Environmental studies

and Resource
Development
Bachelor of Hotel
Management
Unit Level: Year 2 Semester 1
Unit Code: BCHM 231
Unit Name: Food and Beverage Service
Systems
Facilitator: Mr. Weru Joshua

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 1

Basics of Food and Beverage Service
• The sectors of the food service industry can
be categorized into profit-oriented and non
profit oriented operations.
• The profit-oriented serve either the general
market such as hotels or restaurants, retail
stores, events/conferences, leisure
attractions, motor way service stations,
bars and off the premise catering, or
restricted market such as transport
catering, membership clubs and industrial
catering (contract).
• The non profit- oriented includes
institutional catering, hospitals, armed
forces, industrial
05-May-20
catering (in-house),
By Mr. Weru Joshua 2
• A chain restaurant that is part of a multi-unit
organization, offering standardized menus,
décor, type of service and marketing strategy.
• In addition to the basic purpose, restaurants
may provide the following facilities: Bar,
Entertainment, Children party facilities, Home
delivery services, Take-away services and/ or
Outdoor catering
• A restaurant professional will have to
understand the type of restaurant that he or
she is part of, in the first instance.
• The types of restaurants are: coffee shop,
specialty restaurants, fine dining, casual,
themed, fast foods, food courts and cafeterias

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 3

 Understanding Guest Service
• Simultaneous production and consumption:
• In services, the time period between the demand from a
customer and the supply of the request is very short,
sometimes immediate. In a meal, for example, the guest
will demand for the product and expect it to be created
immediately and served. The fast-food industry gets its
unique place because of the immediate satisfaction of a
meal demand.
• In service, the server is face-to-face with the customer
when he demands the product. He has to understand the
guest's special needs and respond correctly to satisfy that
need. In a meal experience a guest may ask for a meal
without garlic. The server is to respond to that need and
instruct the cooks with that special need which should be
satisfied in a reasonably accepted time between order and
supply.
• In service, the product or service is consumed
immediately. A meal is consumed immediately.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 4
• Service Intangibility:
• Services are largely based on reputation and word of
mouth publicity. There is no sampling first to ascertain
whether the service is suitable or not. A meal has to be
eaten to try whether it gives value.
• Service rely on the experience they give. Experiences are
very subjective and can vary from person to person. That
is the reason why some people may find a restaurant
wonderful to visit while others do not find it so.
• Services are perishable:
• Revenue from a cover not sold in a restaurant at meal
time, is lost forever. A meal returned by a guest because
it does not meet expectations is lost forever and thrown
out. It cannot be reused. Services cannot be stored. By
its very nature, services are consumed immediately. A
restaurant for instance, cannot store its lunchtime
service for dinner. The service is consumed in that
allotted time and the dinner service is another service
period altogether.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 5
• Service are heterogenous:
• Because services are provided by people, it is difficult to
standardize it. Quality control becomes a challenge though
restaurants have tried through training to standardize
procedures with the hope of consistent levels of service. It is
possible to standardize products like meals through standard
recipes and cooking methods. Unfortunately, service is
delivered by people who may vary in their attitudes and
consistency from day to day.
• The skills of those providing the service is very crucial to the
purchase experience. A bartender must produce the right
cocktail mix based on training and skill to satisfy the guest.
The server, therefore, provides the dining experience.
• Services are expensive:
• This is because they are delivered mostly by people. The
greater the skill of the server, the greater is the cost of the
service. To keep the service available, the staff have to be
present whether there are customers or not. A waiter in a
restaurant may pass a whole shift without a single customer
at his station. The cost of the waiter's presence has to be
borne by the owner.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 6
Food Service Professional
• Essential competencies:
• Competencies knowledge, skills and those
attitudes and behaviors that a person possesses.
• People may have these competencies as part of
their nature but there are some that can be
acquired and developed through constant
practice and discipline.
• Any hospitality education training builds these
competencies into their curriculum in recognition
of their importance in the profession.
• Hospitality being a people’s business requires the
highest standards of these attitudes and
behavior, because they are the intangibles that
impact on a guest experience far more than the
products they purchase.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 7
• Sound product knowledge
• Well-developed interpersonal skills
• A range of technical skills, and
• The ability to work as part of a team.
• Grooming:
• Grooming is one of the most important features of a
server. The server reflects the image of the
restaurant, since he or she is in direct contact with
guests.
• A well-groomed server represents qualities of
hygiene, professionalism, management style,
reliability, etc.
• Basic etiquettes:
• The hotel and restaurant business is a cocktail of
showmanship, diplomacy and sociability. All front line
personnel are required to have the ability to
communicate effectively with certain manners and
etiquette associated with
05-May-20
being a good host.
By Mr. Weru Joshua 8
• Sound product knowledge
• Well-developed interpersonal skills
• A range of technical skills, and
• The ability to work as part of a team.
• Grooming:
• Grooming is one of the most important features of a
server. The server reflects the image of the
restaurant, since he or she is in direct contact with
guests.
• A well-groomed server represents qualities of
hygiene, professionalism, management style,
reliability, etc.
• Basic etiquettes:
• The hotel and restaurant business is a cocktail of
showmanship, diplomacy and sociability. All front line
personnel are required to have the ability to
communicate effectively with certain manners and
etiquette associated with
05-May-20
being a good host.
By Mr. Weru Joshua 9
• Hygiene and Sanitation:
• Sanitation and hygiene are the predominant
criteria for a guest's choice of a restaurant. A
guest is particular about hygienic food and the
cleanliness of the environment.
• Attitudes:
• Attitudes are something that we own and are
responsible for. It comes from within and can
be positive or negative based on one's
experiences. Key attitudes required in food
service operations include:
• The joy of serving people
• A cheerful attitude
• Cooperation is vital in team performances
• Pride in one’s work brings excellence
• Honesty is a precious attribute
• Salesmanship
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 10
• Hygiene and Sanitation:
• Sanitation and hygiene are the predominant
criteria for a guest's choice of a restaurant. A
guest is particular about hygienic food and the
cleanliness of the environment.
• Attitudes:
• Attitudes are something that we own and are
responsible for. It comes from within and can
be positive or negative based on one's
experiences. Key attitudes required in food
service operations include:
• The joy of serving people
• A cheerful attitude
• Cooperation is vital in team performances
• Pride in one’s work brings excellence
• Honesty is a precious attribute
• Salesmanship
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 11
 Food and beverage service
areas & Equipment
• Front-of-house service areas or dining areas are some
of the busiest of a foodservice establishment,
especially during the service periods.
• It is therefore important that these areas are well
designed for operational purposes.
• The service areas behind the scenes are known as
back-of-house areas. These areas include the
stillroom, hotplate (or pass) area, the wash-up,
silver room and dispense bar.
• The back-of-house service areas are usually between
the kitchen and food and beverage service or
front-of-house areas.
• They are important parts of the design of a
foodservice operation. The back-of-house areas must
also be efficiently organised, stocked with well-
designed equipment and appropriately supervised.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 12
• A customer’s first impression on entering the
service area is of great important and their
business may be gained (or lost) on this alone.
• The creation of atmosphere by the right choice of
decor, furnishings and equipment is therefore a major
factor that contributes to the success of the
foodservice operation.
• A careful selection of items in terms of shape, design
and colour enhances the overall decor or theme and
contributes towards a feeling of harmony.
• The choice of furniture and its layout and the linen,
tableware, small equipment and glassware will be
determined by factors such as:
• the type of clientele expected
• the site or location of the establishment
• the layout of the food and beverage service area
• the type of service offered
• the funds available.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 13
• The food and beverage service equipment
can be classified into:
• Furniture: Tables, chairs and sideboard
• Linen
• Crockery
• Table: Flatware, cutlery and hollow-ware
• Glassware
• Disposables
• Automatic Vending

