HE 314: FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES

Module 2

Week 2: August, 2020 | 1st Semester, S.Y. 2020-2021

Introduction
This module is the continuation of the topics in your module 1. This
focuses on the discussion about Classifications of Catering Establishments,
F&B Operations, Employment Opportunities in Hospitality Industry with
special emphasis on Food & Beverage Service.
COURSE MODULE

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Identify the types & classifications of caring establishments.
• Differentiate between commercial and non-commercial food
service establishments
• Know the professional career options within F&B services.

Topic 1.3: Classification of Catering Establishments

(Commercial & Non-Commercial)

Profit Oriented Non-Profit Oriented/Noncommercial

Institutional
Schools
Transport catering Hotels/Restaurants Universities
Clubs Outdoor catering (ODC) Hospitals
Industrial Banqueting/Conferences/Seminars The Forces
Exhibitions Prisons
Leisure attractions
Motorway service stations
Pubs service bars
Popular caterings (cafes, pizza,
grills, coffee shops)

Catering is a multifaceted segment of the food service industry.

There is a niche for all types of catering businesses within the segment of
catering. The food service industry is divided into two general types:
commercial segment (Profit Oriented) and noncommercial segment (Non-
Profit Oriented). Catering management may be defined as the task of
planning, organizing, controlling and executing. Each activity influences the
preparation and delivery of food, beverage, and related services at a
competitive, yet profitable price. These activities work together to meet and
exceed the customer’s perception of value for his money.

Classification of Catering Establishment

A) Primary or Commercial Catering (Profit Oriented)

These are the establishments whose main aim is to earn profit by providing
food and beverage to the guests as per their demand. Hence, they are also
 referred as commercial catering, establishments. Such as hotels, restaurants,
fast food outlets, bars, pubs, etc.

1) Residential- These types of establishment provide food n beverage

along with accommodation. Such as hotels, motels, resorts, ship or
cruise lines, etc.

2) Non-Residential- These types of establishment provide only food &

beverage. Such as restaurants, pubs, night clubs etc.

B) Secondary or Non-Commercial Catering (Non-Profit Oriented)

COURSE MODULE

These are the establishments that provide food and beverage as a part of
another business. Their aim is not to earn money. Instead, the establishments
are there to provide welfare services at affordable prices, such as industrial
canteens, hospital canteens, school/college canteens, railways caterings,
airline caterings, etc. The quality and the quantity of the food should be
equally good, through this type of menu offered in this type of catering
might be different from another.

May be deemed as those operations in which making a profit from catering

facility is not the outlet’s main concern. Since the operations are completely
or partially subsidized by a parent body, such establishments’ primary
obligation is in the wellbeing or care of their guests/ customers/ patients.
Unlike commercial catering establishment the guests/customers/ patients
do not have choice of catering facilities.

1) Institutional Catering. Institutional catering includes school, colleges,

universities, hospitals, orphanages, old age homes, prisons etc. In some of
these establishments no charge is made to certain group of customers to for
the provision of food & beverage services as they are completely or partially
subsidized by various government funds.

I. TYPES
• Profit oriented
- commercial canteens, restaurants, café, etc. within the premises catering
to all the people (students, staff, visitors, etc.)
• Running on break even
- industrial canteens, college canteens catering to staff requirements only.
• Subsidized
- serving meals as a part of employee/ student welfare schemes.
Mostly Institutional and industrial catering are non-profit oriented.

II. MENU CONSIDERATIONS

•Cyclic menu for regular meals and limited choice in canteens.
• Nutritional requirements are kept in mind while planning menu.
•Reasonable prices consistent with service offered.
•Menus are relatively simple, which can be prepared by limited kitchen staff
in limited time.
•Special menus are prepared for special occasion like on festivals, functions
and
parties.

2) Transport Catering. The provision of food and beverages to

passengers, before, during and after a journey on trains, aircraft and
ships and in buses or private vehicles is termed as transport catering.
 These services may also be utilized by the general public, who are in
the vicinity of a transport catering unit. The major forms of modern-
day transport catering are airline-catering, railways catering, ship
catering and surface catering in coaches or buses which operate on
long distance routes.

