Food And Beverage Operation & Services

Design and Atmosphere

Discuss about the Food and Beverage Operation & Services.

As referred to by Rutherford and O’Fallon (2007, p. 244), food establishments tend to be complex institutions that are divided into various operational areas, which include services in food and beverage department, among others. Food and beverage service functions involve many activities that engage the employees in many areas and different kinds of ways. In the bid to delve more into the fundamentals of the dynamics of food and beverage operations, the paper will seek to pay attention to three different levels of food service. The paper will look keenly into the aspects of design and atmosphere, service level, staffing, facilities and equipment, and food and beverage options. The aforementioned elements will be compared across three levels of food service, which will be represented by St. George Foodservices, Burger Urge, and Ezard restaurant. All the selected cases are drawn from Australia.

One thing that restaurateurs have to bear in mind is the management of the meal experience of the consumers, which starts when they enter a restaurant and ends when they depart (Davis et al. 2013, p. 22). One area that promotes the meal experience of a consumer rests with the design and atmosphere that a customer is welcomed into. Under the design and atmosphere in food and beverage operations, the factors that are considered take note of the lighting, colours, and sounds (Haghighi et al. 2012, p. 5041). Other elements that are critical to the atmosphere and design of a food establishment take note of the overall cleanliness, the feel of the service, as well as the accompaniment of the service in question. Given the above information on the concepts of design and atmosphere, and while looking at the selected food service levels, it is clear that all the three exercise some sense of the concepts as mentioned earlier, as a means of promoting their food and beverage operations.

One important thing to consider about St. George Foodservice is the fact that this distributor emphasizes cleanliness of its delivery trucks, among other things. Burger Urge, on the other hand, has a design that can be referred to as being hip, in addition to the cleanliness of the kitchens and the menus that are offered to consumers. When looking to analyse the components that define the atmosphere and design in Ezard, it is essential to consider that the restaurant tends to have slow background noise that impregnates the space with the desirable atmosphere (Ezard n.d, p. 1). The private dining area in Ezard is separated from the main dining room, thanks to the presence of shimmering curtains. The private dining room has snowy linen that drapes the single boardroom-style table, a fresh arrangement of flowers, and speckled lighting (Ezard n.d, p. 1).

Service Level

The service level in the food and beverage operations considers the kinds of services that are offered. In Australia, the food and beverage service industry group offers meals, beverages and snacks for consumption both onsite and offsite (Bankwest n.d, p. 3).  The service levels include restaurants, fast food joints, cafes and coffee shops, catering services, social clubs, bars and night clubs (Bankwest n.d, p. 3). Other service levels include fine dining, casual dining, and canteens among others. The service levels that characterize the three case examples that have been represented include; fast food outlet, which is represented by Burger Urge, fine dining, which is represented by Ezard restaurant, and catering and deliveries, which is represented by the St. George Foodservice.

Staffing is a critical aspect of the food and beverage operations. As a matter of fact, in the bid to have efficiency in the staffing strategy that is employed in such operations, organizational structures, relevant costs, technology, and the systems that are in place that govern production and services come in handy (Waller 2016, p. 333). The structures and the systems that are in place will determine the skills that are required in a food and beverage operation (Waller 2016, p. 333). In Burger Urge, the staff members are required to have high operational skills and so to instigate this attribute in the employees, ongoing training is required. The staff members in Burger Urge constantly improve their knowledge through the use of structures and procedures that is professionally created (Burger Urge n.d, p. 6). St. George Foodservice is all about the experience that the staff members bring on board (St. George Foodservice 2010, p. 1). St. George Foodservice can provide its range of 2,000 products thus meeting the needs of the consumers because of the presence of the right skills that the staff members are have or are required to possess. Thanks to the presence of the skilled staff, the foodservice operation can provide all the right ingredients to its clients, which is the motto of the establishment (St. George Foodservice 2010, p. 1). When looking at Ezard, the restaurant tends to look for employees that have a passion for the food and beverage industry, as it is noted on the company website under the career section (Ezard n.d a, p. 1). Ezard is concerned about career development of its staff members, growth opportunities while working in a friendly and team oriented environment (Ezard n.d a, p. 1).

Staffing

Facilities and equipment are required to facilitate the running of a food and beverage establishment. In Australia, a set of standards govern how food premises and equipment should be maintained (Australia New Zealand Standards Code 2001, p. 121). As a matter of fact, the food standards identify the requirements that food premises and equipment therein ought to abide by. If food and beverage operations abide by the guidelines, a promotion of the compliance with the food safety requirement standards occurs (Australia New Zealand Standards Code 2001, p. 121). It is essential to note that the guidelines work in a manner that the chances of having food contamination are eliminated (Australia New Zealand Standards Code 2001, p. 121). Food and beverage operations have to ensure that their premises, fittings, fixtures, facilities, equipment and transport vehicles have a design that allows them to be cleaned, and in certain instances, allow sanitization (Australia New Zealand Standards Code 2001, p. 121).

