FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY

The food service industry encompasses all of the activities,

services, and business functions involved in preparing and
serving food to people eating away from home. This
includes all types of restaurants from fine dining to fast
food. It also includes institutional food operations at
locations such as schools and hospitals, as well as other
specialty vendors such as food truck operators and
catering.
ORIGIN

The modern concept of preparing food as a craft and a

form of business can be traced all the way back to at
least the 11th century with medieval guilds. Guilds
were made up of various types of merchants and
craftsmen, and each guild provided a specialized good
or service to the community. The guilds established
more of an organized system within local economies
and allowed people to purchase and trade from a
variety of highly specialized vendors.
Bakers and butchers are just two examples of specialized
food craftsmanship. Guild members would pass on their
knowledge to new generations by hiring apprentices.
These apprentices would train under the established
experts and learn the specific skills required of the
profession.
The guild system eventually fell out of favor in economic
systems, but the concept of the apprenticeship is still very
common in the culinary profession today, and many young
chefs learn their craft through mentorship and job
shadowing under the guidance of experienced chefs and
food professionals.
Principles of Food Service Management
 
Food service management comes with a host of responsibilities that
revolve around running the daily operations of the food
establishment. Food service managers direct staff to ensure the
guests have a satisfying dining room experience. They manage the
business administration and calculate food cost for a profitable ROI.

Managing the day-to-day of the eatery requires an understanding of

the basics of restaurant management to ensure
 a safe and profitable food business.
The following are some of the important principles
of food service management.

1. Food safety - Foodborne illnesses from commercial kitchens

cause food poisoning outbreaks every year. Food service managers
keep the food safety standards in check to prevent the spread of
sickness. This includes making sure all areas from the kitchen to
the dining areas are clean and free of debris. They also
ensure proper food storage to prevent foods from spoiling and
maintain exemplary food preparation is achieved.
2. Value - Food service managers work alongside chefs to create
menu options that are delicious but also won't strain the
establishment's budget. The service patrons receive in the dining
room is also part of the value offered by the establishment.
Foodservice management will encompass the role of the staff as it
relates to their professionalism and how they treat the customers.
When customers are unhappy, it's the role of the foodservice
manager to restore harmony.
3. Cost control - Food and labor costs are a big part of foodservice
management. Providing high-quality service and food options
while maintaining profit is a big responsibility for food service
managers. Knowledge of resources management is needed to keep
an operation profitable. The budget needs to be analyzed and
managed by tracking food inventory and other resources
management.
4. Laws and regulations - Commercial kitchens need to follow
national, state, and local legal requirements to maintain dining
room operations. Foodservice managers will need to understand
each law and train their staff on them. Staying up-to-date with all
necessary regulations is a major part of food service management.
If the updated laws aren't available a service manager can request
information to learn them. This can mean obtaining and renewing
licenses or paying government taxes and fees.
These basic principles build the foundation of successful
hospitality management. Food service managers use these rules to
inform their daily actions and decisions.
What are the goals and objectives of food service?

- Provide an Outstanding Patron Experience. In the

restaurant business, you aren't just serving food.
Establish Customer Loyalty. Another major objective of a
restaurant is to create a sense of loyalty in their patrons to
make them regular customers.
Offer a Diverse Menu.
Creating a Brand.
 
Why is cafeteria important in schools?
 
Well planned school canteens support student development and
learning.
They provide adequate nutrition which gives students and staff
high energy levels and prevents diseases, such as obesity and
anemia, which are related to poor diet.
Canteens can be a barometer for student conduct
 
School Canteens Are Important
 
At first glance one might tend to overlook the humble school canteen, but on
reflection I think most people would agree that the canteen is one of the most
important parts of school life.  In this post I will consider two ways in which
school canteens play indispensable roles in the life and functioning of
schools.  School administrators need to have a definite canteen policy, must
establish canteen committees to seek to improve service and food quality and
must work closely with canteen operators.
The two main ways in which school canteens have an impact on school life
are in supporting teaching through proper nutrition and health practices;
including the provision of special dietary requirements for some students and
staff, and in being sectors of schools which can easily become trouble zones if
specific measures are not put in place to prevent this.
A large proportion of students eat in school canteens every day.  Since they
cannot leave the school during the day, they constitute a captive market for
canteen operators.  This, however, should never lead to exploitation through
high prices or poor-quality food and drinks.  Schools have a duty to feed
students and staff properly.  Administrators and canteen committees must
ensure that school canteens meet national standards for food preparation,
storage, hygiene and safety.  Failure to do so would result in serious health
problems for staff and students who consume the fare.

Well planned school canteens support student development and learning. 

