MPC: TYPES OF CATERING ESTABLISHMENT

Classification of the Catering Establishment

The catering industry could be referred to as a hospitality industry which makes provision of food, drinks and in some cases accommodation for people in school, hospital, industry, etc. However, it is possible to make a number of distinctions between the many different types of food and beverages outlets in the catering industry.

There are two types of catering establishment: commercial and non-commercial.

Commercial Catering

Commercial catering may be defined as the operations in which profitability is the primary concern. Such outlets exist not only in private ownership but also in the publicly owned sector of the economy. Also, it is worth noting that in commercial sector, catering may be a secondary and additional service to customers for example, catering at departmental stores. Examples of commercial catering include: hotels and restaurants, wine bars, fast foods, takeaway, licensed house (Pub) catering, motel and travel lodges, guest houses, youth hostels, transport catering, outside catering (OOC), and franchising etc.

Non-Commercial Catering or Welfare Catering

Subsidized or welfare catering may be defines as those operations in which the profitability of the catering facility is not the outlet’s primary concern. Since the operation are either completely or partially subsidized by a parent body.

Such establishment’s primary obligation is the well-being and care of their customers or parents. Unlike customers frequenting commercial sector operations, the customers often do not have choice of catering facilities. The non-commercial catering facilities are usually subdivided by government bodies which dictates allowance per heads, or by parent companies who may have a similar arrangement. Examples of such establishment include: institutional catering, hospital catering, industrial catering, and prison.

As mentioned earlier, the catering industry is classified by the type of food and beverage premises. This does not necessarily indicate the type of demand being met or the conditions under which provision is being made. It should therefore be understood that similar types of food and beverage operations may be found in a variety of different sectors. Sectors are therefore defined by the nature of demand being met, as shown in the table above. A historical summary of each sector is also given. This identification of sectors also provides a frame work for those of you studying Hotel and Catering to which further studies and experience may be related. In order to be seen in more detail each sector will be analyzed by reference to a set of variables that exist in the different sectors.

Based on the above classification, it is necessary to outline at this juncture the different types of catering outlet in the catering industry and to identify their main characteristics in some cases. Examples, catering in railway station is normally open to the travellers as well as the general public.

Hotels and Restaurants

A great difference is demonstrated when palatial, first class, luxury hotel is compared with the small hotel owned and run as a family concern. With restaurants, a similar comparison may be made between the exclusive top-class restaurant and the small restaurant which may serve just a few menus.

Hotels are residential and most of them provide breakfast, menu, dinners and snacks. In some hotels, conferences and banquets and parties will be an important part of the business. However, it is worth to note that provision of food and drinks in this sector of the industry is strongly determined by the category of such hotel. In other words, one would expect a first class hotel to offer services of food round the clock and besides this, the provision of food and beverages facilities should range from self service style to waiter silver service, buffet service which is used in luxury hotels. While in the small hotels, provision of food and drinks may not be throughout the day. Some may provide lunch and dinner and snacks, lunch plus snacks and so on.

Unlike the hotels, restaurants do not offer accommodation and therefore their primary function is the provision of food and beverages. The various types of restaurant include snack bars, cafes, coffee shops, takeaway, steak bars, speciality restaurant, etc. Restaurant will vary with the kind of meals they serve. Some will serve all kind of meals whilst others will be restricted to the service of lunch and dinner or lunch and tea etc. Again, banqueting may form an important part of the restaurant’s service. In some cases, various types of meal service, such as grill rooms, or speciality restaurant which may limit the type of foods served e.g. smorrebrod, steaks, egg, etc will be provided.

The various types of restaurants have divers range of styles of service ranging from the self service cafeteria to the more elaborate methods of table service (e.g. French revision English) found in luxury restaurants and those particular service techniques; specialty restaurants such as Chinese, Indian, etc. In many restaurants today, a separate bar area is provided for pre and after meal drinks. These have double advantage of offering the customer a place to sit and relax away from the dinning area and they allow a aster seat turn-over in the restaurant.

