general manager often supervises the human resources functions. These functions are listed in the unit above.
It should be also noted that the staff of the property can perform not all works. Some works which require special skills or equipment (like calibrating building controls, testing and adjusting of building alarms, organizing recreation activities, or even removing snow from parking) may be done on the contract basis. Part II Unit 1 Unit 2
Menu definition Words and word combinations
A menu – or bill of fair – is a list of the courses to be served at a meal and of the dishes, which can be ordered at the establishment. Originally the bill of fair, as it is termed in English, or the menu in French was not presented at the table. The banquet consisted of only two courses, each made up of a variety of dishes, anything from 10 to 40 in number. The first 10-40 dishes were placed on the table before the diners entered and when consumed were removed by 10-40 other dishes. The bill of fair was very large and was placed at the end of the table for everyone to read. As time progressed the menu became smaller and increased in quantity allowing a number of copies per table. Depending on the establishment and the occasion the menu may be plain or artistic in presentation and the quality of its presentation is considered indicative of things to come. The menu in a modern food service operation determines the items purchased their cost, the operation’s personnel and facility requirements, and the types of service that will be offered. The operation’s decor, atmosphere, theme, and service style revolve around the menu as well. Customers expect a certain standard of cooking and presentation consistent with the reputation of the establishments and prices charged, so the dishes should be in conformity with the known standards of trade. The clientele’s needs and desires must be taken into consideration in constructing the type of menu that will give the operation its best chance for success. But foodservice cannot be all things to all people: it must be suited to a specific known group or segment of the population.
Unit 3 Menu types Words and word combinations
The first step in planning a menu is to determine the target market. Once a target market has been determined and its needs identified, menu planning begins. There are many different menu types, and each is written for the needs of the particular market it serves, but some markets may require a combination of menu types. Menus may be a la carte, table d’haute, du juor, limited, cyclical, or other. Children’s menus can be important, too. A la carte menu Food items are priced separately in an a la carte menu, allowing a person to select the items desired. It is popular in commercial foodservices, since selling separate items brings in more revenue than selling items at a group price. Table d’haute menu A table d’haute menu is the opposite of an a la carte menu and had its beginning at old roadside inns. The literal translation is “table of the host”. An innkeeper would offer “room and board,” with the sleeping accommodation being in the room and the board being the table of the host. So, table d’haute menu offers a complete meal at a fixed price and this offering may include appetizer, salad, soup, entrée, beverage, and perhaps dessert. Du juor menu The term du juor menu means “menu of the day.” Such a menu must be planned and written daily, since it will reflect only the foods produced for that day. The du juor menu has the advantage of flexibility not only with respect to food items, but also with respect to the skill of the employee who is to produce them. Usually, only a few foods or their combinations are offered. Often, an operation offering a du juor menu is a specialty one that serves original and special foods to a limited clientele. Limited menu The limited menu evolved from more traditional types and may in fact be a hybrid of them. It may or may not offer the same foods every day. Some menus offer only two or three choices, and a representative but small selection of appetizers, salads, entrees, and dessert are also offered. Because of rising costs, limited menus have become increasingly popular as a way to reduce labor costs and food waste so as to improve production control and labor productivity. Cyclical menu The cyclical menu schedules foods for days within certain time periods, repeating the selections every two to six weeks. It is often wise to change cycles with the seasons and to provide special offerings on certain days. Cyclical menus reduce menu-making time as well as labor time. Some hotels operate on a strict seven-day cycle, which makes food production coincide with employees’ time on the job. This helps simplify production requirements, since employees prepare the same foods every week and gain proficiency and efficiency with repetition. Children’s menu A child’s menu is not a necessity for all operations but can be good for those wishing to bring in adults by ensuring that the kids have a good time. If the children are excited about their dining experience, they will be the ones to recommend where to go the next time the question is raised about where to dine. Although there are no set rules about children’s menus, they should be exciting and different from the regular adult menu.
Menu variety To capture a market, more than one menu may be required. For instance, there may be a need for separate breakfast, luncheon, and dinner menus or for different menus for different food operations. The menu for a coffee shop needs is different from those needed by a bar, a shopping center during tea hours, or a late supper dining room. Suiting the menu to these needs is an art, and clever merchandising – both with food and the names – can do much to promote customer interest.