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 14

The Service Sequence/Chain and Methods
• The service chain is the string of events that takes
place before, during and after the service to the
guests in the restaurant.
• The service chain consists of the following:
• Briefing
• Mis-en-place
• Setting-up the sideboard
• Preparing the trolleys for service
• Cover set-up
• Restaurant table reservations
• Receiving and seating a guest
• Taking an order
• Food and Beverage Service
• Presenting the check
• Clearing after service
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 15
• The service of food and beverages may
be carried out in many ways depending
on the following factors:
• type of establishment
• time available for the meal
• type of menu presented
• site of the establishment
• type of customer to be served
• turnover of custom expected
• cost of the meal served.

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 16

• All modern food and beverage service methods can then be
grouped under the five customer processes that are
summarized as follows.
• Table service: the customer is served at a laid table. This type
of service, which includes plated service or silver service, is
found in many types of restaurant, cafés and in banqueting.
• Assisted service: the customer is served part of the meal at a
table and is required to obtain part through self-service from
some form of display or buffet. This type of service is found in
carvery type operations and is often used for meals such as
breakfast in hotels. It may also be used for functions.
• Self-service: the customer is required to help him or herself
from a buffet or counter. This type of service can be found in
cafeterias and canteens.
• Single point service: the customer orders, pays and receives
the food and beverages, for instance at a counter, at a bar in
licensed premises, in a fast-food operation or at a vending
machine.
• Specialized service (or service in situ): the food and drink is
taken to where the customer is. This includes tray service in
hospitals or aircraft, trolley service, home delivery, lounge and
room service.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 17
• Holding and using a service spoon and fork, and other
service equipment: For the service of food at a
customer’s table, especially for silver service, and for
serving at a buffet.
• Carrying plates: When placing and clearing plates from a
customer’s table.
• Using a service salver (round tray): For carrying glasses,
carrying tea and coffee services, as an under liner for
entrée dishes and for potato and vegetable dishes.
• Using a service plate: For carrying items to and from a
table, including clean cutlery, clearing side plates and
knives, crumbing down and clearing accompaniments.
• Carrying glasses: Carrying clean glasses by hand or on a
salver and for clearing dirty glasses from a service area
• Carrying and using large trays: For bringing equipment
or food and beverage items to the service area and for
clearing used equipment from the service area

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 18

• These essential technical skills are
used specifically for table service and
assisted service.
• However, these skills are also used when
providing other forms of service, for
example, when carrying trays for room
service or using a service salver for bar
service.

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 19

Foodservice Cycle
• Food service (or food and beverage) operations in the
hospitality industry provide food and drink ready for
immediate consumption (excluding retailing and food
manufacturing).
• The various elements that make up a food service operation
can be represented as the eight stages of the food service
cycle:
1. Consumer and market: existing and future consumer
needs and the potential market being served by the
operation.
2. Policy and objectives: these guide the operational
methods that will be includes the range and type of menu
and beverage lists to be prused.
3. Customer service specification: ovided, as well as other
services, and the service levels offered and prices to be
charged.
4. Facilities: the planning, design and operational capability
of the facilities and the plant and equipment required to
support the customer service specification.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 20
5. Purchasing: developing purchasing, storage
and stock control methods to meet the
needs of the food production, beverage
provision and other services provided.
6. Production and service: using efficient
food production and food and beverage
service methods to support the requirements
of the customer service specification.
7. Control of costs and revenue:
maintaining robust systems for revenue
accounting and monitoring the costs of
materials, labour and overheads.
8. Monitoring of customer satisfaction:
continually checking the extent to which the
operation is meeting customer needs and
achieving customer satisfaction.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 21
• The eight stages of the food service cycle follow a
logical sequence, from determining the market
needs the operation is intended to meet, through to
checking whether this is actually being achieved.
• The food service cycle helps us to understand how
an individual operation works. Difficulties in one
element of the cycle will cause difficulties in the
elements of the cycle that follow. For example,
difficulties with purchasing will affect food
production and service and control of costs and
revenues.
• Similarly, difficulties experienced with one element
of the cycle will have their causes in preceding
elements. For example, difficulties experienced in
food and beverage service are often caused by
factors such as poor purchasing, inadequate stock
control, equipment shortages, poor room layouts or
staffing problems.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 22
• The eight stages of the food service cycle follow a
logical sequence, from determining the market
needs the operation is intended to meet, through to
checking whether this is actually being achieved.
• The food service cycle helps us to understand how
an individual operation works. Difficulties in one
element of the cycle will cause difficulties in the
elements of the cycle that follow. For example,
difficulties with purchasing will affect food
production and service and control of costs and
revenues.
• Similarly, difficulties experienced with one element
of the cycle will have their causes in preceding
elements. For example, difficulties experienced in
food and beverage service are often caused by
factors such as poor purchasing, inadequate stock
control, equipment shortages, poor room layouts or
staffing problems.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 23
Variables in foodservice operations
• Operational variables can also be identified for
different foodservice operations. These
variables have been identified from a variety of
published sources as well as from experience
and can be divided into three groups:
• Organizational
• Customer experience
• Performance measures
• These different groups of variables enable the
systematic examination and comparison of
types of food and beverage operations.
• Profiles of differing types of operations can be
drawn, based upon the examples of variables
identified below.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 24
• The eight stages of the food service cycle follow a
logical sequence, from determining the market
needs the operation is intended to meet, through to
checking whether this is actually being achieved.
• The food service cycle helps us to understand how
an individual operation works. Difficulties in one
element of the cycle will cause difficulties in the
elements of the cycle that follow. For example,
difficulties with purchasing will affect food
production and service and control of costs and
revenues.
• Similarly, difficulties experienced with one element
of the cycle will have their causes in preceding
elements. For example, difficulties experienced in
food and beverage service are often caused by
factors such as poor purchasing, inadequate stock
control, equipment shortages, poor room layouts or
staffing problems.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 25
• Organizational • Staff working hours
variables: • Staff organisation
• Nature of market being• Staff capability
met
• Number of staff
• Legislative controls
• Specialized service
• Scale of operation requirements
• Marketing/merchandising • Provisioning and storage
• Style of menu and drinks methods
list • Billing methods
• Range of choice • Checking (order taking)
• Opening times/service methods
period • Clearing methods
• Production methods • Dishwashing methods
• Type and capability of• Control method
equipment costs/revenue
• Service methods
• Dining arrangements
• Number of covers available
• Capacity
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 26
• Customer experience variables:
• Food and drink available
• Level of service and other services
• Price range/value for money
• Cleanliness and hygiene
• Atmosphere (including decor, lighting,
air- conditioning, acoustics, noise, size
and shape of room, other customers,
attitude of staff).

