Food Establishments - Which One To Choose?

Understanding the forms and types of food establishments is sometimes quite difficult. And this applies, mostly, not even to visitors, but to owners of establishments. After all, in fact, the guest of the establishment does not care what status the establishment has, as long as they are fed deliciously, but for entrepreneurs, on the contrary, it is very important what their project will be called. Of course, everyone wants to become a restaurant owner, opening, in fact, a cafe with dining room and cafeteria functions. And all because the restaurant sounds proud and attracts the right audience.

For example, in France, not so long ago, a bill was considered at the highest level to deprive more than 30% of food establishments of the "restaurant" status . It turned out that they work with semi-finished products of high readiness, that is, they subject the dish to minimal heat treatment before serving, and this is unacceptable for a restaurant.

A clear demarcation and definition of the forms of food establishments will help visitors to understand where exactly he came and what he should expect from the menu and service of this place. Today, the following main forms and types of food establishments found all over the world can be distinguished.

The restaurant is the highest link in the catering system . The restaurant is a place of elite recreation and exquisite food. A good table setting, cutlery, napkins, flowers, high-quality service, a varied and original menu with signature dishes are mandatory.

A very important criterion for restaurants is the complexity of cooking. That is, the products go through the entire process from washing the partition to heat treatment directly in the restaurant's kitchen. If the establishment buys pre-prepared or, for example, frozen meals, it can no longer be called a "restaurant".

The restaurant menu must include several items: cold and hot snacks, salads, first courses, second courses, signature dishes, desserts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

The restaurant also offers a table reservation service.

The interior of the restaurant is maintained in a certain style, which corresponds to the name. Refined furniture, unusual lighting, branded tableware are mandatory attributes of a modern restaurant.

Restaurants have a high level of service — each table is served by a separate waiter who takes and brings orders, monitors the cleanliness of the table, changes dishes, gives advice on choosing dishes and drinks, and monitors the comfort of restaurant guests in general. Its work is controlled by an administrator.

Also, the restaurant administration should ensure the organization of rest and entertainment programs for guests. The restaurant is a place where you can not only eat delicious food, but also relax, so it is characterized by music and show programs, performances by artists and even the organization of theatrical performances.

One of the most common food establishments.

Today, the word "cafe" refers to establishments of various levels. Prices for meals in cafes are usually not high, which is achieved due to the range of dishes on offer: it is either traditional national cuisine or semi-finished products of quick preparation, as well as inexpensive snacks and drinks.

Large cafes are designed for the general public: families come here, young people and adults visit. Therefore, the cafe usually has several rooms: a common room, a children's room and a bar.

Sometimes benches and sofas can be used instead of chairs in cafes. A children's playground with toys or mini-attractions can be located in the children's room.

Also. Cafes can be narrowly specialized. By theme and interior design: children's, student, corporate, art cafe. They can be seasonal or permanent (depending on the time of operation). And according to the method of service, they can be with waiters, with self-service, distribution line, buffet tables, etc.

Such food establishments can be opened everywhere: hotels, cinemas, museums, theaters, shopping and entertainment centers, recreation parks, places of mass festivities - on-site service, mobile and street cafes.

A typical bistro is something between a small, inexpensive restaurant and a cafe. The word "bistro" usually refers to an establishment where a visitor can have a good meal, without counting on the special delicacy of the dishes and the variety of the menu. Inexpensive, quickly prepared meals are offered here.

As for drinks, the bistro focuses on non-alcoholic drinks: tea, coffee, juices, mineral water, milkshakes.

Canteen is a format of a catering establishment that does not lose its position in the market. Canteens can be publicly accessible (for a mass visitor) or serve a high-ranking group of people. Such catering establishments prepare and sell dishes and culinary products based on the menu for each day.

Dining rooms, usually. They are opened at schools, kindergartens, universities, sanatoriums. Rest houses, boarding houses, private companies and state institutions. They can be both broad-based and highly specialized: dietary, medical, etc.

A food establishment that serves fast food (from semi-finished products), pastries and confectionery, purchased goods and beverages for on-site consumption. Buffets are located at cultural, educational and sports facilities. This format of establishments is characterized by a limited number of seats for a relatively small number of visitors, as it does not involve a long stay in the hall. In a word, a buffet is an establishment for a quick snack.

There are minimum requirements for the organization of buffets: the presence of a sign, menu and price list, a buffet counter, places for eating while sitting or standing, a toilet room. Serving dishes in earthenware, polymer and disposable dishes is permissible for a buffet.