Airline Catering
Unlike any other transport system – rail or ocean liner –air
transport has to carry pre prepared food on board, as there are no
facilities available on any airline for cooking or presentation.
Most Airlines design and plan flight catering establishments /
COURSE MODULE

kitchens to meet their own requirements.

As aviation catering has become more sophisticated with the
introduction of the vast, wide-bodied modern jet aircraft with ample
space to serve appetizing hot meals to passengers it has become
necessary to employ highly skilled personnel for such establishments.

Railway Catering
In the mid 19thcentury, the railway network began in India with an
operation that was to grow the length & breadth of the vast sub-continent.
With travel made easier, people were transported from one part of the
country to the other, subsequently requiring food & drink enro ute.
At most of the larger stations catering to the big cities refreshment
rooms were established. The trains would halt for an appropriate length of
time so that the passengers could alight and obtain a simple meal.
Third class passengers, unable to afford to the luxury of eating in the
refreshment room could
avail themselves on the wares from the numerous vendors on the station
platform.
Railway companies (and for the most part each region had its own)
even went to the extent of setting up hotels attached to the stations so that
passengers who were changing from one region to another could spend
the night before or after in relative comfort. The luxury of sleeping cars &
restaurants were a much later development.
At the turn of the century, most of the companies decided that
catering was becoming a major part of railway travel & the expertise to run
efficient catering operations of a mobile variety was not necessarily within
the scope of regional railway bodies.
In the early year of the new century, it was decided naturally to
contract out the catering
requirements to private companies or hotels with a catering background so
that the traveler could be more professionally served during the often long
and arduous journey.

Railway catering today

The present railway catering services is managed both
departmentally (The Indian Railway), and through licensed contractors.
(IRCTC)
Catering facilities are available at 2995 stations and in 88 pairs of
trains, the majority being catered by contractors. With the hundreds of
thousands traveling by train every day throughout the country, the turnover
is enormous. For the departmental catering alone for the year 1984-85, was
more than Rs.40 crores and the license fees from the contractors in the same
year was more than Rs.80 lakhs.
 The Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) had been
appointed as consultant for the improvement of railway catering. To this
end, a new type of service of meals in disposable aluminum foils casseroles
has been introduced on some of the major routes.
Similar to airline catering, the food is cooked in the base kitchens (the
major stations) and kept in hot cases in the pantry cars. This service has been
extended to 30 pairs of trains- resulting in 20% increase in meal sales.
The railways also own and operate two railway Hotels at Ranchi & Puri.

Ship Catering
Ship catering is catering to cargo crew and passenger ship
passengers. Ships have kitchens and restaurants on board. The quality of
COURSE MODULE

service and facilities offered depends on the class of the ship and the price
the passengers are willing to pay. There are cruises to suit every pocket. They
range from room service and cocktail bars to specialty dining restaurants.
The global cruise industry carried about 20.1 million passengers in
2012, up from 7.2 million in 2000. The global growth rate of the cruise industry
has been enduring and stable, at around 7% per year in spite of economic
cycles of growth and recession.
Some cruise operators go very far in developing new entertainment
concepts on board of their vessels, including surf pools, planetariums, on-
deck LED movie screens, golf simulators, water parks, demonstration
kitchens, multi-room villas with private pools and in-suite Jacuzzis, ice skating
rinks, rock-climbing walls, bungee trampolines and other.
The cruise industry has a very high level of ownership concentration,
since the four largest cruise shipping companies account for 96% of the
market (Carnival Lines, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC
Cruises).

Surface Catering
Catering to passengers traveling by surface transport such as buses
and private vehicles is called surface catering. These eating establishments
are normally located around a bus terminus or on highways. They may be
either government run restaurants, or privately owned establishments. Of
late there has been a growing popularity of Punjabi style eateries called
dhabas on the highways.
The outlets like Mc D, KFC, CCDs, drive through, subways and food
courts are mushrooming around the highways to attract surface tourists.