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 27

• Performance measure variables:
• Seat turnover/customer throughput
• Customer spend/average check
• Revenue per member of staff
• Ratio of food and beverage sales to total
sales
• Sales analysis
• Stock turnover
• Complaint levels
• Level of repeat business.

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 28

Food Service System/Food
Production Methods
• A food service system can be defined as "an
integrated program in which procurement, storage,
preparation, and service of food and beverages and the
equipment and methods required to accomplish these
objectives are fully coordinated for minimum labor,
optimum customer satisfaction, quality, and cost control“
• It can also be defined as an interconnected web
of activities, resources and people that extends
across all domains involved in providing human
nourishment and sustaining health, including
production, processing, packaging,
distribution, marketing, consumption and
disposal of food.
• Simply put, it means the provision of food and
drink ready for consumption away from home.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 29
• New production/service systems for food service
organizations have developed in recent years.
• Characterized by a separation of production and
service of food in time and/or place, these new
systems have been primarily aimed at increasing
productivity, decreasing cost, or strengthening
control of operations.
• Because food service managers assume primary
responsibility for food safety and quality regardless
of the type of system, complex managerial
decisions are required to develop and implement
appropriable food service systems that serve
quality food at minimal cost.
• The physical, chemical and microbiological
changes occurring in food throughout all stages
of procurement, production and service must be
monitored and controlled to ensure the· quality and
safety of the finished products.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 30
• Spiraling labour costs and technological
innovation in both food and equipment
have led to implementation of these
new types of systems.
• Faced with these costs and a lack of
available highly skilled employees, food
service managers have been receptive to
using the new forms of food with built-in
convenience or labour-saving features.
• These foods, in their various forms and
stages of preparation, have appeared on
the market in increasing numbers each
year.
• Many require specialized equipment for
final production, Bydelivery
05-May-20 Mr. Weru Joshua and service. 31
• The key considerations for food service
managers in determining the appropriate
in food service systems or production
methods may include:
• Food hygiene is paramount.
• Raw materials should be of good quality.
• Foods should be stored correctly (during
storage food must be kept below 5°C or
above 63°C).
• The most appropriate preparation method
should be selected for each item of food.
• Wastage minimized
• Employees must comply with food handling
regulations
• Foods should be cooked to the correct
temperatures
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 32
• The food service systems differ in relation
to:
• Actual location where food is produced
• Total time from preparation to service
• Staff numbers required
• Level of hygiene and control
• Quantity of food produced
• There are five main food service
systems including:

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 33

 Conve
ntional
Syste
m
Commi
Assem ssary/
bly
Serve Central
Food ized
System Service System
Systems

Cook-
Cook-
Freeze
Chill
Syste
System
m
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 34
• Conventional Method:
• The conventional food service system is the type
most establishments have traditionally used.
• Foods are purchased for an individual operation
in various stages of preparation, but al1
production is completed and foods are served on
the same premises.
• Following production, foods are held hot or
chilled, as appropriate for the menu item, and
served as soon as possible.
• The majority of food is purchased raw, very
little falling into what we now call the
‘convenience foods’ category.
• Facilities are provided for the receipt and
storage of goods, the preparation, cooking,
holding and service of food and for dishwashing
facilities
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 35
• Food prepared in the conventional system may
be distributed for service directly to a nearby
serving area such as cefeteria, dinining room etc.
• During each day the use of labour is
intermittent, rising to a peak just before the
service of each meal.
• The same situation exists with the cooking
equipment, good utilization for short periods, but
overall poor utilization of capital plant.
• This in turn leads to poor use of electricity and
gas appliances, which are often turned on in the
morning and left on during the day, although
only efficiently utilized for a few hours.
• Altogether it is an expensive way of running a
kitchen: expensive because of the manpower
needed to operate it and its space, equipment
and energy requirements.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 36
• Because of increasing labour costs,
managers of conventional food services
have gradually made changes in
ingredients and menu items purchased in
an attempt to reduce the labour needed
for meal production.
• Convenience foods may be introduced
into a conventional production kitchen.
• Conventional production using
convenience foods may range from
partial to virtually complete reliance on
the use of the wide variety of
convenience foods now available.

