The Dining Experience Five Types of Dining O

The Dining Experience

Five Types of Dining O Different types of dining appeal to different costumers. O The types differ in menu prices, decor, type of food served, & way it’s served. O 5 types include: O Fine-dining restaurants O Theme restaurants O Casual-dining restaurants O Quick-service restaurants O Catering services

Fine-Dining O Has an environment with excellent food, elegant décor, and superior service. O Customers willing to pay top prices for meals. O Some are famous for chef’s exceptional culinary skills. O Others known for specific location.

Theme O Tries to recreate another place or time. O Sports memorabilia O Simulated rain forest O Food is less important than the décor. O Food may be related to theme. O Moderately priced menu.

Casual-Dining O Attracts people who like to eat out, but not O O interested in a formal atmosphere or high prices. Relaxed environment Mid-range prices Can have a theme (Hard Rock Café) Includes: O Family-style O Neighborhood O Grills/buffets O Vending machines

CD – Family-Style O Menu more limited. O Traditional & child-friendly favorites (fried chicken, mac and cheese) O Mid-range prices.

CD - Neighborhood O Popular types – lunch counters, coffee shops. O Food is simple, inexpensive, generous portions. O Convenient & friendly.

CD – Grills and Buffets O Self-service meals at budget prices. O Offer all-you-can-eat specials O Trayline service – customers go through food line and placing items on own trays. O Counter service – customers sitting at a counter, rather than at a booth or table.

CD – Vending Machines O Offer wide variety of foods/beverages. O Operate 24 hours/day. O Popular with college students & factory workers.

Quick-Service O Known as fast food. O Largest section of food service industry. O Limited menus, low prices, speedy service. O Food prepared using exact standards & factory-like production.

Catering Services O Growing segment of food service industry. O Caterer purchases, receives, stores, prepares, cooks, delivers, & serves food to customer in another location. O Meals vary in size. O Include: O Contract foodservice O Airline meals O Hotel & motel restaurants O Cruise ship dining

CS – Contract Foodservice O For a management fee, foodservice contractor will provide food & beverage service for organizations (schools, businesses, hospitals, nursing homes). O Saves money for organization. O Meals can be prepared on-site. O Management of the foodservice is not run by the organization.

CS – Airline Meals O Limited by storage needs & transportation. O May offer one or more full meals, or just snacks & beverages. O Prepared in a commissary (where food is purchased & prepared), then delivered to airplanes. O Special meals (vegetarian, low-fat requests) can be ordered in advance.

CS – Hotel, Motel Restaurants O Offer longer service hours. O Most serve 3 meals/day, 7 days/week. O Labor costs are high, especially with room service.

CS – Cruise Ship Dining O No limits on amount of food, cost is included in the price of the cruise. O Usually offered in different settings. O Special dietary needs can be met.

Types of Meal Service O Include: O Modern American plated O Booth O Family style O Banquette O Classical French O Russian/English O Butler O Buffet service

Modern American Plated O Began in US, now used worldwide. O Requires fewer, less extensively trained service staff; gives chef complete control over the preparation, portioning, presentation of food. O Food is completely prepared in kitchen. O Guidelines: O Serve beverages, soup from customer’s right. Move clockwise to next. O Serve solid foods from left. Move counterclockwise. O Clear dishes from right. O Completely serve, clear one guest before moving to next.

Booth O Customers served from single focal point. O Guidelines: O Customers on right served from left with left hand. Customers on left served from right with right hand. O Serve back of booth first. O Clear soiled tableware first from customers seated closest to back. O Beverage service – keep tray in left hand, serve with right. O Keep hands as close to table level as possible. O Place item on table, avoid handing items to customers.

Family Service O Food delivered on large platter or dish to individual table. O Customers serve themselves, pass food around table. O Advantages – allows customers to choose own portion sizes, free to take second servings. O Disadvantages – large amount of food waste, lacks personalized service.

Banquette Service O Type of seating arrangement in which customers are seated facing server with backs against wall. O Guidelines: O Treat both ends as focal points. Serve one side at a time. O If more than four people, serve each end of table as you would a booth. O Hold beverage tray in left hand, served with right hand. Stand with right hip close to table.

Classical French Service O Most elegant & elaborate style of service. O Used internationally. O Important element – some foods are fully or partially presented or prepared tableside. O Requires more time & labor. O Servers must be highly skilled. O Uses team system, with each member having specific duty.

Classical French Service O Team: O Captain – responsible for supervising, organizing all aspects of service in his/her station. O Front waiter – assists captain when serving food, should be able to perform duties of captain in his/her absence. O Back waiter/runner – brings all food from the kitchen area to the service area. O Busser – serves bread, butter, water. Clears dishes, cleans table after customers have left.

Tableside Preparation O Important part of classical French service. O Can be used with other services. O Made on a cart called a gueridon (gay-ree-doo) using a cooking unit called a rechaud (ray-shoo). O Preparations are classified into 4 categories: O Assembling – includes salads or dishes such as Caesar salad that must be assembled. O Saucing, garnishing – includes dishes that are precooked in kitchen, need finishing touches. O Sauteing, flambeing – items are sauteed or flambeed quickly in dining room. O Carving, deboning – fish, meat, poultry dishes often carved or deboned tableside. Includes slicing cheese, peeling fruit.

Russian/English Service O Used internationally. O Ideal for banquets where everyone is eating the same meal. O Each course completely prepared, cooked, portioned, & garnished in kitchen, then placed on service plate or platters. Each customer is served a portion from platter. O Served from left, using utensils held in server’s right hand. O 2 different servers: 1 for entrée, other for rest of meal.

Russian/English Service O Guidelines: O Servers have clean service napkin or towel draped over left forearm. Platter held in left hand. O Service always moves counterclockwise. O Empty plates, soup bowls placed in front of customer from right side. O Items served with right hand from customer’s left. O Serving set is used to transfer food from platter to customer’s plate. O All items removed from the table with server’s right hand from customer’s right.

Butler Service O Server carries prepared food on silver tray to standing or seated customers. Customers serve selves from trays. O Efficient & cost-effective way to serve bite-size foods to large number of people, but no control over how much food is eaten or how it is presented on plate. O Often used to serve hors d’oeuvres. O Guidelines: O Each course presented on platter from left side of customer. O Can be very formal style of service. O Requires patience on part of server, since they must wait until each customer is finished before moving on.

Buffet Service O All food is attractively displayed on table. O Customers free to move among the displays O O O of food. Choose what they want, serve self. In most, customers may return to get more food as often as they wish. Hot foods placed in chafing dishes. Must get new plate each time they return to line. Warmed or chilled plates kept at one end of the buffet. Advantages: low labor costs, wide selection of foods, cost-effective for customers Disadvantages: large amount of food wasted, guests may not receive timely table service.

Types of Buffet Service O Self-service – customers serve self. Includes appetizers, entrees, salads, desserts, beverages. O Staff-service – customers point out their choice, but served by member of staff. Some items prepared to order. Prepared trays of food are kept filled. O Mixed service – some stations offer selfservice (salads, accompaniments, or desserts). Other stations (carving station) offer staff-service.