Chapter Six



Chapter Seven

The Restaurant Business

Culinary Arts Page Object.

North America gained most of its culinary legacy from France. 248

Mari-Antoine Careme and Auguste Escoffier are credited as the

founders of classical cuisine.

One of the main foundations of classical French cooking is the 249

five mother sauces: béchamel, velouté, espagnole, tomato, and

Hollandaise.

Nouvelle cuisine, which became popular in the early 1970s and late 249

1960s, is a lighter cuisine than French and is based on simpler

preparations – instead of thickening a sauce with roux, a puree of

vegetables would be used instead. Nouvelle cuisine combined

classical techniques and principles with modern technology and

scientific research.

The bounties of regional cuisine cooking from the United States 249

and Canada has flourished nationally, particularly due to the

popularity of infusion - the blending of flavors and techniques

from two cuisines.

Today, to meet the challenges of the industry, it is essential for 251

modern chefs to be well educated and highly diversified, rather

than merely keeping up with current trends.

Culinary Practices

To be a good cook, one must understand the basic techniques 251,

and principles of cooking. There are six skill areas that are important 254-

to becoming a successful chef: cooking, menu development, 255

sanitation/safety, accounting, computer training, food trends and

practices for the new millennium.

One of the most important things to learn about the industry is that 255

you can’t do it alone; it’s a team effort.

|Classifications of Restaurants Page Object.

There is not a single definition of restaurant classification. Most experts agree there are two main categories – independent and chain restaurants. Other categories include quick service, ethnic, dinner house, occasion, casual, etc.

Some restaurants may fall into more than one category. For instance, a restaurant can be both ethnic and quick service, such as Taco Bell.

|255

255

|1, 3,

4

1, 2,

3, 4 | |Americans are spending an increasing amount of food dollars away from home, which brings in approximately 50% of fast-food restaurant sales. The most popular meal to eat away from home is lunch.

Individual restaurants are typically one or more owners who are

usually involved in the day-to-day operation of the business.

Chain restaurants comprise a group of restaurants, each identical in market, concept, design, service, food, and name. Part of the marketing strategy is to remove uncertainty from the dining experience. |255

256

256 |4

1, 3, 4

1, 3, 4 | |

Full-Service Restaurants Page Object.

Restaurant types included in this category are fine dining, casual, 256 3

theme, celebrity, steak houses, and some ethnic restaurants.

Fine Dining Restaurants

A fine dining restaurant is one where a good selection of menu items is offered – at least fifteen or more different entrees cooked to order and nearly all the food being made on the premises from scratch or fresh ingredients.

|256 |1, 2,

3, 4

| |Most fine dining restaurants are independently owned and operated by an entrepreneur or partnership.

The top independent restaurant in terms of sales is the Tavern on the Green in New York City, which opened in 1976. It is one of the most financially successful restaurants with sales of more than $26 million from 1,000 seats.

|258

259 |1, 3, 4

2 | | | | | |The level of service in fine dining restaurants is generally high. A host or hostess will seat, a captain and food servers will describe specials, and a separate sommelier may take the wine order. Tableside cooking may be performed.

|259 |1, 3, 4

| |Theme Restaurants

These restaurants usually offer a limited menu, but create a complete experience for the guest.

• Some offer all-American food, such as meatloaf served by wait staff “in character”—a 1950s theme.

• Others are in the dinner house category offering a diverse menu (TGI Friday’s, Bennigan’s).

Celebrity Restaurants

Celebrities who may or may not have F & B backgrounds own these operations. The operations are designed to be entertaining, drawing heavily on the notoriety of their owners.

|

259-261

261

|

1, 2,

3, 4

1, 3, 4

| |Steak Houses

The steak restaurant is still strong in spite of recent nutritional concerns. To remain more competitive, many operations are adding “value priced items” such as chicken or fish. These items serve to attract more customers.

The upscale steak house, like Morton’s of Chicago, Ruth Chris’s, and Houston’s, continue to attract the expense account and “occasion” diners.

Ponderosa, with 465 units, and Bonanza, with 156 units, have sales of $773 million together and are owned and operated by Metromedia Steak House, Inc. They are both family concepts featuring counter service and food bars.

Other chains in this segment include Outback Steakhouse, which is actually the number one volume steak sales restaurant.

|

262

262

262

262 |

1, 3, 4

2

2

2

| |Casual Dining and Dinner House Restaurants | | | |The types of restaurants that can be included in the casual dining restaurants category are: midscale casual restaurants, family restaurants, and ethnic restaurants.

Casual dining is relaxed and could include restaurants from several classifications: chain or independent, ethnic, or theme. Hard Rock Cafe, TGI Friday’s, The Olive Garden, Houston’s, Romano’s, Macaroni Grill, and Red Lobster are good examples of casual dining.

Over the past few years, the trend in dinner house restaurants has been toward more casual dining. Many dinner house restaurants have a casual, eclectic décor that may promote a theme. Charter House is a steak and seafood chain that has a nautical theme. Friday’s is an American bistro dinner house.

|262

262

264 |1, 3, 4

1, 2,

3, 4

1, 2,

3, 4

| |Family Restaurants | | | |Family restaurants evolved from coffee shop restaurants. Many are individually or family operated.

|264 |1, 4

| |Most often they offer an informal setting with a simple menu and service designed to please all of the family.

|264 |1, 4 | |The lines separating the various restaurants and chains in the family segment are blurring as operators upscale their concepts.