When looking to compare the three levels of food operations, it is apparent that these operations hold their facilities and equipment with high regards. St. George Foodservice makes deliveries to the suburbs in Sydney, as well as the neighbouring areas using trucks that are not only reliable but clean, and temperature-controlled (St. George Foodservice 2010, p. 1). This aspect is essential given that the food operation can promote and maintain HACCP when handling food. Ezard has a subterranean dining room facility that allows customers to enjoy foods that have the Asian influence (Best Restaurants of Australia 2017, p. 1). The food and business philosophies in Ezard restaurant allows it to offer its clients over the top meals, and wines to complement, with an example of a degustation savory (Ezard n.d a, p. 1). The aspect of using the restaurant’s facilities to offer customers with exquisite experience has maintained the reputation of Ezard. The facilities and equipment in Burger Urge allow the fast food outlet to offer its customers with sauces that are designed in-house, and which are free of preservatives (Burger Urge n.d, p. 1). The restaurant also uses free range products, which include chicken, mayonnaise and eggs (Burger Urge n.d, p. 1). Ezard uses pork that is stall-free and which is slow cooked (Burger Urge n.d, p. 1). Finally, the restaurant uses packaging that is biodegradable (Burger Urge n.d, p. 1).

The food and beverage services that are offered by food establishments have been part of the hotel service industry for quite a while (Piotrowski & Rogers 2007). The food and beverage options that are offered distinguish the offerings that are provided to clients by various food and beverage establishments. On that note, when looking at St. George Foodservice, the food and beverage options include; dairy products, meat, smallgoods, poultry, general groceries, pasta and bread, seafood, pastry and desserts, as well as fruits and vegetables (St. George Foodservice 2010, p. 1). The food and beverage options in Burger Urge include but not limited to milkshakes, fries, potato chips, onion rings, cheese balls, beef, chicken, vegetables, and salads (Burger Urge n.d, p. 1). The food and beverage options in Ezard are classified under starters (Cucumber, Apple, Oyster shooter-Japanese inspired, etc), mains (spiced pumpkin, mushroom and smoked potato croquettes, etc), sides (Mint, Toasted almond, baby corn and chilli, etc) and desserts (Fruit Loaf and Lavosh, Chocolate Cream, etc) (Ezard n.d a, p. 1). The wine list includes but not limited to Thienot Brut, Jim Barry 'Florita' Riesling, and Pennyweight Gamay (Ezard, n.d b, p. 2 & 3).

Conclusion                                  

It is apparent that food and beverage operations are a critical aspect in any foodservice establishment. The three examples presented above confirm that the differences in the service levels distinguish items like the food and beverage options. The systems, facilities that establishments chose to enforce determine the number of loyal diners that they acquire in both the short and the long run. This is true for Ezard, St. George Foodservice and Burger Urge.

References

1. Australia New Zealand Standards Code. 2011. Standard 3.2.3. Food Premises and Equipment. Available at: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/documents/3_2_3.pdf       

2. n.d. Food and Beverage Services Industry Report. Available at: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&edata-src=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjXi9PBm4jUAhXpKMAKHRL5AicQFgg4MAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bankwest.com.au%2FBlob%2Fpdf%2F1292539843394%2Ffood-services---bus-insights-pdf.pdf%3Fpdf-link%3Ddocdetail&usg=AFQjCNFMQrp4e1bHiqBzMlQwAmXwgcixtQ&sig2=FYGOXPWrNcD4j-8c1P4MlA
3. Best Restaurants of Australia. 2017. Ezard Melbourne, Victoria. Available at: https://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/vic/melbourne/melbourne-cbd/restaurant/ezard
4. Burger Urge. n.d. Dealers of Delicious. Available at: https://burgerurge.com.au/
5. Davis, B., Lockwood, A., Pantelidis, I., & Alcott, P. (2013). Food and Beverage Management. Florence, Taylor and Francis. https://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=4426538.
6. n.d a. Ezard. Available at: https://ezard.com.au/
7. n.d b. Ezard. Available at: https://www.ezard.com.au/system/files/1271/original/ez_current_wine_list.pdf?1494817955
8. Haghighi, M., Dorosti, A., Rahnama, A. and Hoseinpour, A., 2012. Evaluation of factors affecting customer loyalty in the restaurant industry. African Journal of Business Management, 6(14), p.5039.
9. Piotrowski, C. M., & Rogers, E. A. (2007). Designing Commercial Interiors. New York, John Wiley & Sons. https://rbdigital.oneclickdigital.com
10. Rutherford, D.G. and O'Fallon, M.J. eds., 2007. Hotel Management and Operations.
11. George Foodservice. 2010. St. George Foodservice. Available at: https://www.stgeorgefoodservice.com.au/
12. Waller, K. (2016). Improving Food and Beverage Performance. [S.l.], Routledge.