3) Industrial Catering. The provision of food and beverages to ‘people at

work,’ in industries and factories at highly subsidized rates are called
industrial catering. It is based on the assumption that better fed employees
at concessional rates are happy and more productive. Catering for a large
workforce may be undertaken by the management itself or may be
contracted out to professional caterers. Depending on the choice of the
menu suggested by the management, catering contractors undertake to
feed the workforce for a fixed period of time at a predetermined price.

Oberoi Hotels- the story of M.S. Oberoi

Mohan Singh Oberoi, Chairman and founder of Oberoi Hotels was
born in August 1900 in Bhaun, a small village now in Pakistan. Soon after his
marriage in 1922, he arrived penniless in Shimla and found a job as a Front
Office Clerk in the Cecil Hotel at a salary of Rs.40 per month. Some years
later moved to Clarkes Hotel (also in Shimla) and gained experience in all
aspects of hotel operations. In 1934, he bought Clarkes hotel by mortgaging
all his assets and selling of his wife’s jewelry. In the early 1930’s a cholera
 epidemic struck Kolkata. Grand hotel was forced to close. In 1938 Mr. Oberoi
acquired the Grand and converted it into a profitable venture. The Oberoi
Grand remains to this day Kolkata’s one of the leading hotels.
In 1943, Mr. Oberoi took over the Associated Hotels of India (AHI) with
8 hotels in Northern India including the Cecil, Ceorstorphans in Shimla,
Maidens & Imeprial in Delhi and 4 hotels now in Pakistan. The Oberoi group
of hotels grew rapidly with hotels in Gopalpur, Darjeeling, Chandigarh and
Srinagar. The Oberoi Intercontinental in Delhi which opened in 1965 was the
first modern luxury hotel in the capital. 35 Storied Oberoi Towers in Mumbai
in 1973 was the tallest building in India then. Mr. Oberoi’s dedication to the
industry is evident in the Oberoi School of Hotel management based in Delhi.
COURSE MODULE

Oberoi are now the parts of international chain of hotels with

properties not only in India but also in Australia, Indonesia, Egypt, Iraq,
Srilanka, Zanzibar, Nepal, Singapore etc. Mr. Oberoi was named as Man of
the World in 1983 at the Annual Convention of the International Hotel
Association in New York and selected as the outstanding hotelier of the year
by the Hotels and Restaurants international.

Nine Oberoi Hotels are members of the leading small hotels of the
world, a select association of international luxury hotels chosen for their
extraordinary level of guest comfort and service.

Additionally, 7 Oberoi hotels are also members of small luxury hotels

of the world, a collection of exclusive hotels carefully selected for their style,
sophistication and the highest standards of service.

Trident hotels are superior 1st class international hotels with

contemporary facilities offering quality and value. Friendly and efficient
service in a warm and relaxed atmosphere makes them the ideal choice for
both business and leisure travelers. The group opened its first Trident Hotel in
Chennai in 1988. Trident hotels have since opened in India in Agra, Udaipur,
Cochin, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gurgaon etc. The group also
operates Trident Hotels in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and khamis
Mashayt.

The group recently announced a strategic alliance for Trident Hotels

with Hilton International Company. This alliance covers nine hotels with
approximately 1900 rooms across Indian under the” TRIDENT HILTON” brand.

THE TAJ GROUP OF HOTELS

The Taj Group of Hotels is the largest chain in India with several hotels
abroad also. The parent hotel “The Taj mahal” hotel in Mumbai is rated
among the 10 best hotels in the world. The story of the Taj The founder of the
house of Tatas, Mr. Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata in 1897 formed the Indian
Hotels Company and built the exquisitely beautiful “Taj mahal

Hotel” in Mumbai. The door opened in 1903 and has been a

landmark by the Gateway of India ever since.
In 1971, 225 roomed Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai was converted to a 565
room hotel and a multistoreyed building adjoining the original property.

In 1972, the Lake palace, Udiapur and the Rambagh palace in jaipur
were also linked to the Taj and a chain was born. In 1974, a new company
was floated, which created the Taj Coromondal in Chennai. In the same
 year the chain broadened with the acquisition of the Fort Aguada beach
resort in Goa.

In 1976, the Fisherman’s cove was built 13 minutes’ drive from

Chennai to the Bay of Bengal with a private beach. In the same year the Taj
group opened the Taj flight kitchen in Mumbai catering to both
domestic & International Flight.

