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 WHAT IS RESTAURANT
A restaurant or an eatery, is a business which
prepares and serves food and drinks to customers
in exchange for money. Meals are generally served
and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants
also offer take-out and food delivery services.
Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and
offerings, including a wide variety
of cuisines and service models ranging from
inexpensive fast food restaurants and cafeterias, to
mid-priced family restaurants, to high-priced
luxury establishments.

In Western countries, most mid- to high-range

restaurants serve alcoholic beverages such as beer
and wine. Some restaurants serve all the major
meals, such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner (e.g.,
major fast food chains, diners, hotel restaurants,
and airport restaurants). Other restaurants may
serve only a single meal (for example, a pancake
house may only serve breakfast) or they may serve
two meals (e.g., lunch and dinner).

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE

MANAGER, 2
NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA.
 THERE ARE TWO KEY DISTINCTIONS: 
NON-COMMERCIAL
C O M M E R C I A L F O O D S E RV I C E , F O O D S E RV I C E

 which In This  establishments

comprises operation where food and
s whose primary beverages
business is food and are served, but are
beverage, not the primary
business.

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 3
COMMERCIAL OPERATORS
Commercial operators make up the largest
segment of F&B. It is made up of quick-
service restaurants, full-service restaurants,
catering, and drinking establishments. Let’s
look at each of these in more detail.

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 4
 NON-
COMMERCIAL OPERATORS COMMERCIAL
1. Quick-Service Restaurants 1. Institutional
2. Full-Service Restaurants 2. Accommodation Foodservice
• Fine dining, 3. Vending and Automated
• Family/casual, Foodservices
• Ethnic,
• Upscale casual.
3. Catering and Banqueting
4. Drinking

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 5
QUICK-SERVICE RESTAURANTS
Formerly known as fast-food restaurants, quick-service restaurants, or QSRs,
make up 35.4% of total food sales in Canada (Restaurants Canada,
2014b). This prominent portion of the food sector generally caters to both
residents and visitors, and is represented in areas that are conveniently
accessed by both. Brands, chains, and franchises dominate the QSR
landscape. While the sector has made steps to move away from the
traditional fast-food image and style of service, it is still dominated by both
fast food and food fast; in other words, food that is prepared and purchased
quickly, and generally consumed quickly.
Take a Closer Look: The First McDonald’s In Canada
The first McDonald’s restaurant in Canada opened in Richmond, BC, in 1967.
Located on No. 3 Road, it featured a sleek almost space-age design. To see
a picture of the location, visit McDonald’s: Then and Now:
www.richmond.ca/cityhall/archives/exhibits/thenandnow/then_now_set_7.htm

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 6
QUICK-SERVICE RESTAURANTS
C O N V E N I E N C E A N D FA M I L I A R I T Y
IS KEY IN THIS SECTOR.
• Examples of QSRs include:
• Drive-through locations
• Stand-alone locations
• Locations within retail stores
• Kiosk locations
• High-traffic areas, such as major highways or
commuter routes

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 7
FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS
Full-service restaurants are perhaps the most fluid of the F&B
operation types, adjusting and changing to the demands of the
marketplace. Consumer expectations are higher here than with
QSRs .The menus offered are varied, but in general reflect the
image of the restaurant or consumer’s desired experience.
Major segments include -
• Fine Dining,
• Family/Casual,
• Ethnic,
• Upscale Casual.

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 8
FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS

• F I N E D I N I N G   R E S TA U R A N T S  
Fine dining restaurants are characterized by highly
trained chefs preparing complex food items,
exquisitely presented. Meals are brought to the
table by experienced servers with sound food and
beverage knowledge in an upscale atmosphere with
table linens, fine china, crystal stemware, and silver-
plate cutlery. The table is often embellished with
fresh flowers and candles. In these businesses,
the average cheque, which is the total sales divided
by number of guests served, is quite high (often
reviewed with the cost symbols of three or four dollar
signs- $ $ $ or $ $ $ $).
Bishop’s in Vancouver is one of BC’s best known and
longest operating fine dining restaurants. Since
opening in 1985, this 45-seat restaurant has served
heads of state including Bill Clinton and Boris
Yeltsin, and has won awards including the Best of
Vancouver. John Bishop was awarded the Governor
General’s Award in 2010 (Georgia Straight, 2015).

