Drive-in or take-out service

Drive-in or take-out service is largely self-service in that guests usually pick up their own food after ordering it. Variations include ordering and then driving to a pick-up window, where service personnel give out the food, the ordering in place and receiving carhop service. Guests may be expected to eat in their cars, or a small dining area may be provided. The menu is limited and specializes usually in one particular item such as chicken, hamburgers, tacos, or roast beef sandwiches.

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

 

Commercial gain	Прибуток
Pilgrimage	Паломництво
Merchant	Торговець
Wares	Товари
Forerunner	Прообраз
Origin	Походження
Trace	Тут: відслідковувати (розвиток)
Anguish	Страждання
Selling unit	Торговельний заклад
Run	Тут: керувати
Takings	Тут: виручка
Subdued	Приглушений
Settee	Кушетка
Chandelier	Люстра
Velvet	Оксамит
Brocade	Парча
Refined	Вишуканий
Admit	Тут: мати право насолоджуватись
Sophisticated	Витончений
Wine cellar	Асортимент вин у ресторані
Floor show	Вистава серед публіки (у ресторані, нічному клубі тощо)

 

The evolution of public eating places was stimulated by people’s desire of travel, for both spiritual enrichment and commercial gain. Religious pilgrimages played an important role in establishing the inns of France and England. Merchants traveling from country to country to buy or sell their wares also created the need for places to stop for food and rest. These early inns and taverns, providing for the needs of travelers were perhaps the forerunners of our present restaurants.

The origin of the restaurant concept, however, has been traced to the cook shops of France. The word restaurant comes from the French verb “restaure”, which means “to restore” or “to refresh”. It is said that the earliest restaurants had this inscription over their doorway: “Come to me all whose stomachs cry out in anguish, and I shall restore you!”

Nowadays saying “restaurant” we consider a selling unit being run at a profit; all offered facilities and services lead guests to making orders and, as a result, substantial takings.

The basic elements of sound catering are good food and drinks but décor and service play an important part.

Décor (which may include subdued lights, soft carpets and settees, crystal chandeliers, red velvet and brocade, mirrors, pictures, flowers and other elements) helps to create the right atmosphere and refined surroundings for attracting customers.

The art of service can be defined as “the capacity to make customers feel at ease arrival, at home while they are here, and sorry to leave”.

At luxury restaurants the customers admit sophisticated atmosphere, live music, and dancing, excellent wine cellar. At night clubs customers can enjoy floor show, modern bar where they are proposed drinks, cocktails, snacks. In some restaurants you can enjoy nice view or being served out of doors (on a special terrace or balcony). The reservation is advisable, but for some it is a necessity. Usually, the opening and closing hours are fixed. Most restaurants provide special territory for parking. The restaurants and bars often accept both cash and credit cards.

 

 

Unit 8

Eating out establishment staff

 

Words and word combinations

 

Smooth-functioning	Тут: рівномірна, безперервна робота
Perform	Виконувати
Allocate (to)	Відноситись до
Board	Тут: правління, рада директорів
Extend	Поширюватися
Take an order	Приймати замовлення
Entire	Повний, весь
Substantial	Суттєвий, значний
Wages	Заробітна плата
Remuneration	Винагорода

 

The responsibility in a foodservice has three levels: management; mid-management or supervisory; and workers. To maintain a smooth-functioning facility, employees at each level must adequately perform the essential functions allocated to that level.

Management comprises the chairman and members of the board in a corporation, the president, the manager, and even the assistant managers. Mid-management may rich as high as assistant managers and may extend as low as supervisors; sales managers, food and beverage managers, and purchasing departments heads are typically considered mid-management, as are chefs, chef stewards, the maitre d’hotel, the catering manager, a food production manager, and a dietitian in charge of hospital’s dietary department. The workers are everybody else.

The management level plans action, the mid-management initiates and supervises action, and the workers carry it out. It is important that all employees in the organization know what type of action they are responsible for.

The service employee is the person with whom the customer is most likely to have regular contact. Whether waiter or waitress, bar tender, or any other employee, this person is responsible for delivering not only the products but also the image of the establishment. This person is also the chief sales agent for the business. A considerable amount of time and money may be required to train these employees properly.

The service employee may be responsible for a variety of different tasks, depending on the type of food service. These may include delivering of food, taking orders, promoting products, removing dishes, and selling and opening wines or other beverages. In many cases service employees are tipped by the customers for these services and derive a substantial portion of their wages from this source. In others tips are often not involved, and the employees depend on the business for their entire remuneration.

 

 

Text

Restaurant Staff

 

The number of staff and the allocation of duties depend on the size and exclusiveness of the restaurant. In a large restaurant there must be one person in charge. Under him/her there will be principal assistants in charge of sections and under each of these will come the general assistants. In a small restaurant the person in charge may be called Restaurant Manager, Maitre d’Hotel or Head Waiter and his/her assistants may all be called “waiters”.

The RESTAURANT MANAGER has overall responsibility for the organization and administration of the food and beverage service areas. He/she sets the standards for service and is responsible for any staff training and also makes out duty rota and holiday lists.

The HEAD WAITER greets the guests on arrival, shows them to their tables and seats them. Then he hands in the menu and takes the orders. He will in many cases act as Head Wine Waiter and suggest appropriate wines from the wine list.

The STATION WAITER notes the orders and passes them on to the kitchen. He serves the dishes from customer’s left and collects the dirty plates from the right.

The COMMIS WAITER brings the food from the kitchen to the dining hall using a tray or trolley. He collects dirty plates and dishes and takes them to the wash-up area.

The APPRENTICE is the “learner” having just joined the food service staff and possibly wishing to take up waiting as a career. He will keep the sideboard well filled with equipment and he may help to fetch and carry items as required.

The CARVER is responsible for the carving trolley and the carving of joints at the table. He will plate each portion with the appropriate accompaniment.

The SOMMELIER (WINE BUTLER or WINE STEWARD) prepares, brings and serves the wine ordered by the guest. He sees that it is served at the right temperature, in appropriate glasses and replenishes these glasses when necessary. He must have knowledge of all drinks he has to serve, of the best wines to go with certain foods and of the licensing laws in respect of his particular establishment.

In some luxury restaurants there are such positions as barista and cigar steward.

The BARISTA is a person who is skilled in the art of coffee making, also he should be able to define the type of coffee and the country and even the conditions it grew in only looking at coffee beans.

The CIGAR STEWARD (FOUMILIER) will help the guests to choose cigars according to the kind of digestive they have chosen (digestive is a kind of drink, for example, Madeira or whisky, which is usually had after the guests have finished their dinner and turned to dessert), he will also familiarize guests with rules of lighting of cigars.

So, the staff of the restaurant must have sufficient knowledge of all the items of the menu and wine list in order to advise and offer suggestions to the customers and to reconcile their satisfaction and the interests of the House.