In 1978, the glittering Taj Mahal Hotel was opened in Delhi and this
was followed two years later in Varanasi-“The Taj Ganges” The 1980’s was to
see the rapid expansion of the group of gigantic Taj Palace in New Delhi,
the Shiv Niwas Palace at Udaipur and another flight kitchen in New delhi
COURSE MODULE

airport, The Taj Residency in Bangalore, the Connemara Hotel in Chennai,

the Westend in Bangalore, the Savoy hotel in Ooty, The Taj Mahal palace at
Jaipur and the Taj view in Agra.

In 1980, the Taj Group took its first step internationally by opening its
first hotel outside India, the Taj Sheba Hotel in Sana'a, Yemen and in the late
1980s, acquired interests in the Crown 16
Plaza, London, St. James Court, London and 51 Buckingham Gate Luxury
Suites and Apartments in London Taj Kerala Hotels & Resorts Limited was set
up in the early 1990s along with the Kerala Tourism Development
Corporation.

In 1998 the Taj Group opened the Taj Exotica Bentota

which strengthened the Taj Group's market position in Sri Lanka. In 2000, the
launch of the 56 acre Taj Exotica, Goa and the Taj Hari Mahal in Jodhpur
were completed.

In 2000, the Taj Group entered into a partnership with the GVK
Reddy Group to set up Taj GVK Hotels and Resorts Limited and thereby
obtained a prominent position in the market in the southern business city of
Hyderabad, holding three hotels and a major share of the market.

In 2004 the Taj Group opened Wellington Mews, its first luxury
serviced apartment in Mumbai. In the same year, the Taj Group also
launched the first of its "value-for-money" hotels in Bangalore branded
'Ginger', which division has 11 hotels in various locations in India and is
owned through its wholly owned subsidiary.

The Company enhanced its position as an operator of converted

palaces by entering into a management contract for Umaid Bhawan
Palace, Jodhpur in the princely state of Rajasthan in India. The Company,
through a subsidiary, acquired the erstwhile ‘W’ hotel in Sydney, Australia
in February 2006 and renamed it as ‘Blue Bay’. To expand its presence in the
US market, the Company acquired in early 2007 Ritz Carlton in Boston (Taj
Boston) and Taj Campton Place in San Francisco.

Hotels operated by the Taj Group internationally are located in US,

Australia, Dubai, Maldives, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, Yemen
and Zambia.

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC)

Name of the Joint Venture Company – Name of the Hotel property

Ranchi Ashok Bihar Hotel Corp.. Ltd. – Hotel Ranchi Ashok, Ranchi
 Utkal Ashok Hotel Corp. Ltd. – Hotel Nilachal Ashok, Puri
Donyi Polo Ashok Hotel Corp. Ltd. – Hotel Donyi Polo Ashok, Itanagar
Assam Ashok Hotel Corp. Ltd. – Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati
MP Ashok Hotel Corp. Ltd. – Hotel lake View Ashok, Bhopal
Pondicherry Ashok Hotel Corp. Ltd. – Hotel Pondicherry Ashok, Pondicherry
Punjab Ashok Hotel Company Ltd. – Hotel Anadpur Ashok, Anandpur
(incomplete Project)

ITC
ITC Hotels is India's second largest hotel chain with over 100 hotels. Based
out of Hotels Division Headquarters at the ITC Green Centre in Gurgaon, off
New Delhi, ITC Hotels is also the exclusive franchisee of The Luxury Collection
COURSE MODULE

brand of Starwood Hotels and Resorts in India. It is part of the ITC Limited
(formerly India Tobacco Company) group of companies. ITC
Hotels is regularly voted amongst the best employers in Asia in the hospitality
sector.

ITC Limited entered the hotel business on October 18, 1975, with the opening
of a hotel in Chennai, which was rechristened Hotel Chola. ITC hotels
currently own and operate 100 hotels in 75 destinations. ITC Hotels have a
reputation of playing host to visiting royalty and world leaders time and
again.