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 9
 FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS

• FA M I LY / C A S U A L   R E S TA U R A N T S  
Family/casual restaurants are characterized by
being open for all three meal periods. These
operations offer affordable menu items that
span a variety of customer tastes. They also
have the operational flexibility in menu and
restaurant layout to welcome large groups of
diners. An analysis of menus in family/casual
restaurants reveals a high degree of
operational techniques such as menu
item cross-utilization, where a few key
ingredients are repurposed in several
ways. Both chain and independent restaurant
operators flourish in this sector. Popular chain
examples in BC include White Spot, Ricky’s All
Day Grill, Boston Pizza, and The Old Spaghetti
Factory. Independents include the Red Wagon
Café in Vancouver, the Bon Voyage
Restaurant near Prince George, and John’s
Place in Victoria.
SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,
NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 10
 FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS

• E T H N I C   R E S TA U R A N T S  
Ethnic restaurants typically reflect the owner’s
cultural identity. While these restaurants are
popular with many markets, they are often
particularly of interest to visitors and new
immigrants looking for a specific environment
and other people with whom they have a
shared culture. Food is often the medium for
this sense of belonging (Koc & Welsh, 2001;
Laroche, Kim, Tomiuk, & Belisle, 2005).
The growth and changing nature of this sector
reflects the acceptance of various ethnic foods
within our communities. Ethnic restaurants
generally evolve along two routes: toward
remaining authentic to the cuisine of the
country of origin, or toward larger market
acceptance through modifying menu items
(Mak, Lumbers, Eves, & Chang, 2012).

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 11
FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS

• U P S C A L E C A S U A L   R E S TA U R A N T S  
Upscale casual restaurants emerged in the 1970s,
evolving out of a change in social norms. Consumers
began to want the experience of a fun social evening
at a restaurant with good value (but not cheap), in
contrast to the perceived stuffiness of fine dining at
that time. These restaurants are typically dinner
houses, but they may open for lunch or brunch
depending on location. Examples in BC include the
Keg, Earls, Cactus Club, Brown’s Social House, and
Joey Restaurants.

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 12
 CATERING AND BANQUETING
Food served by catering companies at banquets and special events
at a diverse set of venues. Note that banqueting pertains to catered
food served on premise, while catering typically refers to off-
premise service. At a catered event, customers typically eat at the
same time, as opposed to restaurant customers who are served
individually or in small groups.
Catering businesses (whether on-site or at special locations)
are challenged by the episodic nature of events, and the issues of
food handling and food safety with large groups. Catering
businesses include:
• Catering companies
• Conference centre
• Conference hotels
• Wedding venues
• Festival food coordinators

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 13
 DINER EN BLANC
An interesting public event with a
dining focus is Diner en Blanc,
which is held in cities around the
globe including Vancouver and
Victoria. Diners wear all white and
bring their table, chair, and place
settings with them to a secret
location announced only hours
before. Participants have the option
to bring their own food or purchase a
catered meal. Alcoholic beverages
are also available for purchase on
site. For more information, visit the 
Diner en Blanc website:
http://vancouver.dinerenblanc.info/m
edia

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 14
DRINKING
The drinking establishment sector comprises bars, wine
bars, cabarets, nightclubs, and pubs.
Liquor licences are divided into liquor primary and food
primary. As the name  suggests, a liquor primary licence
is needed to operate a business that is in the primary
business of selling alcohol. Most pubs, nightclubs, and
cabarets fall into this category.
A food primary licence is required for an operation
whose primary business is serving food. Some operations,
such as pubs, will hold a liquor primary licence even
though they serve a significant volume of food. In this
case, the licence allows for diverse patronage

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 15
NON-COMMERCIAL

Non-commercial operations cater

predominantly to consumers with limited
selection or choice given their occupation or
location. This type of consumer is often
referred to as a captured patron. In a tourism
capacity such as in airports or on cruise ships,
the accepted price point for these patrons is
often higher for a given product, increasing
profit margins.

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 16
INSTITUTIONAL

Often run under a predetermined contract, this sector

includes:
• Hospitals
• Universities, colleges, and other educational institutions
• Prisons and other detention facilities
• Corporate staff cafeterias
• Cruise ships
• Airports and other transportation terminals and operations

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 17
ACCOMMODATION FOODSERVICE
These include hotel restaurants and bars, room service,
and self-serve dining operations (such as a breakfast
room).  Hotel restaurants are usually open to the
public and reliant on this public patronage in
addition to business from hotel guests. Collaborations
between hotel chains and restaurant chains have seen
reliable pairing of hotels and restaurants, such as the
combination of Sandman Hotels and Moxie’s Grill
and Bar.

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 18
VENDING AND AUTOMATED FOODSERVICES
While not generally viewed as
part of the food and beverage
sector, automated and
vending services do account
for significant sales for both
small and large foodservice
and accommodation
providers. Vending machines
are located in motels, hotels,
transportation terminals,
sporting venues, or just
about any location that will
allow for the opportunity for
an impulse or convenient
purchase.

SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,

NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 19
SUMAN SEKDAR, FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER,
NASCENT GARDENIA, BARIDHARA. 20