Unit 4
Menu Planning and Estimating
Words and word combinations
The selection of the menu items requires close cooperation between the restaurant manager and the chef. It is based upon experience and takes into account local catering facilities. With due regard to the tastes and habits of the clientele you should take into consideration the following items: 1. Except in particular cases the various dishes proposed must be in season as they are best and cheapest at that time; 2. Variety is the basis of good meal; varying foods from meal to meal and day to day you may include all the essential food elements; 3. A good meal is centered around a selection of choice dishes in preference to an extensive display of courses; 4. The purchase of good quality products remains the true foundation of good cooking. In the menu engineering we control the total gross profit, the popularity (number of portions sold) and profitability (cash gross profit per portion or the menu item) of each individual item. We undertake a continual review of all menu items. Those that are unpopular and unprofitable tend to be removed from the menu and replaced by items that are more effective in generating cash gross profit. Now the following terms are in general use in hospitality operations. · A “star” is a menu item, which is both popular and profitable. Popularity is measured in terms of the number of menu items sold. Profitability is measured in terms of cash gross profit. · A “plough horse” is a menu item, which is popular but does not attract a high level of cash gross profit per item sold. · A “puzzle’ is a menu item which is profitable but, for some reason (which is a puzzle) is not popular. · Finally, a “dog” is a menu item, which is neither popular nor profitable. The above terminology is used to summarize, quickly and effectively, the two critical performance characteristics of a food item (where the “dog” is used in the American sense of something poor or a failure) and suggest what kind of corrective action may be required in any given set of circumstances. Menu engineering has now gained widespread acceptance in the international hospitality industry. This has been made possible by the general use of computers, which facilitates the preparation of menu engineering worksheets. Weekly analysis of menu performance is now a routine task in many establishments.
Unit 5 Service If all functions in an operation are correctly done, but service is neglected, the establishment will fail. This is because service, more than any other single attribute of a food service operation, is identified by customers as the reason for frequenting a foodservice. The staff meets the customers one on one and delivers the service that customers remember, but management defines what form of service will be used throughout the system: how food is to be served, by whom, and in what manner. Generally, they divide all service into two large groups: seated service and self one. The type of the service delivered depends on the menu, the desired atmosphere, the availability and skill of workers, and the desired market. Seated service Seated service (in some other resources it is known as assisted service) occurs when a guest remains seated throughout the meal. The principle types of seated service used in food service establishments are American, English, French, Russian, banquet, counter, and tray. American service An inexpensive and fairly fast form of service is called American. The food is portioned in the kitchen and brought to the guests on plates or dishes, from which the guest eats. To add a bit more finesse to the service, personnel may include the bread and butter plates on the place setting and may serve rolls in a basket or plate covered with a napkin. The service is simple. All solids are served from the guest’s left with the server’s left hand. Beverages are served from the guest’s right with the right hand. Placemats or tablecloths are used. Simple service makes easier to introduce personnel who lack training in service. English service English service is also known as family, host, or holiday service. It is an adaptation of the service found in English country homes. English service differs from other types of service in that the food is served on large platters or in bowls that are placed on the tables for service throughout the meal. Of course, if they become empty, they may be refilled or removed to the kitchen. English service is not used often, but it may be found in clubs and some other types of food services.
French service French service at one time was extremely elaborate. Because of the high cost of labor the service has grown less popular. The equipment used is also expensive: a table-high rolling cart (gueridon) from which food is served; a chafing dish (rechaud) typically mounted on the gueridon and designed to prepare special dishes and keep food warm; and silver platters and trays used to bring food from the kitchen. The setting for French service is a silence cloth, tablecloth, and a top. The top is another tablecloth, easily removed after a meal and replaced for the next guests. In very formal French service no bread is served, so the plate is not used. A service plate is placed directly in front of the guest and hors d’ouevre plate may be placed on it, and then the folded napkin. To the right of the service plate are the spoons and knives (with cutting edge toward the plate); forks go on the left. Above the service plate there is a dessert fork and a spoon. Wine glasses may be present on the table or placed just before the wine is served. Coffee is served after dessert. Fresh napkins may be given during the meal or immediately after finger bowls are used. Finger bowls – small containers holding liquid for cleaning the hands – may also be used during the meal, with fresh napkins. It is not considered proper to have ashtrays on the table, since smoking during the meal in French service is disapproved. Salt and pepper-shakers are not on the table either, because the seasoning is supposed to be correct as served. Dining should proceed in a leisurely manner. Russian service Russian service differs from French in that all food is dished onto platters or serving dishes in the kitchen and brought to the table for service. Hotels use this service much more than any other for their higher quality service. It is simple, yet elegant. Guests may direct the waiter on the size portions they want. Clearing is the same as for French service. Coffee is served from the right, following dessert, and a finger bowl and fresh napkin are presented to the guest at the close of the meal. Russian service is excellent for banquets, since all foods are the same. The table setup for Russian service may be very much like French service, or it may be unique to the menu offered. In both French and Russian service, there is a trend toward simpler table settings, with the necessary silver and glassware placed on the table only as needed for each course rather than the entire setting being used.
