Types of restaurants

The millions of people who eat out every day have a wide variety of needs and tastes. Because of these differences there are many kinds of restaurants varying from street stands serving snacks and fast food to elaborate restaurants with the best cooking.

Restaurants are generally classified into three groups:

1. Quick Service - also known as fast-food restaurants. They offer limited quickly prepared menus. They usually have drive-thru windows and take-out. They may also be self-service outfits.

2. Mid scale - they offer full meals at a medium price. They can be o f full service, buffets or limited service with customers ordering at the counter and having their food brought to them or self service.

3. Upscale - offer high quality cuisine at a high end price. They offer full service and have a high quality of ambience.

Restaurants often specialize in certain types of food or present a theme. Depending on local customs and the policy of the establishment, restaurants may or may not serve alcoholic beverages. Some restaurants are licensed to serve alcohol (‘fully licensed’), or permit customers to ‘bring your own’ alcohol. There are certain common types of restaurants:

· A cafeteria is a restaurant serving mostly cooked food arranged behind a food-serving counter. There is little or no table service. Typically, a patron takes a tray and pushes it along a track in front of the counter. Servings may be ordered from attendants, selected as ready-made portions already on plates, or self-serve of food of their own choice.

· Fast-food restaurants emphasize speed of service and low cost. A common feature of newer fast-food restaurants is a lack of cutlery or crockery; the customer is expected to eat the food directly from the disposable container using their fingers.

· A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere. Except for buffet-style restaurants, casual dining restaurants typically provide table service.

· A fast casual restaurant is similar to a fast-food restaurant in that it does not offer full table service, but promises higher quality of food and atmosphere. Average prices are higher than fast-food prices and non-disposable plates, cutlery and counter service are usually offered. Alcohol may be served.

Beside these types, there are many subtypes:

- Cafés and coffee shops are informal restaurants offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches.

- A pub is a bar that serves simple food fare and has a large selection of beers and ales on tap.

- A brasserie is a café doubling as a restaurant and serving single dishes and other meals in a relaxed setting. A bistro is a familiar name for a café serving moderately priced simple meals in an unpretentious setting.

- "Family style restaurants" are restaurants that have a fixed menu and fixed price, usually with diners seated at a communal table such as on bench seats. There is no menu to choose from; food is brought out in courses, usually with communal serving dishes, like at a family meal.

- BYO Restaurant are restaurants and bistros which do not have a liquor license.

- Ethnic restaurants. Their menus usually include ethnic dishes or authentic ethnic foods.

On the basis of the quality of service there are 4 classes of restaurants:

The gourmet restaurant is a restaurant which offers meals that appeal to a person who appreciates the best food and drink. The service and prices are usually in accord with the quality of the meal so that these restaurants are the most expensive and luxurious of all food-service establishments.

The family-type restaurants offer standardized food and service that appeal to family groups.

The speciality restaurant offers a limited variety or style of food. It may specialize in steaks, fish, national food, or may depend on the atmosphere, décor, or personality of the owner.

The convenience restaurant serves customers who want to eat in a hurry and are interested in fast service, cleanliness and low price.

Another way to categorize restaurants is by the kind of service they offer. In table service restaurants, customers are seated at tables where food is served by a waiter. In counter service restaurants, customer sits at a counter and is served by a person who prepares the food or by a waiter. In a self-service restaurant called a buffet customers pass in front of a counter where food is displayed and help themselves to what they want, then they carry the food to a table. Take-away/carry-out restaurants often serve fast foods; customers place their orders at a counter (or by telephone), then take out the food to whatever they wish to eat it. This kind of service is growing so fast because it fulfills the customer’s immediate convenience.

Taste and style of cooking and eating are fulfilled by cuisine. The choice of cuisine is important for the customer made unconsciously or too consciously, as it depends on tastes and circumstances. For example, gourmet cuisine usually consists of dishes freshly and painstakingly prepared that it is difficult to duplicate it at home as it is time-consuming and skillful. For the owner it is also a crucial choice as it will mean either success or failure.

Unfortunately, a large percentage of restaurants fail. The reasons are typical for all businesses: lack of experience, poor location, too much competition, poor merchandising. Eating is deeply engrained source of satisfaction and the restaurant customer wants an eating experience which combines food, service, atmosphere and an indefinable extra. This is often difficult or impossible to anticipate but can mean the life or death of a restaurant.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14