Its restaurants Bukhara, Peshawari, Dakshin, DumPukht and Kebabs & Kurries
are well known cuisine brands today. They market a line of food products,
Kitchens of India. ITC-Welcome group has one of the most extensive art
collections in India. A museum of their collection is being planned in Kolkata.

STRUCTURE OF CATERING INDUSTRY

The structure of catering industry includes both commercial and non-commercial
catering establishments. Some of the more popular and common ones are as
under.

Five Star Hotels. These usually have several restaurants, grill rooms, ethnic
(Indian, Chinese, Italian etc. among the most popular), European and
coffee shops are included. Service in these hotels is usually attentive and
entertainment is nearly always available. Prices in these establishments tend
to be high.

Medium Class Hotels. Similar to the 5 star, though surroundings are less
luxurious and prices
are reflected in this.

Free Standing Restaurants. Often quite high class, offering good Ala Carte
menus- service is
usually of high standard.

Snacks bar. Popular with the working public offering everyday fare, at very
reasonable prices.

Fast Food Centers. The “eating out” of 80’s growing in popularity in India
especially with the young; these restaurants offer fast, clean service at
popular prices. Service is minimal and turnover is high.

Night clubs. Usually situated only in the larger cities and offering high class
entertainment with food.
 Industrial canteens. Operated as a facility to staff in large factories or
similar.Food of a high standard but managements working to tight budgets.
Food cost is usually subsidized consequently staff pay minimal prices.

Institutional catering. Usually hospitals are serving high nutritional standard

of food.

Outdoor catering. A growing industry within the industry. This means

providing food and beverage services on some other place. These services
require casual staff which is hired on daily basis.
COURSE MODULE

Disaster Catering. There are instances when a calamity happens, and

people who are suffered need to be catered. In India these services are
provided by disaster management committees of central government and
local government. Some NGO’s also take part in the operations. Basically,
specific food is provided, which has long shelf life and provide essential
nutrients.

Topic 1.4: Food & Beverage Operations (Types of F&B

Outlets in Hotels)
Food and beverage (or foodservice) operations in the hospitality
industry are concerned with the provision of food and drink ready for
immediate consumption (but excluding retailing and food
manufacturing). Food service operations are concerned with:

1 The consumer needs and market potential in the various sectors of the
foodservice industry.
2 The formulation of policy and business objectives that will guide the
choice of operational methods that will be used.
3 The interpretation of demand to make decisions on the range and type
of food and beverages to be provided, as well as other services, and the
service levels and prices to be charged.
4 The planning and design of facilities required for the food and beverage
operations and the plant and equipment required.
5 The organization of provisioning for food and beverages and other
purchasing requirements to meet the needs of food production,
beverage provision and the service methods used.
6 Knowledge of the operational and management requirements for the
food production, beverage provision and service processes and
methods and decision making on the appropriateness of the various
processes and methods, together with the management and staffing
needs in order to meet the requirements of the operation.
7 Control of costs associated with the operation of food production,
beverage provision and other services and the control of revenue.
8 Monitoring of consumer satisfaction to continually check on the extent
to which the operation is meeting customer needs and achieving
customer satisfaction.
The eight elements in this sequence may be referred to as the
foodservice cycle. This summarizes what food and beverage (or
foodservice) operations are concerned with and illustrates that it is not
 simply about food production, beverage provision or food and beverage
service.

Types of foodservice operations Food and beverage (or foodservice)

operations include various types of restaurants (bistros, brasseries, coffee
shops, first class/fine dining, ethnic, themed), cafés, cafeterias, takeaways,
canteens, function rooms, tray service operations, lounge service
operations, home delivery operations and room service operations for hotel
guests. Examples of the types of operation are given in Table 1.

