FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT IN FAST-FOOD AND POPULAR CATERING

Food & Beverage Management in Hotels, Restaurants, Fast Food Outlets, Function
Catering and Industrial Catering requires proper control and system. In these catering
establishments need for promoting and standardizing food and checking with the inventory ordered
to verify the issuing process and ensure proper stocktaking procedure has been followed. Various
portion control equipment such as ladles, scoops and weighing scales are used to maintain the
accurate portion size of the dishes. Strict measures are usually taken as actual sales are tallied with
everyday consumption. Suitable measures should be monitored the Financial, Marketing and
Catering polices of these catering establishments.

LEARNING At the end of the lesson the students must have:

OUTCOMES 1. Discuss the Food & Beverage procedures in Fast-Food and Popular
Catering
ACTIVATE

 Would you like share what you

have
perceived on the image?
 How the image is related to the
word
“F & B Management”?
 Do you think people vary see
things?

ACQUIRE
 F & B Management in Fast Food and Popular Catering

Fast food and Popular Catering may be defined as that sector of the catering industry
primarily concerned with the Preparation and service of food and beverage quickly, for
immediate sale to the customer. These outlets offer a limited menu range of Products. These
operations cater mainly for the relatively lower average spend markets with lower prices
being charged than those found in other food and beverage establishments; there is a low
ratio of service staff to customers with many of these operations being a form of self service,
consumption of the food may be on or off the premises; less rigid meal times are observed
by these establishments, with some form of menu usually available throughout the day; and
finally, all aspects of the operation are highly standardized, leading to a high volume
throughput with resulting economics in food, labour and other operating costs. The location
of fast food and popular catering operations is important, as they must be aimed at attracting
a large volume of trade to generate a high turnover. These catering establishments are usually
sited nears by motorway service areas, airports, railway stations, shopping complex, near
cinemas, sports centers etc. These outlets primarily customers are passing traffic and locals.

INTRODUCTION
These food and beverage outlets consist of diverse operating facilities whose slogan is „Quick food‟.
The fast food and popular catering sector occupied the driving seat of the entire catering business of
India as well as the world, and has the maximum market share. At present, the major trend in the
market is service „home delivery‟. Fast food and popular catering outlets offer limited menus, such
as burgers, French fries, poori bhaji, samosa, idli sambhar etc. Customers order their food at a counter
under a brightly lit menu featuring coloured image of the food items. These catering outlets have
become popular due to the following reasons:-
1. Found at very convenient locations.
2. Menus are limited, which makes it easy the customers to make quick
decisions.
3. Value for money and time.
4. Deliver fast services include self-service.
5. Use of processed ingredients helps the fast food and popular catering
outlets to maintain low prices.
6. Minimum use of skilled and unskilled labour, it increases the profit
margin.
 Basic Policies- Financial, Marketing and Catering

Figure 5.1: Financial, Marketing & Catering Policies of Fast-Food and Popular
Catering

Financial Considerations: Fast-food and popular catering establishments have a number

of characteristics which enable their particular business orientation to be identified. They
do not require such a high initial capital outlay, nor a high percentage of fixed costs,
although they do normally have a higher percentage of variable costs.

Marketing Considerations: The growth and development of popular and fast-food catering
in the past 25 years have brought an increasing awareness of the importance of marketing to
this sector of the industry. With the growth of gross and disposable incomes, together with
an increase in eating away from the home by all sectors of the general public, the potential
to develop in these areas, not previously exploited, was identified.
1. Product: It is the offer of the marketer to satisfy a need and want. It includes the
product variety and assortment, quality, features, style, brand name, packaging,
warranties and guarantees, product logos, trademarks, and associated benefits.

2. Price: It is the monetary value of the product. This is what the buyer pays to the seller,
including discounts, allowances, credit terms, payment period etc

3. Place: The place refers to the way which the products and premises are made readily
available to the customers at the appropriate time and location.

4. Promotion: It refers to all methods and tools used to give product information to the
buyers and persuade them to purchase. Many operations use specifically
designed logo and colors which become representative of that level of
operation in terms of standard of food, service etc.

5. Process: Process of service delivery decides the satisfaction of the

customers. It includes the procedures, task schedules, mechanisms,
activities and routines by which a product or service is delivered to the
customer.

6. Physical Evidence: It incorporates all the tangible elements of the fast food
establishment such as the table arrangements, décor and lighting, staff uniforms, menu
design etc.
7. People: People imply the human elements involved in the service experience. The
most visible elements are those engaged in exchange, i.e. sellers and buyers. The
people employed in the organization decide the quality of services that the customers
get.

CATERING CONSIDERATIONS:

1. Type of Customers: Fast food and popular catering establishments have a fairly limited
market area to which they cater.

2. Types of Menu: A fast food and popular type operation may be centered around one
particular product or a few, for example burgers, Pizzas, chips, Sausages etc. The product
sold by fast food and Popular catering operations are highly standardized and portion
controlled.

3. Food Production Style: In fast food and popular catering operations food production is
highly standardized. Standard Purchasing specifications are used to buy in the food and
beverages, they are prepared according to standard recipes, and from these standard
yields are obtained. Portion control and costing are very tightly controlled.

4. Food service Styles: A variety of food service styles are used by popular catering
establishment depending on the type of establishment, location, the speed at which
customer‟s must be served, service area available, type of menu offered, service skills
available and service equipment available etc.

CONTROL & PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Controlling and measuring the performance of a food and beverage establishment based on
the standards proposed against which the operation’s performance may be measured. The
control of any food and beverage operation may be divided into two main areas; the ongoing
or operational control; and the after the event or post-operational control.
The information obtained from the sales aspect of the control cycle is the first step in post
operational control. Although this is also described as control after the event, the time
between the event and control is critical.
Computerized data processing is used to a considerable extent particularly by companies
operating take-away establishments. Their fast and efficient information gathering begins at
the purchasing function with computerized stock control and continues through all aspects
of the control cycle. Sales information is gathered at the sales counter where electronic cash
registers are used to record and analysis sales figures.

The POS (Point-of-sale) computer systems can work in isolation in individual units to be
linked via a restaurant analysis and information system (RAIS) to a central control unit
enabling management to monitor and control the individual sales outlets. RIAS systems
provide complete operation reports (daily, weekly, monthly etc). The systems scan track
tables, allowing multiple bills per table. Bills can be transferred from one area to another for
example from the bar to the restaurant, and if linked to a hotel management system, added
to a guest‟s room account.