Critique of Food and Beverage Operations in the Eye of a Management, Support Staff and Customer - Assignment Example

Introduction Food and beverage industry is a slice of hospitality industry that is concerned with providing food and beverages to customers. The industry is intertwined with so many elements that can be summed up into three perspective; the customer, the management, and the menu. However, it should be noted that catering industry is a cycle that is dependent on external and internal elements which if tempered with, may lead to the breakup of the whole cycle. This means that people who are involved in this industry must be cautions of all factors in order for the industry to remain balanced. In this paper, a critique of hospitality industry operation is made. Considerations are made fro three different hotels; Mediterranean food, Asian food, American dinner. The critique will be viewed in a perspective of a chief in the case of Mediterranean food and in the perspective of a staff in the case of Asian food, and finally in the customer’s perspective in the case of American dinner. Customer Critique of Concept Attended as a Guest at American Dinner Introduction The American dinner restaurant is one of the leading hospitality facilities in its location. The location of the restaurant is strategically positioned so as to enable ease of access by many hungry customers of the city. As a guest, the privileges of knowing the detailed operations of the restaurant were accorded and hence a critique of the concepts in this industry was undertaken following the concepts below. The Marketing Concepts Proper marketing paves way for the identification of the right consumer (Black & Lynch 2001, p.445). In this restaurant, various concepts have been developed by the management so as to come up with an optimum share of the market from other competitors. Some of the concepts employed are; Strategic Positioning The firm has positioned itself just at the heart of the city so as to reap the benefit of large number of customers. This is an excellent strategy since some customers who would like to get quick meals before returning to work can be able to do so. The problem with location in the city is that the presence of noise and stuffy environment may not be the choice for many people; prestige goes with quietness and serene ambience. Menu Design The menu is the most essential marketing tool and this restaurant has capitalized on that. The menu at this place is treated as the business card for the restaurant. As the customer enters into the hotel, he/she is met by a waiter who hands the menu just at the door, the customer select the place to sit as he/she goes through the menu. The menu type employed here is the fold format. Menu design as marketing tool is actually the best marketing tool for the hospitality industry. The menu can communicate precisely and convince customers to buy what they were not intending to buy in the first place. The main point to be emphasized in this case is the hotel should consider using relatively smaller print size since big is not always better and appealing to the customer (Pavesic, n.d., p.5). In instances where the menu is too large, it is likely to distract customers’ view if the kind of dinner is a candle lit one. The management could consider using the menu to market new type of food or the kind of food that do not sale much rather than just having the same type of arrangement in the menu list everyday. If the front part will be printed with the type of dishes not sold often, customers would be appealed to buy the same. Discount Flyers In order to attract more customers, the management ensures that each day has a discount of special meal. The flyers are placed at the entrance of the hotel and also written on the blackboard near the wall. This is a good marketing strategy and can be used to promote the food with low turn overrate. However, positioning the flyers inside the hotel only is not the best strategy since the customer entering the hotel has already made up his/her mind and thus the flyer may have a little effect. The flyers would be more appealing to customers if it was placed at a strategic point in the city (Azmilsyami, 2011). Sources of Supply The success of business is pegged on trustable source of supply. For the hotel in question, the sources are myriads. The restaurant has a list of many suppliers of all its products and they range from large departmental store to small scale farmers who supply petty things like carrots. There is a re-order level at which the supply is initiated. The company concept is to select the supplier with the lowest price from among the many that apply for the regular tendering process carried out by the supplies department. A serious consideration should be given to this concept of getting the supplies. The bight side of this is that the business stands to reap the benefits of low cost and hence is assuring of maximum profit; which is the sole purpose any business. However, this concept is not likely to work for long since the constant changes in suppliers may lead to compromise in quality or change in taste. For instance, some food supply from highland areas may not be purely the same as those from the lowlands. This may affect the tastes of customers (Kimes, 2001, p.25). Thus the best avenue for the supplies should be for the management to maintain similar suppliers. Food Production System Food production is the most essential aspect in a hotel operation. The concept of food production employed here is based on the menu production. The menu