Chapter 14 Food and Beverage Service

Convention Management and Service Eighth Edition (478TXT or 478CIN)

2011, Educational Institute

Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Dallas

Competencies for Food and Beverage Service

1. Identify different types of food service and servicerelated issues related to food functions. 2. Identify control issues related to food functions. 3. Describe service and control issues related to beverage functions. 4. Describe post-function activities for both food and beverage functions, and compare large properties with small ones in terms of in-house coordination.
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A Vital Function
Food functions are an integral part of most meetings

Association and corporate meeting planners rate the quality of food service as very important in their selection of meeting facilities Food and beverage functions are second only to guestrooms in generating revenue at most convention hotels
Courtesy of Orient-Express Hotels

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Hyatts Personal Preference Menus

Meeting planner selects one appetizer and one salad in advance to be served to each attendee
Meeting planner also chooses three entres from a selection of six At the tables, attendees may pick from these three entres or a vegetarian option A dessert sampler is also included

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Trends in Banquet Food and Beverage

Meeting planners are more food savvy Hotels seek to create a restaurant-quality dining experience at banquets Customized menus, choice of entre, action and testing stations, and upscale presentation are popular Meeting facilities are offering fresh, healthy, locally grown, organic, and nutritional foods to connect with the trend toward green menus Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels
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Profitability of Banquets
Food and beverage is second only to guestrooms in the amount of revenue it generates The profit margin on banquet sales is 3540 percent Banquet sales volume often exceeds restaurant volume by two to one

Banquets allow for flexible pricing, while both food and labor costs may be lower
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Courtesy of InterContinental Hotels

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Planning Food Functions

Types of Food Functions Breakfasts Luncheons Dinners Dinners with entertainment and/or dancing Coffee breaks Receptions Hospitality setups in suites, meeting rooms, or exhibit halls
Courtesy of Raffles Hotel Singapore
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Planning Food Functions

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Tips Use a function sheet for each event Menu is focal point of theme party Better to refuse a request than to fail

Courtesy of Gaylord Palms Hotels

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Changing Tastes
Healthier Foods Low in calories, fat, and cholesterol High in fiber and nutrition Breakfast foods lighter/healthier Green menus promote organic, locally grown choices Refreshment breaks are becoming energy breaks
Courtesy of InterContinental Hotels
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Managing Attendance at Food Functions

Firm menu prices are not quoted earlier than six months prior to event Planner initially will estimate attendance at a food function Early estimates of planners should be updated periodically Guarantee needed 48 or 72 hours in advance for ordering purposes Group generally guarantees to pay for a certain number regardless of attendance
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Managing Attendance at Food Functions

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Overset safety margin of 5 percent is common. For example, if guarantee calls for 200 attendees, hotel agrees to set for 5 percent over and sets tables and chairs for 210 Require guarantees in writing Attrition fees may be assessed if group fails to meet its commitment Ticket exchange is often used for final banquet
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Types of Food Service

Plate or American Service Most common form of banquet service Food prepared in kitchen and presented on guests plates Russian Service Food prepared in kitchen Served from platters onto guests plates
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Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

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Types of Food Service

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English/Family-Style Service Food brought to the table on platters or in bowls Butler Service Used at receptions French Service Food prepared tableside on carts or a gueridon Requires space between Courtesy of Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts tables for carts
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Types of Food Service

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Preset Service First course on tables when guests arrive Buffet service Guests serve themselves from arrayed choices la Carte Catering Guests have choice of entres

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Function Room Issues

Choose location based on type of function, location of other functions, traffic, kind of seating, and lighting Ensure enough time for setup, breakdown, and cleaning Ensure that noise will not disrupt functions

Courtesy of Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts

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Control Procedures and Staffing

Control Procedures Meals: usually charge per person Hotels must establish a head count procedure to determine the actual number of meals served Count coupons or tickets at door or table, or count dishes Coffee breaks or hospitality suites: charge per cup or gallon of coffee, per piece or tray of Danish Complimentary hors doeuvres allow higher meal and drink charges Labor charges and setup costs added to smallfunction bills
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Control Procedures and Staffing

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Staffing One server per 20 guests As little as one server per 10 if price and service warrant it One captain for every 10 to 12 servers One server per 16 guests with wine service One server per 30 to 40 guests for buffets
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Two Ways of Handling Food and Beverage Service

Uniserve All arrangements for function space and F&B made through one service contactthe convention service manager. Duoserve F&B responsibilities separated from scheduling of function space. Meeting planners must work with a banquet/catering department for their F&B requests, and with the convention services department for their function room needs.
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Beverage Service Setups and Pricing Methods

Types of Beverage Service Host bar/open bar Cash bar/no-host bar Coupons or tickets at no-host bar Captain's bar Pricing Methods By the person: flat rate for a specified time By the bottle: includes opened bottles By the drink: include labor charge and use standard drink sizes
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Hospitality Suites and Brands of Liquor

Hospitality Suites Used by exhibitors and for good will Policy on liquor from outside (corkage) Inform group of union regulations Brands of Liquor House brandsstandard Call brandsby request only Premium brandsmost expensive liquors Prices for house and call brands may be the same or different
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Beverage Control Systems

Procedures Maintain formal procedures Stock 25 percent more than groups estimated consumption and return excess to stockroom Marrying beverage service stationsclosing bars in staggered order, moving partials from one bar to another Host Bar Control Easiestno cash exchange Opened bottles returned to stock or sold to group
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Beverage Control Systems

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Cash Bar Control Requires rigid controls Use cashier, not bartender, for cash handling Coupon or Ticket Bar Control Need for cashier depends on when tickets are sold Automated Bars Prevent overpouring Bartender still required for blended drinks Most units take only 8 bottles Lends a mechanical atmosphere to cocktail receptions
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Liquor Liability and Staffing

Liquor Liability Many states have dram shop laws Must take responsible care in serving alcohol Staffing One bartender for every 75 to 100 people One bar back for every three bartenders Open bar stations farthest Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel from entrance first Geneva, Switzerland Staff one waiter for every 50 people for food receptions
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Post-Function Actions
If billing is per person, tally guests served and have planner acknowledge total
Tally unopened bottles and bottles to be returned for credit; have planner acknowledge totals If billing is not through master account, bills should be paid when totals are certified

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Food and Beverage Service at Smaller Properties

Role of Catering Manager
Can be responsible for sales as well as coordinating F&B in smaller properties

Small propertys catering manager usually does not have authority over rooms
Large propertys catering manager usually handles only F&B

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Food and Beverage Service at Smaller Properties

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Servicing and Selling Smaller properties use uniserve Catering manager may be in charge of function book at small property The danger of double-booking Communication and Cooperation Needed More so in small properties because departments are more autonomous Small properties should still use specification sheets
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