Reflective Diary in Knowledge - Coursework Example

U54003 Reflective Diary (knowledge) What is the of the article you have read, please attach? The article I read is entitled eating out is the new staying in. It was written by Jonathan Bacon for the Marketing Week website. List the key issues that the article talks about In general, the article talks about the study conducted by the NPD Crest on out-of-home dining market in 2013. NPD Crest is a company that specializes in studying market trends and providing information relating to the foodservice and restaurant industry. There are two main issues that the group presents in the article. The first is that “takeaway outlets are struggling in the wake of more fashionable quick-service brand (Bacon 2013).” Supposedly, after sampling over 80,000 annual transactions and comparing it with demographic data, the group discovered that consumers have started patronizing places that serve fast but full meals. These food places are called fast casual and have become a threat to fast food places and the traditional restaurants. The second key issue described in the article is how pubs, specifically those in London, are enjoying more visits from customers due to an adjusted family-friendly menu and décor. It seems that pubs have upped their food offerings and have started including food items for the entire family. Moreover, they have updated their interiors so as to be cozier and family-friendly. Because of these changes, adults have started bringing their kids along and pub owners are starting to get a new reputation as a family-oriented food establishment, other than a place where one can enjoy drinks with friends. Aside from these two significant issues, other key issues could be gathered from the article. First of these is the effect of fast casual food places on fast food joints. People still find fast food places convenient, especially those who want to grab something to eat because they are too busy to sit down and enjoy a meal. Second of these is the effect on traditional restaurants. People also like full service restaurants because the atmosphere is more conducive to having conversations over a warm and complete meal. Still, as the study has discovered, these same people would appreciate a place where the speediness in fast food joints and the comfortable ambiance of traditional restaurants can be enjoyed at the same time. This is why fast casual restaurants are now becoming popular among consumers. The other sub issue is the sudden popularity of pub and hotels because of the way they reinvented their service. Aside from changing the atmosphere in their establishments, pub owners have also started improving the food that they are offering to the customers. Instead of continuing to focus on adult customers, they have now expanded their service to also providing meals for children. They have also adapted other marketing strategies that involve providing vouchers and loyalty programs. Why are these issues important to the hospitality industry? These issues are important to the hospitality industry because of several lessons. For those who want to put up a food service business, these issues would be helpful information on what kind of establishment would be worth setting up. With this information, those in the hospitality industry can instead focus on enhancing their chosen business and have more time to work out the details of their venture. Another reason these issues are significant is because those affected by the sudden fame of fast casual dining like fast food places and full service restaurants will now have an idea why their businesses are not doing well. As a consequence, they will be motivated to improve their services to get customers again. A third reason as to why it is good to know these issues is because it helps the entire dynamics of the hospitality industry. Customers want to have a good experience whether it is to dine at a restaurant or stay at a hotel. Service providers want to gain customers. As a result, they will find a way to appeal to the customer. Knowing that many consumers now mind waiting a long time for a complete meal, full service restaurants may find it practical to rethink their methods of serving food. On the other hand, fast food places will now try and aim for creating a place where customers can get their food fast and also have a nice place to sit down and eat in case they felt like it. Ultimately, this will be in the customer’s best interest because they will now have choice among three different kinds of food places that provide quality service. U54003 Reflective Diary (knowledge) Name: Date: What is the title of the article you have read, please attach? The title of the article is Chatham Maritime restaurant The Real China closed by Medway Council environmental health officers. It was written by Lynn Cox for the Kent Online website. List the key issues that the article talks about The article basically talks about the sanction that the environmental health officers of the Medway Council administered as a result of The Real China restaurant’s inability to meet the standards in maintaining the necessary sanitation required of the food service industry. Since the result of the regular inspection that the officers found mice infestation within the food establishment, they ordered an immediate termination of its operation. The article, however, points out very important key issue such as the importance of sanitation in the food industry, particularly in restaurants. Cleanliness and food safety should be the primary concerns of establishments serving food to its customers. Apart from the good food that their patrons should be getting from them, they should also be served with ones that are free from any bacteria or toxins that may cause them to get sick. The presence of mice in the kitchen can contaminate the food that is being stored and prepared in the kitchen and this could make the customers of the restaurants seriously ill. To ensure that the food industry, specially the service sector, follows the rule in maintaining the cleanliness of the place, the Medway Council conducts routine inspection among the food service industry in the UK. Recognizing the people’s need of equally good and hygienic food, they make sure that every food establishment in the country meets their standard. Otherwise, they will be served a warning when found that the place is unsuitable for hygienic operation or worse, a Hygienic Prohibition Notice that orders the closure of the establishment. Another key issue that the article talks about is that even well-known restaurant chains are also subjected to serious punishments when found unable to meet sanitation requirements of the state. Medway Council’s move in issuing an immediate closure of one of the restaurant chains is a way of showing this regulation must be followed not just by small restaurants but the big ones as well. Neglecting such standard could result to the cessation of the restaurant’s operation, similar to what happened to The Real China restaurant along Leviathan Way in Chatham Maritime. On the other hand, it was also presented in the article that since sanitation is such a big issue in the food service industry, regular visits investigating the strict adherence of the restaurants to this policy or serving closure notices to those that are found delinquent are not the only concerns that environmental health officers are responsible for. Instead of discouraging the food service industry to continue its operation after they have served them their notice od closure due to their inability to meet the sanitation standards, they help them get back on their track and show them the proper way of keeping the food preparation area, such as the kitchen, clean and at par with their standards. In this case, they have helped The Real China to get rid of the mice infestation that was found within the establishment. Along with the staff who works in the restaurant and the pest control contractor the company hired, they guided them on how to obtain a clean and safe working environment so they could start their operation again. Why are these issues important to the hospitality industry? These issues are very important to the hospitality industry since food service establishments are the front runners in this industry. Serving well-done steak when the customer requests a medium-rare is not as terrible as serving a perfectly cooked steak contaminated with mice droppings on it. Not only will it make the customer seriously ill and stop the operation of the restaurant, but it may also cost a lot of money when the customer sues the establishment. Concerns on maintaining the tasty, delicious food that is being served by the restaurants should not be the main focus; instead, food safety should come first among their priorities. Cleanliness is not only keeping any trash away from the customers’ sight. Proper waste disposal is very important in order to avoid food contamination. When restaurants are improperly cleaned, obnoxious creatures are attracted to live in them and spread diseases all over the place. It is very common that restaurants, especially those that have already made a name for themselves in the food service industry, to spend most of their time and energy in remodelling and modernizing the physical structure of the establishment in order to attract more customers. They try their very best to look good on the outside for the customers, but they often forget that the most important thing is to keep the food storage and the kitchen clean, sanitized, and highly hygienic so the food they serve is worth the money their customers pay for. Negligence of this most important responsibility could cost them not just the name of the company, but a huge amount of money as well. References: Cox, L 2014, Chatham Maritime restaurant The Real China closed by Medway Council environmental health officers. [24 April 2014] Bacon, J 2013, Eating out is the new staying in. [24 April 2014] Read More