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 37

• Commissary/ Centralized Food Production
Method:
• Technological innovations and the design of
sophisticated food service equipment have led to the
evolution and development of commissary food
service systems.
• These commissary systems· are characterized by a
centralized food procurement and production facility,
with distribution of prepared menu items to several
remote areas for final preparation and service.
• The centralized production facilities are often referred
to as central commissaries or food factories, and
the service units as satellite service centers or
restaurants.
• The potential for economies from large-scale
purchasing and production in a central facility has been
used to justify design and construction of these
complex operations with expensive automated
equipment for production of foods from unprocessed
states.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 38
• Because of the large scale production quantities,
recipes and food production techniques require
major modification.
• For example, the degree of doneness is less for most
menu items because of the additional heating or
thermalization needed at the satellite service centers
to bring the foods to an acceptable serving
temperature.
• Foods are held after production, frozen, chilled, or
heated, for distribution to the service centers.
• These menu items may be stored in bulk or in
individual portions. The type of storage used may
depend on the time lag necessary between production
and service.
• Many menu items that have been held frozen or
chilled require an additional thermal process to heat
them to desirable service temperature.
• Highly specialized distribution equipment may be
needed, depending on the type and location of
satellite service centers.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 39
• In food service organizations with many serving
units, centralized production and other activities
with commissary type systems have been tried in an
attempt to curtail labour and other costs.
• The commissary food service principles have been
adopted in systems where service areas are
remote from, yet accessible to, the production
center.
• Reducing duplication of production, labour, and
equipment that occurs if production centers are
located at each food service site has been the
objective.
• Space requirements at the service centers can
also be minimized because of the limited
production equipment required.
• The high capital cost for construction of these large
central production units and also the high cost for
transportation equipment and the increasing
expenses for distribution are current concerns in
evaluating the effectiveness
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua of these systems. 40
• Commissary systems are adaptable particularly for
food service operations with service in unique places.
One of the best examples can be found in airline food
service, where the commissary system has been
applied for many years.
• Ready Prepared:
• Ready prepared food service systems have been
developed in response to increased labour costs and
to a critical shortage of skilled food production
personnel.
• In ready prepared systems, menu items are
produced and held frozen or chilled for service.
• A key difference between ready prepared and
conventional systems is that menu items are not
produced for immediate service in ready systems.
• Many of the production, packaging and storage
techniques are similar to those used in commissary
systems; however, the scale of production is not as
large because the ready prepared system is
designed for a single operation.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 41
• Generally, ready prepared systems have been
adopted because completely prepared foods are not
available in the market to meet the needs of an
organization. In the healthcare industry, in particular,
prepared foods are often not available to meet the
specialized needs of patients with varying health
problems.
• Cook-chill and cook-freeze are two variations of ready
prepared systems.
• Basic principles of cook-freeze and cook-chill systems
1. All raw foods used should be of a good microbiological
quality.
2. The initial cooking of the foods will ensure the
destruction of the vegetative stages of any pathogenic
microorganism present.
3. As some microorganisms produce spores which are not
killed by normal cooking procedures, it is vital that the
temperature range from 7°C to 63°C, at which these
organisms can quickly multiply, must be covered as
quickly as possible to restrict growth during cooking. The
same attention needs to be applied when regenerating
the foods.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 42
4. Cross-contamination must be avoided throughout
the process, particularly between that of raw and
cooked foods. Physical separation of pre-
preparation and cooking areas is essential to aid
this.
5. The storage and distribution conditions for cooked
and chilled foods must be strictly controlled to
ensure their quality and safety.
6. The reheating and service procedures for the food
must be strictly adhered to, to ensure the food’s
safety with the temperature of all food being strictly
monitored.
7. The entire process is subject to HACCP.
• Cook-freeze production:
• The term ‘cook-freeze’ refers to a catering system
based on the full cooking of food followed by fast
freezing, with storage at a controlled low
temperature of -18°C or below, followed by
subsequent complete reheating close to the
consumer, prior to prompt
05-May-20 consumption.
By Mr. Weru Joshua 43
• Cook-freeze is a complete food production
process from the initial raw food through to
the final service of the product and is largely
done by food manufacturing companies rather
than by caterers.
• Cook-chill production:
• The term ‘cook-chill’ refers to a catering
system based on the full cooking of food
followed by fast chilling, with storage in
controlled low storage temperature conditions
just above freezing point and between 0°C
and 3°C, followed by subsequent complete
reheating close to the consumer prior to
prompt consumption.
• It has a short shelf life compared to cook-
freeze of up to five days, including the day of
production, distribution time and regeneration.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 44
• Ready prepared food service systems have
been adopted in many operations to
reduce labour expenditures and use labour
more effectively.
• Peak demands for labour are removed
because production is designed to meet
future rather than immediate needs.
• Production personnel can be scheduled for
regular working hours rather than during the
early morning and late evening shifts that
are required in conventional systems.
• The heating and service of menu items
does not require highly skilled employees
and thus, reductions in labour costs are often
possible.
• Food procurement in volume may decrease
food costs in theseBysystems.
05-May-20 Mr. Weru Joshua 45
• Assembly Food Service System:
• Also referred to as convenience food.
• Pre-prepared foods are purchased from food
processing units and reconstituted in premises.
• It is used in fast food industry usually health care
institutions, hospitals and restaurants.
• The primary objective of assembly systems is to
provide food ready for service while
minimizing the amount of the food service
operation.
• Food products are brought into the system with a
maximum degree of processing.
• Only storage, heating and service functions are
commonly performed.
• Food served are generally convenience foods
which are purchased, stored and reheated/
reconstituted for service.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 46
• The assembly food service system
traditionally has been the least common,
although that is changing due to the
current operating environment.
• In today’s environment, labor is scarce
and expensive. Also, there are many
choices in foods that can be purchased
that only require heating and serving.
• The purchased food is stored either frozen
or chilled for later use. It is then
portioned, reheated, and served to
customers