Table 1. Examples of types of food and beverage operations

COURSE MODULE

Type of operation Description

Bistro Often a smaller establishment, with check tablecloths,
bentwood chairs, cluttered decor and friendly informal
staff. Tends to offer honest, basic and robust cooking
Brasserie This is generally a fairly large, styled room with a long bar,
normally serving one plate items rather than formal meals
(though some offer both). Often it is possible just to have a
drink, coffee or snack. Service provided by waiters, often
in traditional style of long aprons and black waistcoats
New wave Slick modern interior design coupled with similar
brasserie approaches to contemporary cuisine and service. Busy
(gastrodome) and bustling and often large and multileveled
Coffee shop Similar to brasserie-style operations, often themed. May
be open all day and serve all meal types from breakfast
through to supper
First class Usually formal fine dining restaurants with classical
restaurant preparation and presentation of food and offering a high
level of table (silver, guéridon and/or plated) service.
Often associated with classic/haute cuisine
Restaurant Term used to cover a wide variety of operations. Price,
level and type of service, decor, styles, cuisines and
degree of choice varies enormously across the range of
types of operation. Service ranges from full table service
to assisted service such as carvery-style operations
International Indian, Oriental, Asian, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Creole and
restaurant Cajun are just some of the many types of cuisine
available, with establishments tending to reflect specific
ethnic origins. Many of the standard dishes are now
appearing within a range of other menu types
Themed restaurant Often international in orientation, for example, Icelandic
hot rock with food prepared and cooked at the table,
‘Beni-hana’ oriental theme, again with food prepared
and cooked at table. Also includes themes such as jungle,
rainforest or music/opera, where waiting staff perform as
well as serve
International Often Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants, offering a
destination distinctive personality, cuisine, ambiance, beverages and
restaurant service. Usually table service at various levels but mostly
personal and highly attentive. Generally considered as
the home of gastronomy. Expensive but also value laden
Health food and Increasing specialization of operations into vegetarianism
vegetarian and/or health foods (though vegetarian food is not
restaurants necessarily healthy), to meet lifestyle needs as well as
dietary requirements
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
 Popular catering Developed from table service teashops and cafés
and fast-food through to steakhouses, and now incorporating snack
outlets 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 dining (grazing) and also the need for
‘grab and go’ service, especially for the leisure, industrial
and travelling markets
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
COURSE MODULE

offering full restaurant service (sometimes called

gastropubs)
Wine bars Often a mixture of bar and brasserie-style operation,
commonly wine themed, serving a variety of foods

The list of operations in Table 1.4 identifies types of operations but

not necessarily the type of customer demand being met. For example,
cafeterias may be found in motorway service stations, in airline terminals,
at railway stations, in retail catering and in industrial or welfare catering.
Therefore, throughout the foodservice industry similar types of operation
are found in different types of industry sector.

Topic 1.5: Employment opportunities in Hospitality Industry

with special emphasis on Food & Beverage Service.
Food production job roles:

Head chef/maître chef de cuisine

- The head chef has overall responsibility for the organization and
administration of the food production operation. He or she is
responsible for the management of the food production team, often
called a kitchen brigade. They also undertake menu planning and
development, overseeing the sourcing of produce, settings
standards for the operation and ensuring they are maintained.
Second chef/sous-chef de cuisine

The sous-chef
- is the second in command to the chef de cuisine and will act as head
chef when the head is off-duty. He or she may also cover for or assist
a chef de partie when required. They often have responsibilities for
staff training and staff rotas as well as overseeing stock control. In
smaller operations there might not be a sous-chef, while larger
operations may have more than one.

Chef de partie/section chef

- A chef de partie may also be known as a section chef and is usually
in charge of a specific area of food production such as fish,
vegetables, roasts, sweets or the larder. In larger kitchens, each chef
de partie might have several cooks and/or assistants.

Commis chef
 - A commis is a junior chef who works under a chef de partie in order
to gain experience in the section’s work. It is common for commis
chefs to work in a number of sections as part of their training.

Kitchen assistants
- There are often two types of kitchen assistants. Kitchen hands assist
with basic food preparation tasks under the section chef’s direction.
Stewards work in the scullery and carry out the washing-up and
general cleaning duties. In smaller kitchen operations these two
duties are often combined.

Food and beverage service job role:

COURSE MODULE

Restaurant manager/supervisor
- The restaurant manager or supervisor has overall responsibility for the
organization and administration of particular food and beverage
service areas. These may include the lounges, room service (in
hotels), restaurants and possibly some of the private function suites. It
is the restaurant manager who sets the standards for service and is
responsible for any staff training that may be required, either on or off
the job. They may make out duty rotas, holiday lists and hours on and
off duty and contribute to operational duties (depending on the size
of the establishment) so that all the service areas run efficiently and
smoothly.