used here is the one based on the choice of the customer. This is a good concept and it may work for the restaurant since it is a full service restaurant Cafeteria. However, the restaurant should be ready to incur extra cost of manpower in doing the same. Furthermore, a fixed state like that may hinder customers who would like fixed menu concepts such as banquets. The production system has developed the concept of standardization of menus in an effort to maintain its taste for all foods. This is a required concept and will work well for the organization (Clark, 1997, p.67). The format for the recipe should be the same throughout to achieve the desired results. Customer Satisfaction Concepts Customer satisfaction is the ultimate target of the hotel industry. A satisfied customer is likely to come back again and may even bring along some friends (Reichheld, 1996, p.62). The hotel being considered has put in place different concepts in their service to ensure that all customers are satisfied. The concept of variation in means of ensuring customer satisfaction is an essential one since customer needs differ from one person to another. The methods of customer satisfaction employed here include: maintaining cleanliness, orderliness in the way cutlery is arranged on the table, positioning and arrangement of seats so as to meet the demands; for instance, if you are two, there are tables for two, and so on. Furthermore, the services provided are courteous in nature; which is a very appealing concept. There are some other concepts such as having proper television programs in place for those customers who feel they can not catch them at their homes among many others (Bowman & Wittmer, 2000, p.15). The concepts put in place for customer satisfaction are all good and are likely to succeed for a long time. However, proper care should be put in place so as to insure that the cost associated with them does not affect the final profits to a greater extend (Ruggless, 2010, p.191). Service Systems, And Standards of Delivery There are several expectation in the minds of the customer when he/she comes into a hotel thus the system of serving them is quite essential in respect to the standard of the services offered. The American dinner hotel and restaurant has put several concepts in place to define their service systems and define the standard of which the meals are delivered with. These concepts include; attentiveness, timelines, anticipation and suggestive selling. The concept of attentiveness is an essential one. The management has put in place servers who are always ready to attend to the guest even after serving them. This is what distinguishes the hotel from the home since the customer is always anticipating services form the servers (Tansakul, 2010, p.225). However, the management should put in place proper supervision to the servers since there are likely to affect the servers in their mood. In another case, the concept of timeliness that is in place is in such a way that when the guest arrives, he is attended to in a timely fashion by being presented to with the menu (Fornell, 1992, p.211). This is the best practice and is likely to make the company flourish. The concept of anticipation in place functions in way that, when the guest arrives, the servers are supposed to make act in anticipation judging on the need of the customer. For instance, a customer with a small child may be given a low chair for the child even without the customer requesting for the same. This is an obvious concept and thus all servers should be in constant training on the same. The final concept in place is suggestive selling. Although the customer has the menu in place, he may not be in a position to choose the best menu for him or even if he chose, he may forget some important ingredients such as wine to supplement his meal (Tansakul, 2010, p.229). Thus, suggestive selling comes in hand. This is well in place for the American dinner restaurant. In overall, the service system is well organized, all cutleries are arranged in place and the services in place are of high standard. What the management should concentrate on is maintaining these services in place by constant training of all servers and proper supervision to be in place for the same (Adler, 2004, p.49). Food and Beverage Operations Management The operation of the food and beverage industry is a multifaceted task. The management has to put into consideration many factors for the overall function of the operation. A closer look at the operations management of the American dinner can reveal the structure below of how the whole system function so as to put in place all factors. From the cycle above, it means that the management of the operations in this restaurant takes into consideration the full cycle of catering. From this cycle, the management in place has to ensure maximum utility of the labor, raw materials & equipments and skill. Apart from that the management has to consider all external factors that is centering on the consumer. Critique of Personal Concept when Working as a Chef for Mediterranean Food Introduction This report is about the personal concepts that were developed while working as a chef at Mediterranean food. During this brief spell, I was deployed in the kitchen as a chef and at the same time acting in the management group for recipes and delivery. The position of the chef is a crucial one, even if all the mechanisms are in place by the management, their effort would not yield efforts if the chef fails in the usual roles. Thus concepts of hospitality through the eyes of a