In principle, such a restaurant is not much different from a buffet. Buffets in universities are often called a cafeteria. Sports and shopping centers, theaters and cinemas, museums. They work on a self-service system. All dishes are placed on the distribution line, and the visitor can choose his own. The main difference from the buffet is a wider range of hot drinks.

A pizzeria is a food establishment that must have its own kitchen, as there is always fresh pizza prepared quickly and with high quality.

Like any catering establishment , it must be equipped with powerful refrigeration equipment. However, the main equipment for a pizzeria is an oven. Today, microwave ovens are often used in such establishments , which are characterized by large dimensions and shorten the baking time.

Also, mandatory equipment for a pizzeria includes blenders, food processors, dough mixers, etc. Very often, such machines are combined into one complex.

Taverns are usually distinguished by their design. Being old-fashioned or old-fashioned establishments, they are easily recognizable among modern bars and eateries. Restaurants, cafes, pubs, etc. Various antiques, weapons, old photographs, autographs of famous people who visited this institution, etc. hang on the walls.

A tavern is a place where people go to eat and drink. It is a place of pleasant meetings with company, interesting acquaintances and heart-to-heart conversations, often with the owner of the tavern himself, who, usually, can not only advise what to eat or drink, but can also support any conversation.

Trattorias are restaurants that offer many dishes of traditional and popular Italian cuisine. Very often they offer a wide selection of wine. The service is friendly, the atmosphere is informal and relaxed.

The pub takes 40% of its regular evening footfall, compared to 15% at lunchtime. Pub visits by men are typically 2-2.5 times higher than by women, with a high percentage of younger groups. In addition, the occupancy of pubs is heterogeneous in terms of time: peak sales occur after 21:00, in particular, from Friday to Sunday.

Pub decor is based on Victorian or Edwardian styles: dark warm tones, subdued lighting and sophisticated glass. The pub's individuality is enhanced by wall hangings, ornamentation and personal touches introduced to create a comfortable atmosphere.

The emphasis in bars is on alcoholic drinks. There are several types of bars. One of the most common is a beer bar. A wide variety of beer is served here: ale, lager and stout. They differ in grain fermentation technology. With the help of "top fermentation" technology, ale is obtained, "bottom fermentation" - lager, which is lighter and more saturated with carbon dioxide than ale. Stout is the darkest and strongest beer.

Bars serve hot and cold snacks with beer.

In the wine bar, the main emphasis is on the most diverse bouquets of wines. Wines are served in bottles or poured from barrels. In such a bar, special requirements are placed on the bartender (he is called a sommelier): he must have an excellent understanding of wines and be able to choose the right wine for a guest of the establishment .

Usually, the institution is not very large in size , arranged in such a way as to create coziness and a relaxed atmosphere.

The main difference between coffee shops and other establishments is a wide selection of coffee and coffee drinks. People come to coffee shops not to eat, but to taste their favorite drink, meet with friends or, often, with business partners.

A significant factor in the popularity of the "coffee" business is relatively small investments in equipment (if compared with a restaurant). A coffee shop does not need expensive stoves, steam convectors, etc. As for the staff, you don't need a whole staff of qualified chefs. The main equipment of the coffee shop is a professional coffee machine, a coffee grinder and other additional devices (mixer, blender, etc.), as well as refrigerators. After all, a small coffee shop can pay for itself in a year or two after opening.

The main component of the coffee shop menu is the coffee menu — a list of coffee drinks with a detailed description and prices.

Coffee and coffee drinks are prepared by specially trained people - baristas.

Both coffee machines and traditional Turks, as well as various alternative methods of coffee preparation, can be used to prepare coffee.

Also, coffee shops usually offer a fairly wide selection of pastries and desserts with coffee. Sometimes the menu of a coffee shop may contain a limited number of semi-finished dishes of high readiness, however, its basis is still coffee and pastries. In this case, the coffee shop should also have equipment for thermal processing of semi-finished products and preparation of cold snacks, and confectionery equipment for the bakery (if pastries and sweets are prepared on site).

Almost the same requirements apply to the organization of coffee shops. How to a restaurant and a cafe. The hall should have enough seats for guests and their free movement, service is performed by waiters, and you can order a drink or a meal yourself in the bar area, hence the mandatory presence of a bar counter, thermal and refrigeration showcases for the demonstration and sale of some dishes.