The value-oriented operator in the family dining segment is Denny’s. The more upscale family concepts include Perkins, Marie Callender’s, and Cracker Barrel, all of which are sometimes referred to as the “relaxed” segment.

|265

265 |1, 4

2 | |Ethnic Restaurants | | | |The majority of ethnic restaurants are family owned and operated and sprang up to cater to tastes of various ethnic groups. The fastest growing segment of ethnic restaurants is Mexican.

Taco Bell is the Mexican quick-service market leader with a 60% share. Other large Mexican food chains are Del Taco, Chi-Chi’s, and El Torito.

|266

266 |1, 3, 4

2 | |Quick Service/Fast Food

This quick-service sector really drives the industry. Quick-service or fast-food restaurants offer limited menus. (See list on page 269.)

In an attempt to raise flat sales figures, more quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains are using cobranding at stores and nontraditional locations, including highway plazas and shopping centers.

Hamburger

The world’s greatest fast food success story is undoubtedly McDonald’s with worldwide sales of $43 billion. This total is amazing because it’s more than the next three megachains combined – Burger King, KFC, and Pizza Hut. McDonald’s is now in 119 countries.

Each of the hamburger restaurant chains has a unique positioning strategy to attract their target markets. Burger King hamburgers are flame broiled, and Wendy’s uses fresh patties.

|

266-269

269

270

271

|

1, 2,

3, 4

1, 3, 4

1, 2, 4

1, 2, 4

| |Pizza | | | |The pizza segment continues to grow due to delivery services. It is currently estimated to be a $21 billion market with much of the growth fueled by the convenience of delivery.

|271-272 |1, 3, 4 | |Chicken

Chicken has always been popular, in part because it is inexpensive to prepare, readily available, versatile, and perceived as a healthier alternative to burgers.

KFC dominates the chicken segment with a worldwide total of more than 12,000 units.

|

272

272

|

1, 3

2

| |Sandwich Restaurants

Sandwich restaurants are a popular way to enter the restaurant business. Subway is a particularly successful chain in this segment. Part of its success may stem from the strategy of investing half of the chain’s advertising dollars in national advertising.

|

273

|

1, 2,

3, 4

| |Delivery Services

Delivery services are operations that deliver prepared foods to customers’ homes, meals-on-wheels, as well as urban restaurants that deliver to a neighborhood. Domino’s Restaurant is a primary example of this kind of operation. Other popular delivery services include Papa John’s and Pizza Hut.

|

273 |

2 | |Trends in Restaurant Business Page Object.

Demographics, branding, alternative outlets, globalization, 275

continued diversification within the various dining segments,

multiple locations, more points of service, more hypertheme

restaurants, and chain vs. independent establishments are

recent trends.

Food Trends and Practices for the New Millennium Page Object.

Chefs will need a strong culinary foundation that includes 275

multicultural cooking skills and a variety of managerial skills.

Back-to-basic cooking is newly defined as taking classical cooking

methods and infusing modern technology and science to create

healthy and flavorful dishes.

Check Your Knowledge, p. 255

1) Question: From what country did North America gain most of its culinary legacy?

Answer: North America gained most of its culinary legacy from France. The French Revolution in 1793 caused many chefs to come to North America. Thomas Jefferson, who spent 5 years as an envoy to France, brought a French chef to the White House when he became president. (See sidebar in text, p. 248.)

2) Question: Define infusion cuisine and give an example.

Answer: Infusion cuisine is the blending of flavors and techniques from two cuisines. For example, a Japanese recipe might be blended with a Mexican one to create a new hybrid recipe. (See text p. 249)

Check Your Knowledge, p. 273

1) Question: Describe the different types of restaurants and give examples of each. Highlight some of the characteristics that make up the specific restaurant types.

Answer: There are two main categories: independent and chain restaurants.

Other categories include designations as full-service, casual, and quick-service restaurants. Some may fall into two categories – i.e., Taco Bell, which is both ethnic and quick-service. (p. 255)

Independents are typically owned by one or more owners usually involved in the day-to-day operation of business. (p. 256)

Chain restaurants comprise a group of restaurants, each identical in market, concept, design, service, food, and name. (p. 256)

Full-service = fine dining, casual, theme, celebrity, steak houses, and ethnic.

(p. 256)

Casual = mid-scale, family, ethnic. (p. 262)

IV. Answers to Chapter 7 Review Questions

1) North America gained most of its culinary legacy from France. Two main events were responsible for this: 1) The French Revolution in 1793 caused the best chefs of the day to leave France – many came to America; and 2) Thomas Jefferson, who spent 5 years as an envoy to France, brought a French chef to the White House when he became president.

2) The five mother sauces: béchamel, veloute, espagnole, tomato, and hollandaise.

3) Some great chefs include: Julia Child, Emeril “Bam” Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Alice Waters, Paul Prudhomme.

4) The two main categories of restaurants are independent and chain. Further distinctions can be made: full service, casual, and quick-service. More divisions: ethnic, dinner house, occasion, and family. In general, most restaurants fall into more than one category.

5) There is no single definition for the classification of a restaurant because of overlap within the categories. A full-service restaurant offers a wide selection of menu items, whereas a specialty restaurant can fall into the categories of quick-service, ethnic, dinner house, family, steak and seafood, pizza or hamburger, etc. But some restaurants in the specialty category may also be full service, for example, Red Lobster or Olive Garden. Taco Bell is a quick-service, but it is also considered a Mexican restaurant.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download