05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 47

Restaurant Supervisory
Tasks
Point of Sale Promotion and Merchandizing Techniques
• Point Sale Promotion:
• Sales promotion is a form of temporary
incentive highlighting aspects of a product
that are not inherent to it.
• Sales promotion may be aimed at customers,
distribution channels and sales employees.
• In many instances it does occur at the point of
sale.
• Promotional techniques aimed at incentives to
distribution channels include;
• free restaurant meals,
• Free gifts,
• competitions and the use of the hotel’s
leisure facilities.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 49
• Sales promotions aimed directly at customers
include;
• discounts or special prices during off-peak
periods,
• Free bottle of wine for every two adult meals
ordered, etc.
• Customer wine tasting sessions
• Special events and promotions may be
communicated to the customer by advertising,
by direct mail, by telephone or by posters and
tent cards.
• Sales promotion incentives to employees
include;
• commission related sales,
• competitions,
• token and points systems occurring over an
extended period to encourage an ongoing sales
commitment by theBysales
05-May-20 force.
Mr. Weru Joshua 50
• Personal Selling and Upselling:
• When customers enter a restaurant their first
personal contact with the restaurant staff is usually
the waiter who shows them to their table.
• How often is that same customer presented with
the menu and then left to ponder for a considerable
time without being asked if they would like a drink
while considering the menu.
• A potential drink sale is lost immediately.
• When the waiter comes to take customers ’ orders
there is another chance for the employee to
promote the menu, perhaps the restaurant ’ s
speciality, a side salad, additional vegetables, wine
to accompany the meal, rather than simply being
an order taker.
• At the end of the meal the presentation of the
dessert and liqueur trolleys can do much to
revitalize a customer’s palate, rather than the
waiter
05-May-20 merely asking ifBy sweet or coffee are required.51
Mr. Weru Joshua
• Within the context of personal selling, the
service staff should be able to:
• describe the food and wines on offer in an
informative and appealing way, that makes
the product sound interesting and desirable
• use the opportunity to promote specific items
when seeking orders from the customer
• seek information from the customer in a way
that promotes sales, for example, rather than
asking if a sweet is required, ask which sweet
is required
• use opportunities for the sales of additional
items such as a dessert wine with a sweet
course
• provide a competent service of the items for
sale and seek customers’ views on the
acceptability of the food, wines and the
service
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 52
• Merchandising:
• Merchandising is “point-of-purchase” advertisement.
It’s success is based on presenting items at the right
place and at the right time.
• Its main role is to improve the average spend per
head of the customer.
• Food and beverage merchandising tend to be mainly
visual, but may also be audio or audio-visual.
• Merchandising methods are as follows:
• Food trolleys: Restaurants have wine trolleys, hors
d’ houevres trolleys, salad trolleys, roast trolleys and
liqueur trolleys. The appropriate food and beverage
items are displayed attractively to stimulate sales.
These are wheeled to a guest table at the
appropriate time of the meal. The trolleys are
equipped with the appropriate service ware and
accessories to provide prompt service. For example,
the wine trolley would have corkscrews, half-plates
to present the cork, appropriate glassware etc.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 53
• Merchandising:
• Gueridon Trolley: Is a mobile cooking range on
which food is cooked beside a guest table. This
certainly attracts attention because there is
showmanship with flambé and sizzlers. This may
attract other guests to enjoy tableside preparations.
Gueridon-cooked items attract higher prices and
greater profits.
• Wine Displays: Restaurants which have well-
stocked cellars wish to advertise the fact by
presenting wine displays in the restaurant to
stimulate wine sales. While wine is the focus of
displays, other innovative decorations are also
provided.
• Tent Cards are a popular way to merchandise. It is
convenient, light and directly placed where it
matters – on the guest table. They advertise specials
of the day, specials of the restaurant, other outlets
of a hotel, special events, other promotions etc.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 54
• Merchandising:
• Salad Bars are a new concept to meet the needs of
the weight-conscious public. Salads are displayed
attractively in a cart or counter. Guests can create
their own salads by choosing from freshly cut
ingredients like lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms,
tomatoes, olives, etc. Most luncheon restaurants have
introduced this as a regular feature.
• T-Shirts worn by staff, advertise items as a gimmick.
They are popular in informal outlets. They may
advertise ice creams, desserts or the special of the
day.
• Menu Covers are the most significant merchandising
medium used to advertise and sell food. Alot of effort
goes into presenting the menu.
• Floor Stands or display boards are placed in
reception areas and foyers to promote special
events and forthcoming attractions. The emphasis
on placing such merchandising in common areas that
are frequented most byBy Mr.
05-May-20 the Werugeneral
Joshua public. 55
• Merchandising:
• Posters are another effective way of
merchandising. These are placed in strategic
places in hotel like elevators and lobbies to
advertise the various outlets and facilities of the
property. Posters must be attractive and colourful
to draw the attention of a viewer and stimulate
them to try the facility. Having colourful
transparencies lit from behind is now used in
lobbies and fast food restaurants to dramatically
advertise the dishes the outlet offers.
• A Clip-on is a special merchandising card that is
attached to the menu to advertise the dish of the
day or the higher-priced specialties of the
restaurant.
• Place mats are used by casual restaurants like
snack bars and coffee shops that advertise the
breakfast menu and off-meal snacks.
05-May-20 By Mr. Weru Joshua 56
Health and Sanitation
• Hygiene matters are those that directly affect
a person’s health, while sanitation is related to
the contamination of the environment, which
affects the health of the people generally.
• Most governments have legislations and by-laws
to protect the consumer from contamination.
• Restaurants have been asked to close down if
the municipal or health authorities are not
confident of the standards of preparation and
service of the restaurant.
• Today the consumer is very particular about
those things that he or she is going to consume
and therefore a restaurant tagged as possessing
poor hygiene standards is doomed to failure.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 57
• The concern for hygiene and sanitation starts
from the time of designing a premise for food
service.
• There are many inter-related aspects of preparation
and service that have to be considered at the
design stage so as to protect the establishment
from hazards.
• Restaurant health and sanitation revolves around
three important aspects:
• Environment:
• Site selection-The site must not be open to air
pollution or close to sewage dumps. The premises
must be away from any sites where there are
hazards of insects and pests.
• Floors of kitchens must be non-absorbent, non-
corrosive, non-slippery and hardwearing, fire
resistant, free from joints, not easily damaged and
above all easy to clean.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 58
• Equipment and work surfaces for food preparation
must be very clean at all times. Stainless steel is
now the standard material used for equipment and
work tables. They are easily cleaned and durable.
• The exhaust systems must be efficient in kitchen
operations to draw out contamination from spent
fuel. Extractor Hoods over hot ranges remove fumes,
vapours and odours. The hoods come with grease
filters to ensure that grease does not settle in the
hood ducts and pose a fire hazard.
• If the premises is part of existing buildings, then
one has to give consideration to the waste disposal
processes and the supply of potable water. The
plumbing system has to be examined for its quality
of pipes and durability otherwise leaking pipes can
contaminate the water being supplied. The
drainage and waste disposal too has to be
examined ensuring that the municipal garbage
disposal regulations are met.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 59
• Food handling:
• The food handling process during operations became
an important part of hygiene and sanitation concerns.
It starts with the receiving area when raw materials
are received into the property. Perishables in particular
like meats, fruits, vegetables and dairy products could
be carriers of bacteria at the outset. The receiving
area should be tiled and kept clean at all times. It
should also have a sink to wash down vegetables,
fruits and fish before they enter the property.
Receiving personnel take great pains to ensure that
damaged, rotten food or infested foods are not
accepted into the establishment.
• Storage facilities are vital to ensure proper hygiene
and sanitation conditions. At the outset only it should
be seen that there are separate stores for different
products.
• Heat is a good method to kill bacteria. So at the
cooking stage most risks are eliminated provided the
raw materials used are fresh.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 60
• Food handling:
• Kitchens have to be kept spotlessly clean through
frequent cleaning schedules. Food fallen on the
floor cannot be allowed to stay. The stewarding
department is responsible for just this. Kitchens
must have adequate garbage disposal bins, which
must be emptied at the municipality garbage
point frequently. Kitchens and stores must be put
through regular pest control schedules to eliminate
rodents, insects and flies.
• Personal hygiene:
• Contamination can take place from the people
who cook and serve the food. A sick person could
transfer bacteria through his breath. Blood borne
pathogens are transferred through cuts in fingers
and other body parts. Foreign matter like hair,
glass, wood etc. could fall into food at the cooking,
holding and service stages.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 61
Safety
• Food service operations are playing fields for
hazards. One may not realise the risks each day the
cooking brigade is exposed to because it is dealing
with power equipment and tools.
• State governments understand this aspect and have
come up with legislation for the protection of staff,
property and guests.
• The hazards in a restaurant kitchen for instance
may involve burns, cuts, fires, strains and sprains
and electrocution.
• The most important things for management must
be to have policies and procedures to prevent them
from happening and an effective way to respond to
such mishaps should they occur.
• The considerations for safety are factored in at
the time of construction and facility planning of
kitchens and food service areas.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 62
• Facility Planners would have given thought to the
following:
• All electrical cables that supply power to the
restaurant electrical equipment are certified as safe
using the proper material and standards.
• Cabling must be done through proper metal conduits
from the power source to the supply source. There
should not be any loose cabling in the operation.
• The kitchen has adequate ventilation and exhaust
systems.
• Traffic movement should be studied and adequate
spaces should be provided for staff to move around.
One must understand that they would be carrying hot
pots, dishes and needing free movement.
• Floors must have anti-skidding tiles and hardy enough
to take heavy traffic.
• Gas fuel pipes must be laid out as per legal
requirements and clearly marked in colour to identify
them for future leaks. The gas banks should be kept
outside the building in cages open to the open air.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 63
• Facility Planners would have given
thought to the following:
• Voltage and wattage supply must match the
requirements of the restaurant equipment to
avoid short-circuits and burn-outs leading to fire
hazards.
• The restaurant should be equipped with the
appropriate fire-fighting equipment including
extinguishers and hoses.
• The restaurant should be equipped with the
appropriate fire-fighting equipment including
extinguishers and hoses.
• Appropriate fire exits should be provided for staff
and guests to escape in an emergency.
• Switches of electrical equipment must be easily
visible and reachable.
• Install fire-detection devices
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 64
Legal issues in restaurant operations
• There are a wide variety of legal requirements for
foodservice operations.
• These include company law, liquor licensing
regulations and employment law.
• A summary of the key responsibilities of the
foodservice supervisor are given below
• Health and Safety regulations:
• There is a common law duty to care for all lawful
visitors. In addition, establishments must not:
• sell (or keep for sale) food and beverages that are
unfit for people to eat
• cause food or beverages to be dangerous to health
• sell food or beverages that are not what the
customer expects, in terms of content or quality
• describe or present food in a way that is false or
misleading.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 65
• It is important for a foodservice operator to be
able to demonstrate that steps have been taken
to ensure good food hygiene (this is called due
diligence).
• The Hotels and Restaurants Act: Chapter
494
• Operating permit from county government
• Hygiene licensing under sanitation and public
health: For the Premises and food handlers
• Liquor licensing:
• The sale of alcoholic liquor is subject to liquor
licensing requirements, which have four key
objectives:
• the prevention of crime and disorder
• public safety
• the prevention of public nuisance
• the protection of children from harm.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 66
• There are usually requirements for:
• the display of a summary of the licence,
including the days and times of opening, name
of the registered holder, license number and
valid date
• drinks price lists to be displayed
• restrictions on under-aged persons being
served alcohol and employed to serve alcohol
• requirements for an authorised person to be on
site at all times.
• Other types of licenses may include, for
example, licences for
• music (live or pre-recorded),
• dancing,
• gambling,
• theatrical performance and
• television display.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 67
• In all cases the supervisor and the
staff should be aware of the provisions
and limitations of the licences to
ensure compliance.
• Avoiding discrimination
• The foodservice supervisor should be
aware of and take steps to ensure that
the operation and the staff do not
discriminate on grounds of ethnic
origin, race, creed, sex or disability.

