The food service or catering industry encompasses those
places, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal
which is eaten away from home. This industry includes restaurants,
school and hospital cafeterias, hotels, bars, coffee shops,
catering operations, event management companies, and many
others.
The companies which supply food service operators are called
food service distributors. There are food service products
like ovens and refrigerators, and there are services like
waitering, managing, planning, cooking, and much more.
Some companies manufacture products in both consumer and
food service versions. The consumer version usually comes
in individual-sized packages with elaborate label design for
retail sale. The food service version is packaged in a much
larger industrial size and often lacks the colourful label
designs of the consumer version.
Food service sales are estimated to be worth billions of
Rands. The food service industry is one of the largest employers
in the world.
Food service managers are responsible for the daily operations
of restaurants and other establishments which prepare and
serve meals and beverages to customers. Besides coordinating
activities among various departments, such as kitchen, dining
room, and banquet operations, food service managers ensure
that customers are completely satisfied with their dining
experience.
In addition, they oversee the inventory and ordering of food,
equipment, and supplies, and arrange for the routine maintenance
and upkeep of the restaurant, its' equipment, and facilities.
Food service managers are generally responsible for all of
the administrative and human-resource functions of running
the business, including recruiting new employees and monitoring
employee performance and training.
In most full-service restaurants and institutional food service
facilities, the management team consists of a general manager,
one or more assistant managers, and an executive chef. The
executive chef is responsible for all food preparation activities,
including running kitchen operations, planning menus, and
maintaining quality standards for food service.