Analysis of Chilis Grill & Bar International Restaurant Chain - Assignment Example

Developing a Purchasing Process 1 Answer Chili’s is a Grill & Bar international restaurant chain. Larry Levine founded this restaurant in 1975 in the year 1975. Brinker International currently operates and owned the business of this restaurant chain. It is a casual dining restaurants giving outstanding performance for a long time. The restaurant is recognized by Fortune Company as World’s Most Admired Food Services Companies for its exclusive hospitality and brand name. Chili’s first opened its restaurant on Greenville Ave in Texas in 1975. It founder Lavine’s had a concept of creating informal dining restaurant providing full service and all facilities. He offered different types of hamburger in an affordable price. In the early 1980’s the brand became successful. In 1983 Lavine sold the restaurant to Norman E. Brinker. Form the very beginning the restaurants chain is designed and decorated in such a way that its price and casual dining atmosphere attracts young adults, teen ager and families. The restaurant chain mainly serves American foods which are very much influenced by Tex Mex cuisine. Other than its regular menu the company also offers vegetarian menu, allergen menu and nutritional menu. The restaurant also offers veggie burgers which are supplied Kellogg Company. The average restaurant size of Chili’s is approximately 5532 sq ft. The theme of this restaurant is nice and relaxed. Good and happy music is playing within the store which creates a fun environment. Its décor is very soothing which gives a home like feelings. The average sitting capacity of Chili’s is approximately 217 seats. It has around 1500 restaurants in different locations. The layout of the restaurant is interesting. It has small bar in its side part and sitting arrangements are nicely made. It follows a typical American café style layout. Question 2 The restaurant chain central commissary includes the selection and the procurement of the goods and services from the distributors and the suppliers all over the world. The buyers and the sellers generally come together through the process of marketing that is conducted in the virtual market place online this benefits and facilitates the suppliers in taking the opportunity related to selling. It depends upon the restaurants whether they want to conduct single unit or multi unit business. The restaurants may maintain single or more than one central distribution point which is known as the distribution warehouse or commissary services. In case of the chili’s restaurant it is observed that the unit manager is engaged in ordering for the various products that is required by the restaurant from the central commissary or from the approved suppliers. The unit managers generally possess the authority and power of purchasing on their own the cleaning services or other locally produced things. The restaurant purchases its stock from the central commissary and the central distribution system. They cannot operate the warehouse and control the delivery system. The suppliers and the distributors are engaged in transporting the purchases to the restaurant units. The benefits of the central commissary benefits of the single restaurant are the buyer has can purchase from the various production department which includes the food service, maintenance etc. The buyers are supervised and monitored by the management so they perform efficiently. The general manager of the restaurant coordinates the various activities effectively as he is responsible for purchasing it from the department head of the restaurant 3 Answer The technology of inventory tracking is very helpful of the business of restaurant chain. This technology is implemented by a soft which keep an updated records of different inventory used in the business and the levels of it. When the stock of inventory goes below a certain level then the company is gets informed about it (McKinney, 2002). Moreover the restaurant can check its inventory stock by this software. This technology also helps to know about different food supply and other product used by the restaurant within a certain time. By using this technology Chili’s restaurant of Chicago will have an idea about the ordering process and about exact amount of inventory required and used there. A new technology of online ordering of food and beverages helps to attract more customers. Product ordering becomes more interesting by it. This technology helps the restaurant to deliver better customer service. Social media and Smartphone is best tool for it. Online technology also helps in paying off the bills. People of Chicago live a very fast life. This online product ordering process will make the work flow faster and will save a lot of time both of the customers and the company. Bar code technology is very famous now a day. It is a top technology used in inventory, supplying and ordering process by the restaurant. It also helps to increase the productivity of restaurants by decreasing many extra costs. Chili’s of Chicago uses this technology but its needs to improve it for generating maximum revenue. Technological advancement helps to evaluate and take care of food safety by maintaining a specific standard in the supply chain process. Bar code app GS1-128 helps to improve traceability of product in food chain. Up gradation of this technology will contribute a lot in maximum utilization of resources in Chili’s Chicago. By implementing and upgrading this technologies Chili’s can optimize its purchasing process by reducing different extra costs. 4 Answer There are some problem which can affect the distribution system of Chili’s in Chicago are distributors can fail to deliver the products in time or can deliver product in wrong address. This will hamper the reputation of Chili’s (Oros, 2014). There is a huge possibility that customers can get dissatisfied with this type of bad service and Chili’s restaurant of Chicago can lose its loyal customers for these reasons. Poor co ordination can delay the food supply process of this restaurant for which Chili’s can have to bear huge extra cost to purchase new products. Possibilities of these problems can be reduces by proper monitoring of distribution system of Chili’s Chicago. By doing tie ups up efficient logistic partner and distributors will also help to deal with these issues. 5 Answer The new purchasing process of Chili’s in Chicago can be using advance technology for inventory tracking, product ordering process and bar code reading system. Implementing and improving these systems in purchasing process of Chili’s Chicago will help in development of the restaurant in many aspects. This new purchasing process will influence the overall function and performance of the restaurant. Major purchasing objectives of this restaurant in respect of this process are as follows: By implementing inventory tracking Chili’s of Chicago will have an accurate and exact idea about the quantity of inventory used and purchased within a specific time. This will help the restaurant in maintaining its inventory level all time. Product ordering process in this unit of restaurant can be improved by implementing advance software. The objective of this is to facilitate its customers by delivering a fast service in a very convenient way. Efficient storage management will help this unit in maximum utilization of its resources. Its objective is to keep an updated record of the stored product in restaurant so that it can provide food according to that. The objective of bar code system is to maintain a perfect standard in its product and trace different products in food chain process. This system makes food ordering and payment process easy both for customer and restaurant unit. Product identification technology will contribute a lot in this process. Different codes are used in the product which is scanned to evaluate product’s safety. Its objective is to deliver hygienic and safe food products. References Fitzsimmons, (2006). Service Management. New York: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. McKinney, A., (2002). Real-resumes for Restaurant, Food Service & Hotel Jobs--: Including Real Resumes Used to Change Careers and Transfer Skills to Other Industries. California: PREP Publishing. Oros, B., (2014). Restaurant Turnaround: How Your Food Service Operation Can Cut Expenses and Add Revenue Starting in Less than 60 Minutes. New York: Lulu.com. Read More