chef was developed basing on the roles of the chef. Menu planning Concepts As a chef, was in charge of the meal preparations and thus the most crucial thing was the planning of the menu. Menu planning concepts adopted was fixed type and occasionally single use types. In the case of fixed type menu, same menu type was given repeatedly. For the case of single type menu, the menu prepared was for the different items for some predetermined period of time. Limitations in Menu Planning Concepts The planning methods did not take into considerations taste and preferences for all customers. There was no proper planning budget for the menu Solutions to the menu planning concepts and classification Due to the nature of the hotel; operating on a large scale, the chef should take into considerations the type of menu that suits this scale of operation (Shaw & Patterson, 1995, p.37). The menus taken should take into place the variety of choices that can cater for the needs of all customers. The table below summarizes the menu type concepts. No choice Limited choice choice Fixed/static Quick service restaurant Full service restaurant Single use Banquet catered buffer Menu production While working as a chef in the Mediterranean food restaurant, I used to encounter some difficulties in producing constant menus, in some instances; the meal prepared today could not really be the same as the next day meal of the same type. Despite the fact that the menu were mostly of fixed type, deviations were common. After properly evaluating my concepts, I could trace my mistakes to the issue of standardization. Standardization in the production of menu helps to avoid instances of deviations in tastes and preferences of the meal. A professional chef ought to have a plan or a kind of a budget in order to standardize all meal preparations. With a drawn plan, the chef has an easy task of maintaining the same format. The table below shows an example of the format to be followed by the chef. Date:……………………………………. Meal:…………………………………… Unit:……………………………………. Item/recipe Capacity needed Actual quantity Produced Time produced Quantity of Left over comments Further instructions Table: menu production format Food Service and Hygiene Working in the kitchen department in the Mediterranean food restaurant made me to develop the concepts of hygiene. I realized that hygiene is the most important aspect in the food industry and any relent in hygienic practices can lead to serious contamination and result into a criminal case. Thus the concepts I developed was to maintain cleanliness in the following areas; Personal Hygiene Every staff working in the kitchen industry had to be clean; nails kept short and clean, hair covered, all bangles concealed, hands washed in all occasions among many. The only problem is the control of spontaneous activities such as sneezing and coughing which was not in the personal hygiene concepts (Gavin & Mason, 2004, p.379). But this can be brought into control since it is the major point of infection; the best way to control such activities is for the chef in charge to adhere to strict personal contact rules such as sneezing (Wood, 1997). If any of the staff members has the problem with sneezing, he/she may be transfer to other department or be given a leave for medication. Equipment Hygiene The equipment used in the kitchen area are the most sensitive also, if the customer encounters dirty equipment, he/she is likely to launch a serious complain that may harm the reputation of the hotel. Thus the hygiene of all utensils was strictly adhered to; all utensils were washed by specialized staff designed for the same. Premises Hygiene The cooking area ought also to be kept clean. The walls, sinks, floors and the entire room ought to be clean. This is to ensure that there are no cases of pests such as cockroaches, mice and houseflies. In general, hygienic concepts developed were effective; there were no cases of complains. The only emphasis to the management that is now in place is to consider using latest cleaning methods such as vacuum cleaning and also chemical cleaning methods. Further Analysis of Food and Beverage Management The management of the operation in the kitchen should put menu design on the fore front. The menu prepared should put into considerations the following factors; The habits of the consumer The physical facilities available in the organization The availability of the necessary ingredients Management of Beverages Beverages are part of all menus in any hospitality industry (Clark, 1997b, p.60). They include all types drinks; both alcoholic and non alcoholic. Non alcoholic drinks include drinks such as tea, coffee, mineral waters, sodas, juices and milk among many. While alcoholic drinks include, wines, liquor, spirits and cocktail drinks. Due to the market demands and sophistication in the process of hospitality sector, restaurants are in a position to sale alcoholic drinks unlike in the case of traditional methods which demands that alcohol be sold in the bars only (Tufts 2006, p.361). If a restaurant is dealing with alcohol, it must adhere to the rules governing the same. These rules may center on the age limit of the customer, hours of sale and license for the same. Whichever the type of drinks, the management should ensure some control in the area of storage and distribution. Also, stocking and pricing of these beverages should be done in the way that will ensure that the organization gets some profits. Also, proper control should be put in place to monitor the movement of the stock. Critique of the Concept as a Member