10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 68

Customer Relations
• Customer relations are concerned with the conditions
staff work under which may assist or prevent good
standards of interpersonal skills being maintained.
• There are two aspects to this: first, the physical
conditions experienced by staff and, second, the
satisfaction or other wise customers receive from the
food and beverage service experience.
• In order to develop and maintain good customer
relations, the super visor must be able to:
• recognise the symptoms of a deterioration in
customer relations
• minimise the causes of customer relations
problems.
• Some of the symptoms that can indicate customer
relations problems are:
• increasing complaints about products/staff
• increasing accidents
• mistakes by staff in orders,
10/08/2024
etc.
Mr. Weru Joshua 69
 • customers arriving without prior
bookings having been recorded
• arguments between staff
• poor staff morale
• breakages or shortages of equipment
• high turnover of staff.

10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 70

• Customer satisfaction:
• As discussed earlier the factors that might
affect the customer’s enjoyment of a
specific meal experience in a particular
operation include the following:
• welcome, decor and ambience of the
establishment
• level of efficiency shown, for example, has
the booking been taken properly, using the
customer’s name?
• location of the table
• presentation and cleanliness of the menu
and drinks list
• order being taken – recognition of the host
• availability of dishes/items
• Speed and efficiency of service
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 71
• Customer satisfaction:
• quality of food and drink
• courteousness of staff
• obtrusiveness/attentiveness of staff
• ability to attract the attention of staff
• other customers’ behaviour
• method in which complaints are
handled
• method of presenting the bill and
receiving payment
• attentiveness towards customers at
their departure.

10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 72

• Customer satisfaction:
• The supervisor is responsible for minimizing
potential customer relations problems.
• They should be as much concerned with the
physical aspects of the service as with the way in
which the service is operated and with the
interpersonal interaction between customers and
staff.
• In food and beverage service operations
interaction also takes place with people outside
the service areas, such as kitchen staff, bill office
staff, dispense bar staff and stillroom staff.
• It is important that the provision of food and
beverages within an establishment is seen as a
joint effort between all departments, with each
department understanding the needs of the others
in order to meet customer demands.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 73
• Monitoring customer satisfaction:
• A food and beverage operation must
continually monitor its performance and
levels of customer satisfaction so that it can
take action as appropriate to maintain and
improve the level of business.
• In addition to considering financial
performance measures, there are various
other methods used for monitoring.
• Informal approaches: subjective and intuitive
approaches, which include asking customers
directly for feedback and monitoring the service
periods for signs of issues with the service, can
be very effective.
• Monitoring sales data: includes sales mix data
which can indicate changes in customer trends
for the business.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 74
• Customer satisfaction questionnaires: these can be
available, or given out within the operation or
sent to customers after wards. The forms usually
ask for some rating of the experience with details
ranging from factors such as warmth of greeting to
value for money and also the likelihood of the
customer recommending the operation to someone
else.
• Complaint monitoring: monitoring complaints (and
compliments) can be helpful in measuring levels
of customer satisfaction. However, it is also possible
that complaints might be unjustified or the result of
some other dissatisfaction which is not in the
control of the operation.
• Monitoring media: this includes printed media such
as magazines, television, social media and customer
rating websites such as TripAdvisor and OpenTable.