Fast Food and Take Away

This sector of the hospitality industry is concerned with the preparation and serving of food and beverages quickly for immediate sale to the customer for consumption either on or off the premises, e.g. of fast food and takeaway operations include the many themed pie or hand burger units found in the high streets of most town today as well as operations; such as fish and chips shops. There are several identifiable characteristics common to this sector of the industry.

• The units are usually themed around a product (e.g. chicken and chips), a range of products (e.g. fish). • The units are often owned by large chains or are franchized.
• The products are well marketed
• The pricing of the items is within a fairly distinctive knowing price band.
• The method of production is less hectic
• The method of food service is simplified and basic.

Customer demand has resulted in the rapid growth of a variety of establishments offering a limited choice of popular food at a reasonable price, with little or no waiting time to be consumed either on the premises or taken away.

Motels/Travel Lodges and Clubs

Motels/travel lodges are sited near motor ways and arterial routes. They focus on the business person who requires an overnight stop or the tourist who is on a driving holiday. These properties are reasonably priced, they consist of a room only with tea and coffee making facilities. Staffing is minimal and there is no restaurant. However, there will be other services close by often managed by the same company. The growth and success of the budget hotel sectors has been one of the biggest changes to affect the hospitality industry in recent years.

The Private Clubs

Are usually administered by a secretary or manager appointed by a management committee formed from club members. Good food and drink with an informal service in the old English style are required in most clubs. Night clubs and casinos usually have the type of service associated with this restaurant trade.

Chain-Catering Organizations and Licensed-house (Pub) Catering

1.Chain-Catering organization

There are many establishments with chains spread over wide areas and in some cases over seas. They often serve lunch, tea and morning coffee, and have snacks bars and cafeterias.

2. Licensed-house (Pub) Catering

There is great variety in public-house catering, from the ham and cheese roll operation to the exclusive a’ la carte restaurant. Public-house catering can be divided into categories such as:

• The luxury-type restaurant
• The Gastro pubs – there is a growing trend for well qualified chefs to work in pubs, and develop the menu according to their own specialities, making good use of local produce.
• The specialty restaurant, e.g. steak bars, fish restaurant, carvery, theme.
• Fork dishes served from the bar counter where the food is consumed in the normal drinking areas.
• Finger snack, e.g. rolls and sandwiches.

Commercial Catering For Restricted Market

Transport catering in areas such as road, rail air, and sea has a number of characteristics not commonly associated with other food and beverage outlets. It usually involves the feeding of a large number of customers arriving together at a certain time and who need to be catered for at a specific time (e.g. on board air line) the four main types of transport catering include:

1. Road: Road catering has progressed from the inns and taverns of earlier days. The catering services are usually opened twenty-four hours a day. The types of service offered include self-service and waiter service restaurant, etc.
2. Railway: Rail catering may be conveniently divided into two major areas – terminal catering and in-trans catering. Catering at the railway terminal usually comprises licensed bars, self service and waiter service restaurants, fast food and takes away dispensing hot and cold food and beverages. In-transit catering basically consists of two main types of service. The first is the restaurant car service where breakfast, lunch and dinner are sold to passengers. The other type of service is the buffet which is self service operation in which passengers go to the car and pick their choice of food from the counter. Meals on trains may be served in the restaurant cars and snacks from buffet cars. The space in a restaurant car kitchen is very limited and there is considerable movement of the train which causes difficulty for staff.
3. Airline: Airline catering has increased and developed considerably over the past twenty years. It originally consists of sandwiches and flask of tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages. Like the railways, airline catering\falls into two main areas; terminal catering and air terminals which usually consist of self service and waiter service restaurant, supplemented vending machines and licensed bars. The in-flight catering service varies considerably with the class of travel, type and of duration of flight etc. The food and beverages provided are highly standardized with the meals portioned and packed. The foods are re-heated before service to passengers on board. Disposable cutlery, napkins, cups etc. are used to cut down breakages and wastage.

One characteristic of airline catering is that e-catering service is often contracted to specialized catering firms. The provision of catering service in air travel to passengers is normally included in the price of the fare.