Reception head waiter/receptionist

- The reception head waiter or receptionist is responsible for accepting
bookings and for keeping the booking diary up to date. They will take
reservations and work with the head waiter to allocate these
reservations to particular stations. The reception head waiter or
receptionist greets customers on arrival and takes them to the table
and seats them.

Head waiter/maître d’hôtel/supervisor

- The head waiter has overall charge of the staff team and is
responsible for seeing that all the pre-preparation duties necessary
for service are efficiently carried out. The head waiter will aid the
reception head waiter during the service and will possibly take some
orders if the station waiter is busy. The head waiter also helps with the
compilation of duty rotas and holiday lists and may relieve the
restaurant manager or reception head waiter on their days off.

Station head waiter/section supervisor/service captain

- For larger establishments the restaurant area is broken down into
sections. The station head waiter has overall responsibility for a team
of staff serving a number of stations within a section of the restaurant
area. Each of the sets of tables (which may be anything from four to
eight in number) within the section of the restaurant area is called a
station. The station head waiter will also assist in taking food and
beverage orders and assist with service if required.

Station waiter/chef de rang

- The chef de rang or station waiter provides service to one set of
tables (between about four and eight) known as a station within the
restaurant area. The station waiter will take the food and beverage
 orders and carry out service at the table with the help of the demi-
chef de rang.

Assistant station waiter/demi-chef de rang

- The assistant station waiter or demi-chef de rang is the person next in
seniority to the station waiter and assists as directed by the station
waiter.

Waiter/server/commis de rang
- The waiter or commis de rang acts by instruction from the chef de
rang. This person mainly fetches and carries, may do some of the
service of either vegetables or sauces, offers rolls, places plates upon
COURSE MODULE

the table and helps to clear the tables after each course. During the
pre-preparation period much of the cleaning and preparatory tasks
will be carried out by the commis de rang.

Trainee commis/debarrasseur/apprentice
- The trainee commis or debarrasseur is the apprentice or learner who
wishes to take up food service as a career. The debarrasseur will carry
out many of the tasks during the pre-preparation periods. During the
service this person will keep the sideboard well stocked with
equipment and may help to fetch and carry items as required for the
bar or kitchen. As their skills develop, they will also begin to assist in
the service at the table.

Carver/trancheur
- The carver or trancheur is responsible for the carving trolley and the
carving of joints at the table as required. The carver will plate up each
portion and serve with accompaniments as appropriate.

Floor or room service staff/chef d’étage/floor or room waiter

- The floor or room service staff are often responsible for a complete
floor in an establishment or, depending on the size of the
establishment, a number of rooms or suites. Room service of all meals
and beverages throughout the day is normally only offered by a first
class establishment. In smaller establishments room service may be
limited to early morning teas and breakfasts with the provision of in-
room mini bars and tea and coffee facilities.

Lounge staff/chef de sale

- Lounge service staff may be employed only for lounge service within
larger establishments. In a smaller establishment it is usual for
members of the food service staff to take over these duties on a rota
basis. The lounge staff are responsible for the service of morning
coffee, afternoon teas, apéritifs and liqueurs before and after both
lunch and dinner and any coffee required after meals. They are
responsible for setting up the lounge in the morning and maintaining
its cleanliness and presentation throughout the day.

Wine butler/wine waiter/sommelier

- The sommelier is responsible for the service of all alcoholic drinks and
non-alcoholic bar drinks during the service of meals. The sommelier
must also be a good salesperson. This employee should have a
thorough knowledge of all drink to be served, of the best wines and
drinks to go with certain foods, and of the liquor licensing laws in
respect of the particular establishment and area.
 Bar staff/bar tender/mixologist
- The people working within bar areas must be responsible and
competent in preparing and serving a variety of wine, drinks and
cocktails. They should have a thorough knowledge of all alcoholic
and non-alcoholic drinks offered within the establishment, the
ingredients necessary for making cocktails and knowledge of the
liquor licensing laws to ensure legal compliance. A mixologist is an
employee who mixes and serves alcoholic beverages at a bar and is
also often used as a name for people who create new mixed drinks.
The term can also mean a cocktail maker or simply bartender.
Mixology is the art of making mixed drinks.
COURSE MODULE

Barista
- The word barista is of Italian origin. In Italian, a barista is a male or
female bartender who typically works behind a counter, serving both
hot and cold beverages as well as alcoholic beverages. Barista does
not mean specifically a coffee maker although it is now often used
as such. The plural in English is baristas.