10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 75

• Monitoring customer satisfaction:
• Staff focus group sessions: staff focus
groups can provide a valuable review
process, especially when independent people
lead the sessions. These sessions provide an
opportunity to review the customer service
specification against the experience of those
members of staff who work within it.
• Mystery shopper: this means using an
unidentified customer who tests the services
of the organization and then provides a report
to the organization. The individual will check
that standards are maintained and will usually
work to a brief and checklist. Mystery shoppers
are not professionals; they need by necessity
to remain customers, although the companies
that employ them are professional.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 76
• Staffing levels, staff organisation and training :
• Staff organisation in food and beverage ser vice
centres on having sufficient trained and competent
staff on duty to match the expected level of customer
demand.
• The first step in staff organisation is to determine
the expected level of customer demand.
• This can be done from sales records. As most
operations have limitations in the number of customers
that can be served at any particular time, it is also
necessary to calculate the potential customer
throughput.
• Customer throughput being the number of customers a
restaurant can served in a specified time period such as
an hour
• There is a relationship between the volume of
customers to be served and the length of time they
stay on the premises. The time customers take in
different types of operation
10/08/2024
varies.
Mr. Weru Joshua 77
• There is also a relationship between the
volume of customers and the opening
times of the operation.
• Customer throughput can be determined
since all customers are usually seated
for both table and assisted service
methods.
• Staffing levels, staff organisation
and training :
• For new operations the throughput
must be estimated as it is limited by
the length of seating time and the
opening hours of the operation.
• For existing operations sales records will
provide a guide potential throughput.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 78
• Thus, a restaurant that is open for two and a half hours
at lunchtime may require staff to be on duty for up to five
hours.
• Staffing levels, staff organisation and training :
• To calculate the total staffing required in a formal dining
restaurant:
• Estimate the number of staff required per service period in
one week.
• Multiply the number of staff per service period by the number
of hours worked in each period.
• Divide total staff hours by full-time working week hours.
This will give the full-time equivalent of number of staff
required.
• Mix part-time and full-time staff hours to cover all ser vice
periods.
• Draw up staff rota, which may be on a two- or three-week
cycle to allow for days off, etc.
• Similar approaches for estimating staffing requirements
exist for the other service method groups such as
cafeteria, single point or specialized service operations,
although the calculation of
10/08/2024
throughput differs.
Mr. Weru Joshua 79
• Staffing levels, staff organisation and
training :
• Daily duty rota:
• The objective of a duty rota is to ensure that
all the necessary duties are covered in order
that efficient service may be carried out.
• The exact nature of the duty rota will vary
according to the type of establishment, the
duties to be performed, the number of staff, staff
time off and whether a split/straight shift is
worked.
• A duty rota also provides the basis for staff
training. Detailed lists are drawn up for all the
tasks and duties that must be covered. These
task and duty lists will also identif y the standards
that are to be achieved for the operation.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 80
• Staff training:
• Training may be defined as the systematic
development of people. The general objectives of
training are to:
• increase the quantity and quality of output by
improving employee skills
• reduce accidents
• increase the return to the employee in personal
rewards, such as increased pay, recognition and other
benefits which the employee wants from the job
• make the operation more profitable by reducing the
amount of equipment and material required to
produce or sell in a given unit
• make it possible for the supervisor to spend less time
correcting mistakes and more time in planning
• minimise discharges because of inadequate skills
• improve morale and achieve a more satisfactory
working environment
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 81
 • enable new employees to meet their job
requirements and enable experienced
employees to accept transfers, adapt to
new methods, increase efficiency and
adjust to changing needs
• encourage willingness, loyalty, interest
and the desire to excel.
• Training programmes and the role of
the supervisor:
• The advantages of clear and thorough
training programmes include:
• identification of standards of
performance required
• improved ability of staff
• a means of measuring ability
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 82
• more efficient working
 • ensure that legal and company requirements
are met (for example, no staff under 18 to
work with dangerous equipment)
• develop and train staff as required
• develop existing staff to train others
• identify training needs of staff, now and in
the future
• What is a training need?:
• A training need is present when there is a
gap between:
• the knowledge, skills and attitudes displayed
by people in their jobs, and
• the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed
for them to achieve the results the job
requires, both now and in the future.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 83
• Food and beverage pricing:
• Price is that element of the meal experience that also
relates to value.
• Price is also directly related to profitability.
• However, price is also flexible and can be changed
relatively easily, thereby changing value perceptions
and possibly changing profitability.
• Although values are attached to various food and
beverage products because of the perception of the
customer needs they can satisfy, the ability to
realize those goals is dependent on the customer’s
ability to pay.
• But this is not just about having the required
amount of money.
• Customers also make choices by considering their
view of the relationship between price, cost, worth
and value:
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 84
• Food and beverage pricing:
• Price: the amount of money required to purchase
the product.
• Cost: includes in addition to price the cost of not
going somewhere else, the cost of transport and
time, the cost of potential embarrassment, the cost
of having to look and behave in a required
manner and the cost in terms of effort at work to
earn the money to pay the required price.
• Worth: a perception of the desirability of a particular
product over another in order to satisfy a set of
established goals.
• Value: a perception of the balance between worth
and cost.
• Good value for a food and beverage operation is
where the worth is perceived as greater than the
costs, and poor value is where the costs are
perceived as greater than the worth.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 85
• Prices should always be set in relation to the
quality and value perception that operators
want the customers to have.
• Food and beverage pricing:
• It is good practice to establish a price range
within which the customer will be prepared to
pay.
• Setting prices within ranges, which the
consumers will pay, should also be
undertaken with reference to the particular
market segment and type of operation.
• Market research can determine a range within
which families travelling on motor ways, for
example, are prepared to stop and pay for food
and drink, and will also be able to determine a
price range for a particular menu item.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 86
• Various pricing methods are available to
foodservice operators, but whichever
methods are used, the foodservice operator
should always have a clear pricing policy or
objective in mind. These pricing objectives
might include the following:
• Sales volume maximisation: the pricing
objective is to achieve the highest sales
possible.
• Market share gain: the objective is to increase
the number of customers relative to the total
possible market and the competition.
• Profit maximisation: the pricing objective is to
achieve the highest profit possible.
• Market penetration: the pricing objective is to
move from a position of a zero or low market
share to a significant market share.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 87
• Food and beverage revenue control:
• A control system covering the sale of all food and
beverages in a foodservice operation is essential to
maximize returns.
• The type of control system used will vary from one
operation to another.
• The main control methods in use in foodservice
establishments are:
• Order taking methods
• Billing methods: This also includes the acceptable
methods of payment
• Sales summary sheets: Sales summary sheets are also
known as restaurant analysis sheets, bill summaries or
records of restaurant sales. There are many different
formats for sales summaries, which are often
electronically produced. Depending on the needs of the
establishment
• Operational statistics or performance measures: May
include sales mix figures, cost percentages, seat turnover,
average spend per guest among others
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 88
Menu Engineering and Analysis
• Menu engineering is the most scientific
approach, providing a quantitative
method of evaluating a menu.
• In this approach, both the profitability and
popularity of items are evaluated and
ranked. Items are categorized as stars,
dogs, plow horses, or puzzles, and treated
accordingly. To assist in performing this
analysis, computers are extremely helpful.
• Its origin is based on the famous
Boston consulting group portfolio
technique.
•10/08/2024
The concept Mr.of menu engineering
Weru Joshua 89
• Menu engineering is the most conservative and
complete approach to maximizing sales.
• It works on the basis of gross profit and menu item
price elasticity, and from that data you can measure
the popularity and profitability of each menu item.
• The gross-profit theory of menu analysis states that
profits are maximized through the correct
combinations of selling prices, costs, and sales
counts.
• Menu engineering provides a quantitative method
of evaluating the success of a new menu as
compared to a previous one.
• The data required to prepare the menu engineering
analysis includes selling prices, sales counts of each
menu item, and direct product costs.
• Non-entrée food items, as well as beverages, should
be separated and analyzed by category. Menu
engineering includes price elasticity testing.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 90
• A price is said to be inelastic when the quantity
sold does not vary with price increases or
reductions.
• It would be unwise to reduce the price of an
inelastic item, since the sales would be
unaffected.
• On the other hand, an item has an elastic price
when sales counts can be affected dramatically
via price increases or reductions.
• Dropping the price of an elastic item may
stimulate sales and increase total profit.
• On the other hand, increasing the price of a
difficult-to-handle, high-cost elastic item that
draws in customers may lower the number sold,
thus increasing the contribution margin for the
item but not the overall restaurant profit
percentage.
10/08/2024 Mr. Weru Joshua 91
• The menu engineering highlights the good and the
poor performer in a menu, and provides vital
information for making the next menu more
acceptable and appealing to the customer and
also more profitable for the management.
• Objectives of Menu Engineering:
• Helps to foodservice operator when to keep menu
items and when to take off items from the menu.
• Helps to determine which menu items are over or
underpriced.
• Helps in designing profitable menu.
• Helps to select the menu items to be
repositioned to gain popularity.
• Helps to revise recipe and portion size of the
menu item.
• Helps in monitoring menu performance.

