60 Unit Two Th e Foodservice Industry
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
According to the National Restaurant Asso-
ciation, the restaurant and foodservice industry is
the second largest private-sector employer in the
United States. The industry employs more than
13 million people. Foodservice is the business of
making and serving prepared food and drink.
It includes restaurants, hotels, clubs, catering,
healthcare facilities, transportation centers, and
cruise lines. Foodservice is a service industry that
generates billions of dollars per year in sales and
employs millions of workers.
Foodservice operations range from small to
large. A small business might consist of one per-
son who sells ice cream from a small freezer on
wheels. A large business might be a restaurant that
serves 1,000 meals per day. Foodservice opera-
tions are also found in hotels, cruise ships, schools,
hospitals, airplanes, trains, and employee cafete-
rias, 4-1. Some grocery stores provide foodservice
in the form of soup and salad bars and prepared
meals.
There are many ways to categorize foodservice
operations. Customers tend to categorize them by
price, from budget to very expensive. Customers
also categorize foodservice operations by type of
service offered, such as self-service and sit-down
service. From an industry perspective, there are
two basic types of foodservice operations: com-
mercial and noncommercial.
Commercial foodservice consists of food and
beverage businesses that compete for customers.
The main goal of these businesses is to make a profi t.
Examples include Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden, and
Dunkin’ Donuts. Most commercial foodservice busi-
nesses are restaurants or restaurant-like operations.
Commercial foodservice operations can be
organized into four categories: quick-service res-
taurants, full-service restaurants, catering, and
hotel and club foodservices.
Quick-Service Restaurants
A quick-service restaurant provides customers
with convenience, speed, and basic service at low
prices. A major feature of quick-service restaurants
is self-service. The customers help themselves, usu-
ally by carrying their food to their tables. Quick-
service restaurants generally have few employees
in relation to the number of people served. Quick-
service restaurants include fast-food restaurants,
cafeterias, buffets, and carryout restaurants.
Fast-Food Restaurants
A fast-food restaurant generally has a counter
where you place your order and wait for it. You
then pick up your order, pay for it, and either carry
it to a table or take it with you. Fast-food restau-
rants often have drive-through windows that pro-
vide faster service for people who are in a hurry
or want to stay in their cars. Fast-food restaurants
generally have the following characteristics: a
small number of menu items (usually fewer than
20), items that can be prepared in three to fi ve min-
utes, a small dining area, and high-tech foodser-
vice equipment.
Types of Foodservice
Operations
Commercial Foodservice
Copyright Amtrak 2012. Photo courtesy of Amtrak Copyright Amtrak 2012. Photo courtesy of Amtrak
4-1
This chef is preparing breakfast on an
Amtrak Superliner train.