They provide adequate nutrition which gives students and staff high energy
levels and prevents diseases, such as obesity and anemia, which are related to
poor diet.  Progressive canteens also forge synergistic links with schools’ food
and nutrition departments and agricultural science departments, where they
exist. 
  School canteens should serve food and drinks which are low in
saturated fats, sugar, salt, and food dyes.  More fruit, fruit
juices, vegetables and whole grain bread should be on the menu. 
There should be fewer soft drinks, no energy drinks or sports
drinks, no alcohol, and no deep-fried food.  It will be necessary to
retrain students’ palates in some instances, but this is in the best
interests of the students.

As mentioned earlier, school canteens can become trouble zones if

they are not closely regulated and supervised by the
administration.  Canteens can be a barometer for student conduct. 
If preventive measures are not put in place and enforced,
lunchtime can be chaotic and this chaos can spill over into classes
after lunch because some students may be late and unsettled. 
Some may even want to continue eating during class.
Administrators, school canteen committees, and operators must
implement systems to enforce queuing and good behavior in the
canteen.  A canteen duty roster for teachers and prefects is a
necessity.  The frequent presence of the principal and teachers will
control negative behavior.  These measures will eliminate queue
jumping, fighting, bullying and extortion of money or lunch from
younger students during break and lunchtime.

School canteens can be pleasant spaces which contribute to the

development of students and reflect a positive school climate
TYPES OF FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY

1. BISTRO
• Often a smaller establishment, with check tablecloths,
bentwood chairs, cluttered décor and friendly informal staff.
• Tends to offer honest, basic and robust cooking.
2. BRASSERIE
• Large, styled room, with a long bar
• Normally serving one-plate items
• Service by waiters, often in traditional style of long aprons
and black waistcoats.
3. NEW WAVE BRASSERIE
• Gastrodome
• Slick modern interior design, coupled with similar approaches
to contemporary cuisine and service
• Busy and bustling and often large and multileveled.
4. COFFEE SHOP
• Similar to brasserie- style operation, often themed.
• May be open all day and serve all meal types from breakfast
through to supper.
5. FIRST CLASS RESTAURANT
• Tend to be formal fine dining restaurants with classical
preparation and presentation of food and offering a high
level of table (silver or plated).
• Often associated with classic/haute cuisine.
6. RESTAURANT
• Term used to cover a wide variety of operations.
• Price, level and type of service, décor, style, cuisine and
degree of choice varies enormously across the range of
operation.
• Service ranges from full table service to assisted service such as
in carvery- style operations
7. ETHNIC RESTAURANT
• Indian, Oriental, Asian, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Creole and
Cajun
• Tends to reflect ethnic origin
8. THEMED RESTAURANT
• Often international in orientation
• Themes such as jungle, rainforest or music/opera, where
waiting staff perform as well as serve
9. INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION RESTAURANT
• Often Michelin- starred fine dining restaurants, offering a
distinctive personality, cuisine, ambiance, beverages and
service.
• Usually table service at various levels but mostly personal
and attentive.
• Expensive but value laden.
10. HEALTH FOOD AND VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS
• Increasing specialization of operations into vegetarianism
and/or health foods ( though vegetarian food is not
necessarily healthy), to meet lifestyle needs as well as dietary
requirements.
11. CAFETERIA
Primarily self- service with customer choosing selection from a counter or
counters in varying designs and layouts.
Originally developed for the industrial feeding market but now seen in a
variety of sectors
12. POPULAR CATERING AND FAST-FOOD OUTLETS
Developed from table service teashops and cafes through to steakhouses,
and now incorporating snack bars, kiosks, diners, takeaways and
cafeterias, with modern-day burger, chicken and fish concepts, and with
ethnic foods also being incorporated.
Meeting the needs of all-day meal taking and also the need for “grab and
go” service, especially for the leisure, industrial and traveling markets.
13. POPULAR CATERING AND FAST-FOOD OUTLETS
• Developed from table service teashops and cafes through to steakhouses,
and now incorporating snack bars, kiosks, diners, takeaways and
cafeterias, with modern-day burger, chicken and fish concepts, and with
ethnic foods also being incorporated.
• Meeting the needs of all-day meal taking and also the need for “grab
and go” service, especially for the leisure, industrial and traveling
markets.
14. PUBLIC HOUSES
• Licensed environment primarily for drinking alcoholic beverages.
• May be simply a serving bar with standing room for customers or may
have more plush surroundings incorporating the offer of a variety of
foods.
• These can range from simple plated dishes through to establishments
offering full restaurant service ( SOMETIMES CALLED GASTROPUBS)
15. WINE BARS
• Often a mixture of bar and brasserie- style operation,
commonly wine themed, serving a variety of foods.