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• Menu engineering focuses on the three
main elements:
• Demand: The number of customers who
visited the restaurant and had meals in the
restaurant. The feedback form is filled up by
them and their remarks regarding the menu
are taken into account.
• Menu mix: The dishes which are more
ordered by the guests are analyzed to know
that which set of dishes are more popular and
how management can improve its profitability
by having menu mix.
• Contribution: The gross profit earned by
selling a particular menu is analyzed and
compared with the other menus gross profit
(Gross profit = Sales -food cost/variable cost).
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• The following pre-requisites are must for using
this technique:
• Standard recipes: All recipes prepared by the
kitchen must be of a standard including its portion
size, presentation of the dish, accompaniments
served, etc. This will ensure the accurate food cost.
• Uniform rate: The rates of all the raw material must
be standard and uniform so that there is no
variation in food cost for the menus.
• Sales analysis: The sales analysis of each menu
and meal must be done carefully and it must be
accurate so that the different menus sales can be
analyzed. This can be done by making analytical
sales summary sheet.
• Computers: for the purpose of calculating sale,
food cost, gross profit, etc. It is recommended that
the computer should be used so that all calculation
are done accurately and with speed.
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• Using this simple mix, menu items can
be grouped depending upon the
popularity among guests, gross profit
contribution etc.
• The four squares of the matrix
commonly plotted depending upon the
performance of items in a particular
square.

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• On a graph comparing popularity to profit, using data
from a recent time period such as the previous 30
days, plot menu items.
• It should look something like this:
• Stars: high profitability and high popularity
• Your stars are… well, the stars on your menu! As such,
your menu design should highlight them. Rather than
experiment with these menu items, keep them
consistent, and promote them in any way you can.
• STARS: Menu items high in both popularity &
contribution margin. Stars are the most popular items
on your menu.
• They may be your signature items.
• Give them a highly visible menu location and strictly
maintain their quality.
• Employ the test for elasticity mentioned previously.
• You want to know if you can raise the price and still sell
large numbers of theseMr. items.
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• Plow horses: low profitability and high
popularity
• Plow horses are popular staples that you’re actually
losing money on. The goal is to create more profitable
versions of these items without decreasing volume.
• Menu items high in popularity but low in contribution
margin. Plow horses are but low in contribution
margin.
• Plow horses are demand generators. They may be the
lead items on your menu or your signature items.
• They are often significant to the restaurant's
popularity with price conscious buyers.
• The overall strategy would be to increase the
contribution margin of these items. Price increases
should be considered. Generally, it is not wise to lower
these items’ prices due to the already low contribution
margin.

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• Furthermore, little money should be
spent on promoting these items since
they are already popular.
• However, if the intent is to draw
customers’ attention to other menu items
or to increase total sales volume, this
may be a good strategy.
• Evaluate your recipes to determine
whether costs can be reduced without
lowering perceived value.

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• Puzzles: high profitability and low popularity
• Puzzles are the items on your menu that are highly
profitable, but difficult to sell. Investigate whether
customers like the taste of these items. You may
need to reinvent these items, but sometimes simply
lowering prices will increase popularity enough to
produce higher overall profits.
• In other words, Puzzles yield a high profit per item
sold. But they are hard to sell.
• Evaluate the quality of each: Is it a poor product,
perhaps with a low standard of presentation? Is it
simply an unpopular product that needs some
sales promotion? Is it overpriced? These conditions
will result in a perception of low value and will
reduce customer demand.
• If the item is elastic and is believed to be a highly
popular item, lowering its price could make it a star.

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• If this product is unpopular in your marketplace, perhaps
it should be left off the next menu or replaced with
another item that has the potential of increasing sales
and profitability.
• Assess its related costs, such as shelf life, waste,
spoilage, leftovers, and labor.
• Dogs: low profitability and low popularity
• Dogs are your menu items that just aren't contributing
to profit enough ..
• However, be careful. You may have a menu item that
is a staple among some customers but not others.
• These items should not remain on the menu unless it
serves to influence the sales of other menu items or
there is hope that it will gain popularity.
• Increase the price to move it to the puzzle category.
Check product quality while promoting the item strongly.
Change its image and perceived value to increase sales
level significantly, or consider dropping the item.

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• Instead of deleting these dogs, you can also de-
emphasize them by hiding them on your menu.
Menu items low in popularity and low in
contribution margin. These are your losers. They
are unpopular, and they generate little profit.
• The end result of menu analysis or engineering is
to minimize the dogs, limit the number of puzzles,
and maximize the stars.
• The remaining items will be plow horses, which will
enhance the menu profitability.
• However, because menu items are categorized
relative to one another, some items must fall into
less-desirable categories. Do not put energy into a
never-ending battle of adjusting weak items, only
to find strong items falling below average.
• Use common sense to maximize stronger items
and profitability.
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