of Staff at Asian Foods Introduction The organization, coordination and management of staff in food and beverage industry are the most essential aspect (Drucker 1994, p.102). The management is the ones who are supposed to steer everything in the food industry. Having been privileged to work as a staff at Asian foods restaurant, I came across various functions and division of staff, how every category of staff is managed, the way staff is recruited and the training done for the staff (Azmilsyahmi, 2011). Staff hierarchy at Asian Foods The staff was organized as follows: The restaurant manager: was in charge of every staff. All the administrative work was under him and he was responsible for setting the standard of operations of the whole organization. Next in command was the head of receptionist who was concerned with all bookings and receptions. Then the overall supervisor who was followed by the chef and then the floor staffs. Critique of the Hierarchy Due to the nature of the restaurant, (it is a five star hotel) it ought to have all the required personnel in place. A typical hierarchy of personnel should thus be as shown below Responsibilities as a Staff in the Kitchen In the kitchen, my responsibilities were to co-work with the other staff on top of doing other allocations. My job group was not well defined but was just supposed to perform according to each day’s allocations. Although, being on the fore front in many activities, I was made to work in the position of a kitchen supervisor. I reported to the duty at seven in the morning and left at six in the evening. Critique of the Responsibilities as a Staff in the Kitchen The duties of every staff in the kitchen ought to be well spelt out with a job title. The staff in the kitchen ought to understand that working in the kitchen is a flexible job; thus they should not be limited to strict time limit (Simons 2002, p.19). As a kitchen staff responsible for supervision, my typical job profile would appear as shown below, based on the description from workinfo.com. Job Title: Kitchen Supervisor Place of Work: A kitchen Scope and General Purpose: To control and supervise the running of the kitchen, ensuring that the preparation and presentation of food complies with the required standards (workinfo.com). Responsible to: Catering Manager Responsible for: Subordinate catering staff Liaises with: Restaurant staff Limits of Authority: According to each establishment Main Duties:  To ensure that all meals, snacks and functions are correctly prepared, cooked and served.  To ensure that foodstuffs are used correctly so that wastage is kept to a minimum and staff are trained to effect good portion control.  To re-arrange duties and rosters as necessary to ensure that all tasks are correctly and timely completed.  To ensure that the preparation of food is hygienic and that a "clean as you go" discipline is adhered to.  To ensure that food looks attractive at all times, re-garnishing where necessary or replenishing.  To ensure that company and statutory hygiene standards are maintained.  To ensure that all kitchen staff is clean and correctly dressed at all times.  To promote team spirit and lead by example  To assist with or present regular training or coaching sessions, so that staff perform their duties correctly.  To report any faults or defects to management, paying particular attention to any safety or health hazard Irregular Duties: To deputise for management in their absence Further Critique of the Concepts as a Staff in the Kitchen Team working spirit was greatly emphasised; this is an essential aspect in the staff since team working spirit helps in coordination of wok flow and my lighten duties. Through team working, one is allowed to ask questions and do enough consultations before making any decision (Fair & Brooks, 2001, p.80). On the other hand, training was not sufficiently done; most of the things were learnt through experience. Training is a very critical area. It is the duties of the management to instil essential on job skills and training to the workers (Wölfl, 2004, p.69). Training erases chances of mistakes and minimises on supervision. Another important aspect is supervision; supervision should be strict in food industry since a small mistake could cause contamination which would ultimately ruin the whole industry (Roehl 1999, p.182). Conclusion The operation of the food and beverage industry is a multifaceted task. The management has to put into consideration many factors for the overall function of the operation (Deloitte 2006, p.261). There are several expectation in the minds of the customer when he/she comes into a hotel thus the system of serving them is quite essential in respect to the standard of the services offered. The management in place has the challenge of motivating their staff so as to reap maximum service efficiency (Simons 1995, p.23). List of References Adler, P & Adler, P 2004, Paradise Laborers: Hotel Work in the Global Economy, Cornell University Press, Ithaca. Azmilsyahmi, 2011, ‘Restaurant Promotion Ideas’, viewed 09/03/2012 Black, S & Lynch, L 2001, How to compete: the impact of workplace practices and information and information technology on productivity. Review of Economics & Statistics, vol.83, no.3, pp.434-445. Bowman, J & Wittmer, D 2000, ‘The unfashionable Drucker: ethical and quality chic’, Journal of Management History, vol.6, no.1, pp.13-29. Clark, J 1997a, ‘Improving catering productivity’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, vol.38, no.6, pp.60. 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