Buffet assistant/buffet chef/chef de buffet

- The chef de buffet is in charge of the buffet in the room, its
presentation, the carving and portioning of food and its service. This
staff member will normally be a member of the kitchen team.

Cashier
- The cashier is responsible for billing and taking payments or making
ledger account entries for a food and beverage operation. This may
include making up bills from food and drink checks or, in a cafeteria
for example, charging customers for their selection of items on a tray.

Counter assistants
- Counter assistants are found in cafeterias where they will stock the
counter and sometimes serve or portion food for customers. Duties
may also include some cooking of call order items.

Table clearers
- Again, table clearers can be found in seating areas where there is no
waiter service. These people are responsible for clearing tables using
trolleys specially designed for stacking crockery, glassware, cutlery,
etc.

Function catering/banqueting staff/events staff

- In establishments with function catering facilities there will normally
be a number of permanent staff. These will include the banqueting
and conferencing manager, one or two assistant managers, one or
two head waiters, a dispense person and a secretary to the
banqueting and conferencing manager. All other banqueting,
conferencing and events staff are normally engaged as required on
a casual basis. In small establishments where there are fewer events,
the manager, assistant manager and head waiter will undertake the
necessary administrative and organizational work.
 Staffing requirements
The staffing requirements in various establishments differ for a number
of reasons. Table 2 gives examples of the food and beverage staffing
that might be found in different types of operation.

Table 2. Food and beverage staffing that might be found in different types of
operation.
Medium class hotel Cafeteria
Hotel manager Catering manager
Assistant manager Supervisors
Head waiter Assistant supervisors
Waiters Counter service hands
COURSE MODULE

Wine waiter Clearers Cashier

Cashier
Department store Industrial foodservice/welfare
catering
Catering manager Catering manager
Assistant catering manager Assistant catering manager
Supervisor Supervisors
Assistant supervisors Assistant supervisors
Cashier Waiter
Dispense bar staff Steward/butler
Wine waiting staff Waiting staff Counter service staff
Clearers Cashiers
Popular price restaurant
Restaurant manager/supervisor
Waiting staff
Dispense bar assistant

TRY THIS!
Chapter Exercises: True or False. Write true if the statement is true and write
false if the statement is false. Do this by clicking this link
https://forms.gle/2GYUyn4J5M2J9yGL8

1. Suite hotels usually feature Guestrooms with separate bedrooms and

living rooms.
2. The executive committee of a national trade association must hold an
emergency half day meeting within the next ten business days. The
committee is composed of busy executives from across the country
who lead large business organizations. The association would likely
book the meeting at a convention hotel.
3. Resort hotels distinguish themselves from most other types of hotels by
providing Food and beverage services.
4. Bed and breakfast hotels are small and usually have the owner living
on the premises.
5. Chris Dunlop is a regional troubleshooter for a national software firm. He
travels often and spends as little as one day and as much as two weeks
with clients. Mr. Dunlop LEAST likely to stay in Resort hotels.
6. Business hotels Contain gaming facilities.
7. Bed and breakfast are a type of hotel in which guests are owners.
8. Timeshare condominium is a type of hotel in which the owner lives on
premises.
9. World class service offered vastly exceeding customers' expectations
and building brand loyalty as a result.
10. Full-service hotels pride themselves on their high level of service and
usually change the highest prices.
 References
• Cousins, J., Lillicrap, D., Weekes, S., (2014) Food and Beverages Services (9 th
Edition). Hodder Education, A Hachette UK Company.
• Dantotiya, R., (ND) Food and Beverage Service. Retrieved from:
COURSE MODULE