4. Sea or Maritime Catering: This varies from the provision of food and beverages on short sea-route ferries where the catering service does not often feature prominently, to the large cruise or passenger liners where the catering facilities are an important part of the service offered by the shipping line and are usually included in the price of the fare. On the cruise liners the standard of catering facilities is high because they are important sales feature in competitive activities. O the short route, the price is usually the more important factor and because of the necessity to feed large number of people, the catering service provided is usually of the popular and fast food types.
5. Clubs: Clubs as a sector of the hotel and catering industry are establishments offering food and drink and at times accommodation to members and bonafide guests.

The types of clubs range from working men’s clubs to political party clubs, social clubs, sport clubs and restaurant clubs to the private exclusive clubs. The proprietary clubs are the licensed clubs owned by the individual or company. They operate with a view to make profit. The registered clubs are those clubs whose management is responsible to an elected committee. The members own all the property, including, food and drinks and they pay their subscription to a common fund.

Non-commercial or Welfare Sector

As earlier mentioned, the fundamental difference between welfare and commercial catering of hotels and restaurant is that the latter is run to make a profit and provide a service. The objective of welfare catering is to provide a service without necessarily making a profit. The standards of cooking should be equally good, though the type of menu will be different.

The hospital catering has been grouped under the welfare catering. The object of catering in hospitals is to assist the medical staff (Doctors, Nurses, etc) to get the patient better as soon as possible. To do this, it is necessary to provide good quality food, to cook it with minimum loss of nutritional vale and to present is to the patent in an appetizing manner. When this is done, the catering staff are doing a really worthwhile job, which is one of the most important in the industry. Providing the service for hospital staff is also part of hospital catering. The hospital catering operates diverse services to meet the requirements of different levels staff activities. Many large hospitals have facilities for special functions, conferences and social events with the necessary food production and food and beverage service support.

Institutional Catering

This includes schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, prisons. In some of these establishments, no charge is made to certain groups of customers. The provisions of food and beverage services are partially or completely subsidized by various government funds. This is why the catering services are referred to as welfare sector. Very few catering contractors are found in this sector. Majority are self operated.

Industrial Catering

It is the policy of many large companies to provide catering facilities for employees as it has been realized that productivity and efficiency are related to the welfare and well being of the workers.

The different methods by which organizations provide catering facilities include:

1. A catering department can be set up within the company, the cost of the equipment, labour and other expenses will be borne by the company.
2. The company invites tenders from industrial caterers for the provision of catering services to the company. The facilities and equipment, and possibly labour and other costs, could be paid for by the company and for a fee the caterers will provide a catering manager who will organize and run the operation.

• The company could provide floor space to an outside caterer or catering organization at a normal rent. The equipment, labour, overhead and other costs are borne by the caterer.

Whatever method of catering is chosen, the extent of the subsidy and whether it is a fixed amount to offset looses or given in the form of luncheon vouchers to the employee is the management policy decision and this decision can only be reached after consideration of all known factors and information.

Other Aspects of Catering

1. Catering for the Army, Navy and Air-force

The catering services for the armed services are specialized and each have its own training centre. Details of catering facilities and career opportunities can be obtained from caterer information office.

2.Contract Catering

There are many concerns who are prepared to undertake the catering for businesses, schools, hospitals, etc, leaving these establishments free to concentrate on the business of educating or nursing, or whatever may be their main concern. By employing contract caterers, they are using the services of people who have specialized in catering, thus relieving themselves of the worry of entering a field outside their province. Contract catering is used by nearly every branch of catering including the armed forces. The arrangement varies depending on the type of contract.

3. Outside Catering (ODC)

When functions are held where there is no catering setup or where the function is not within the scope of the normal catering routine then certain firms will take over completely. Considerable variety is offered to people employed in these undertakings and often standard will be of the highest order. The types of function will include garden parties, agricultural and horticultural shows, the opening of new building, weddings, banquet and parties in private houses etc.

 SOURCE:NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA