Foodservice
Encyclopedia
Food Service or catering industry (British English) defines those businesses, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal prepared outside the home. This industry includes restaurant
s, school and hospital cafeterias, catering
operations, and many other formats.
s. Foodservice distributors sell goods like small wares (kitchen utensils) and foods. Some companies manufacture products in both consumer
and foodservice versions. The consumer version usually comes in individual-sized packages with elaborate label design for retail
sale. The foodservice version is packaged in a much larger industrial
size and often lacks the colorful label designs of the consumer version.
, Brinker International
, Compass Group
, Gordon Food Service
,, Crown Group
, Darden Restaurants
, Sysco
, McLane Company
, US Foodservice and 3663 First for Foodservice
.
s, pubs, and bars
where food or drinks are ordered at the counter. Counter service is sometimes also referred to as a "bar service," such as used for "juice bar" or in the case of pubs and bars where the counter is also called the bar. Counter service is compared with table service where service is provided at the table. With counter service, the customer generally pays before consuming the food or drink. Some fast food
restaurants offer only counter service while table service is the common form in most restaurants. For pubs and bars, bar service is the norm in the United Kingdom
and the Republic of Ireland
whereas table service is the norm in the United States
and Continental Europe
.
s and waitressess, also known as "servers". Table service is the norm in most restaurants, while for some fast food restaurants counter service is the common form. For pubs and bars
, table service is the norm in the United States
whereas counter service is the norm in the United Kingdom
. With table service, the customer generally pays at the end of meal. Various methods of table service can be provided. See, for instance, silver service
.
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, school and hospital cafeterias, catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
operations, and many other formats.
Types of companies
The companies that supply foodservice operators are called foodservice distributorFoodservice distributor
A foodservice distributor is a company that provides food and non-food products to restaurants, cafeterias, industrial caterers, hospitals and nursing homes....
s. Foodservice distributors sell goods like small wares (kitchen utensils) and foods. Some companies manufacture products in both consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
and foodservice versions. The consumer version usually comes in individual-sized packages with elaborate label design for retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
sale. The foodservice version is packaged in a much larger industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
size and often lacks the colorful label designs of the consumer version.
Providers
Foodservice sales to restaurants and institutions are estimated to be approximately $400 billion, about equal with consumer sales of foods through grocery outlets. Major foodservice providers include AramarkAramark
Aramark Corporation, known commonly as Aramark, is an American foodservice, facilities, and clothing provider supplying businesses, educational institutions, sports facilities, federal and state prisons, and health care institutions. It is headquartered at the Aramark Tower in Center City,...
, Brinker International
Brinker International
Brinker International, Inc. , is the parent company of Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy.-History:It was founded in 1975 as Chili's Bar and Grill, purchased by restaurateur Norman E. Brinker in 1983 and rechristened Brinker International in 1990; it now has more than 1,500 restaurants worldwide...
, Compass Group
Compass Group
Compass Group plc is a global contract foodservice and support services company headquartered near London, United Kingdom. It is the largest contract foodservice company in the world and has operations in over 50 countries...
, Gordon Food Service
Gordon Food Service
Gordon Food Service is the largest privately held foodservice distributor in North America with sales of $5.5 billion in 2007. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, GFS has GFS Marketplace stores in the states of Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee...
,, Crown Group
Crown Group
The Crown Group consists of individual companies providing service solutions in the food, venue, marquee, equipment hire and staffing industries....
, Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. The firm owns several casual dining restaurant chains, most notably Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Red Lobster...
, Sysco
SYSCO
Sysco Corporation is the global leader in marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, hotels and inns, and other foodservice and hospitality businesses...
, McLane Company
McLane Company
McLane is a $28 billion supply chain services company, providing grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions for thousands of convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores and military locations, as well as thousands of chain restaurants throughout the United States. McLane is a wholly owned...
, US Foodservice and 3663 First for Foodservice
3663 First for Foodservice
3663, a trading name of BFS Group Limited, is a large foodservice and catering equipment distributor based in the United Kingdom.. The brand currently operates as three separate divisions: 3663 Wholesale, 3663 Catering Equipment and Swithenbank Foods....
.
Employment statistics
The foodservice industry is one of the largest employers in the United States. Over 805,360 people are currently working as servers and managers alone. 59% of these workers are under the age of 30, and over 66% hold only a high school diploma or less.Counter service
Counter service is a form of service in restaurantRestaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, pubs, and bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
where food or drinks are ordered at the counter. Counter service is sometimes also referred to as a "bar service," such as used for "juice bar" or in the case of pubs and bars where the counter is also called the bar. Counter service is compared with table service where service is provided at the table. With counter service, the customer generally pays before consuming the food or drink. Some fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
restaurants offer only counter service while table service is the common form in most restaurants. For pubs and bars, bar service is the norm in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
whereas table service is the norm in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
.
Table service
Table service is food service served to the customer's table by waiterWaiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
s and waitressess, also known as "servers". Table service is the norm in most restaurants, while for some fast food restaurants counter service is the common form. For pubs and bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, table service is the norm in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
whereas counter service is the norm in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. With table service, the customer generally pays at the end of meal. Various methods of table service can be provided. See, for instance, silver service
Silver Service
The Silver Service is a brand currently applied by Amtrak to two of its East Coast long-distance passenger trains operating between New York City and Miami:*Silver Meteor*Silver Star...
.
Gueridon service
Gueridon service is a form of food service provided by restaurants to their guests. This type of service encompasses preparing food (primarily salads, main dishes such as beef stroganoff, or desserts) in direct view of the guests, using a "Gueridon". A gueridon typically consists of a trolley that is well equipped to prepare, cook and serve the food to the guest. There will be a gas hob, chopping board, cutlery drawer, cold store (depending on the trolley type) and general working area.See also
- Bottle serviceBottle serviceBottle service is the sale of liquor by the bottle in bars and nightclubs.The purchase of bottle service typically includes a reserved table for the patron's party and mixers of the patron's choice. Bottle service can include the service of a VIP host, who will ensure that patrons have sufficient...
, which typically includes a reserved table - Dietary managementDietary ManagementDietary management, also known as “foodservice management”, is the practice of providing nutritional options for individuals and groups with diet concerns through supervision of foodservices...
, or supervision of foodservice operations - Waiting staff, a person who provides table service