Banquet service Banquet service may be American, French, Russian, or a blend of these. Organization and speed are important, so foods are served at every table at the same time. The service should be based on this need, plus that of giving the quest the feeling of elegance and luxury. Counter service Counter service is economical in labor cost, quick, and efficient. It appeals to guests who are in a hurry and will be found in fast-service operations – coffee shops, department stores, and others. Guests are served at the counter. The menu is presented with a glass of water at the right hand side of the cover. The place setting, known as the cover, may or may not be present. If the cover is not set, it can be set while the guest is deciding what to order. Speed and dispatch are desirable. Tray service Tray service is used in health facilities or in places where the food must be delivered. A meals-on-wheels program furnishes such delivery service to elderly people. Some boarding houses and homes also use the service. Hotel room service is a variation of tray service. Food is dished onto plates, placed on trays, and then distributed to recipients.
Unit 6 Buffet service In buffet service, food is put out for guests to select. Frequently, a long table is provided on which a quantity of food is displayed. Good merchandising effects are possible by presenting a mass of varied food types in a colorful display. Often cold foods are first and hot foods last. Many operations today are combining buffet with seated service. Guests are allowed to select cold foods (which are largely salad materials) from a buffet. Then they order the rest they want from a menu. Many operations today use buffets to get a lot of people served in a short time. Breakfast buffets may range from one in which guests can get only hot beverages, juice, and sweet bread products (continental breakfast) to one in which they can get scrambled eggs and other cooked food (English breakfast). The tour may be catered at the hotel at one time in a separate dining room, using buffet service. A smorgasbord is a buffet featuring Scandinavian foods, but a true one must have pickled herring, rye bread, and gjetost cheese. A hot entrée may be ordered from a menu. Service personnel serve the entrée after buffet foods are eaten. Russian buffets are used at receptions. These feature hors d”oeuvre foods. Caviar in an ice bowl, rye bread, and butter are typical foods along with many other tangy types. Often, if a buffet is used to serve the main foods, waiters later pass among seated guests with trays of food and beverages. This helps to reduce congestion at the buffet. Cafeteria service Cafeteria service may not be entirely self-service because the food is dispensed to guests, who carry it to a cashier or checker and then to a table where the food is eaten. The most usual system is to pay at the end of cafeteria line. Normally, guests pick up a tray and their silver and napkin at the start of the cafeteria line. They then select the foods they wish. Usually, cold foods are first and hot foods last, but this can vary. A menu board plainly indicates the foods available and their price. Cafeteria service is popular because it reduces labor costs, thus allowing more food to be given for the money. It also is speedy service, and guests can see what they are getting. Cafeteria service is most frequently used in mass feeding situations, such as at schools and military installations. Today, many large corporations provide in-house cafeteria-style service for their employees, either on the contract basis with an outside foodservice operator or trough their own foodservice department.
Vending service Vending service utilizes machines to dispense food. Some vending systems dispense complete meals. Specific machines often dispense foods in a kind of shopping center arrangement. The fact that service from the machine is impersonal keeps many patrons from visiting such an operation. On the other hand, many industrial and institutional employees find them acceptable. Vending reduces costs. There are some disadvantages. The offering must be limited, and some foods do not hold up well in the machines. Convenience service Convenience service has grown from a practically nonexistent segment to a healthy participant in food service in only a few years. It is characterized by the use of ready-prepared and ready-to-eat foods that the customer chooses and finishes preparing. The ready prepared foods, such as sandwiches and popcorn, require cooking, which is usually done by the customer- operated microwave oven. The ready-to-eat foods, such as doughnuts, sandwiches, and salad items, can be hayed in a microwave oven or eaten as they are. The growth in this industry has been tied to that of convenience food stores, which cater to the neighborhood and passerby traffic. In convenience purchasing, food products are either consumed in the premises or taken out. In many convenience stores, small seating areas have been set aside to accommodate the demand. The popularity of this system in convenience stores has led to the establishment of similar operations in supermarkets and office buildings.
Unit 7 Restaurant Words and word combinations
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