Food Service Logistics

Food Service Logistics for the RD Exam

When considering putting together a menu, what should the manager consider?

Consider both profit and aesthetics

What is menu engineering?

It allows the manager to examine a menu item’s profitability and popularity so that proactive planning, recipe changes, and selling price decisions can be made

How do you assess popularity of an item?

By using percent of toal sales and profitability (by using the percent of profit)

What are the 4 menu planning principles?

Variety of color

flavors

textures

food shapes

Static menu

doesn’t change daily or seasonally; grouped by appetizers, entrees, salads, soups, desserts, etc

Du jour menu

has specials for the day; offers flexibility for small and busy restaurants; in conjunction with static menu

Prix fixe menu

aka fixed price; may present an entire meal or several options within each meal category for a single price

Table d’hôte menu

more upscale than prix fixe, may vary entree price

A la carte menus

prices for each food items separately

Single-use menu

Used once, such as for a special event

Cycle menu

for each day of a cycle, the menu is different; cycle repeats on a regular basic weekly or monthly; typical in schools or hospitals; efficient and reduced food waste, reduces storage cost, and keep appropriate stock

What does contribution margin indicate?

profitability

What does menu mix indicate?

popularity

what are the 4 types of menu items?

Plow horse- very popular but doesn’t bring in a lot of money

Star- high in profit and high in sales

puzzle- don’t sell much but profitable when it does

Dog- low profit and low sales

How to improve popularity?

Reduce selling price

Feature item as special

Give it top priority on the menu

Offer a smaller portion size

To create more profitable items that are also popular do:

improve appearance

decrease portion size (easiest to do)

Decrease food cost

How to improve popularity and profitability?

assess item as its customer specific; such as children’s menu items

If not customer specific, try increasing selling price

What ways can you control menu costs?

Making seasonal changes to menu items, same menus across different avenues, same items on menu, standardized recipes

How does an effective production plan and schedule help control costs?

Reduced wasted time

improves process flow to reduce labor cost

Reduced inventory costs

Optimizes equipment usage and increases work capacity

What is the difference between an informal and formal procurement process?

Formal uses same process as informal procurement but scores bidders based on established scoring criteria; 2 methods include competitive sealed bidding and competitive negotiation

Informal process includes developing specifications in writing, identifying sources eligible and able to provide products, contract sources, evaluate bidders’ response, and determine most responsive and responsible bidder at the lowest price

What are the 5 steps in the procurement process?

1. develop specifications in writing

2. identify sources eligible and able to provide products

3. contact sources

4. evaluate bidders’ response

5. determine most responsive and responsible bidder at the lowest price

What are KPIs?

key performance indicators

Ex. for a foodservice department, could be plate cost, food cost, meal/labor hour, and sale/labor hour

Why is specification development important?

To ensure consistency in price, product quality, operations function, and fit for purpose

What are benefits and drawbacks of group purchasing?

Group purchasing is when foodservice operations create collective buying power to purchase more products at a low price (GPOs or group purchasing organizations)

Benefits are lower purchasing costs but drawback is losing individuality

What is a prime vendor agreement?

A pricing contract that a supplier offers to businesses on products they frequently buy; fits with wholesale and benefits buyer and seller

What are the 5 steps in the receiving process?

1. compare purchase order to invoice

2. inspect items again invoice

3. Accept or reject items

4. Complete receiving records and sign the invoice

5. Place products in appropriate storage

What steps are involved in the purchasing process?

1. Requisition form is used to request items from the purchasing manager

2. Purchasing manager will write up a purchase order and send to supplier

3. The supplier will provide an invoice to the purchasing manager

what is blind check receiving method?

When you get an invoice or purchase order that doesn’t include quantity, weight, or price; takes longer and costs more

FOB origin

means “free on board”; liability and title possession of the items ordered shift to the customer when the shipment leaves the point of origin

CIF origin (cost insurance and freight) is the opposite as responsibility transfers to the buyer only when the goods arrive at the destination

What are the two types of inventory?

Perpetual inventory- a running balance of inventory on hand

Physical inventory- done once a month with physical counts recorded on a spreadsheet; closing and opening inventory compared to determine monthly food cost

What is the difference between FIFO and LIFO?

FIFO- first in, first out; oldest item used first

LIFO- last in, first out; used for items that would spoil

How are par stock and reorder point related?

Par stock is wanting to have a certain number of a certain item at all times (Ex. 5 cans of peaches)

Reorder point is needs to account for lead time and par stock

Economic order quantity can be used to calculate par stock

What are the 4 different foodservice systems?

Conventional- cook to serve'; kitchens that produce items for immediate purchase; restaurants or cafeterias; advantages=high food quality and flexibility; disadvantages=less time flexibility and more labor

Ready-prepared-cook/chill, cook/freeze;produce and chill items until service; Advantages are ability to prepare in bulk, increased variety; disadvantages is large equipment requirements, some foods don’t freeze and cook well

Commissary-Prepared in large kitchen then delivered in bulk for final production and service is ideal for serving large volumes of food;Advantages include cost savings, limited workload variability, uniform products, no cooking during mealtime; disadvantages include food safety concerns and quality concerns during holding and transporting

Assembly/Serve-aka convenience food or minimal cooking; examples include kiosks, fast food, convenience stores, and special diet menus; food held chilled or frozen then heated for serving; advantages=reduced labor and skill, pre-portioned (only with smaller facilities); disadvantages are limited menu, purchased at a bigger cost

Centralized vs Decentralized service systems

Centralized- Food prepared at a central location then transported; Ex=fast food, restaurants, banquet services, hospitals

Decentralized-There is a main kitchen with satellite locations; Ex=assembly galley, ward kitchen, satellite kitchens, large hospitals, medical centers, schools, hotels; used with a large distance between kitchen and consumer

What types of factors will influence the type of distribution system used in a foodservice operation?

Service based factors and customer based factors

What does service based factors include?

Type of foodservice system, type of foodservice organization, facility size and layout, personnel skill, economic factors, food safety concerns, meal service timing, energy usage, and service style

What does customer-based factors include?

number of customers serves, how quickly they were serves, if groups were serves at once, and in what environment are customers served

What are the different types of service style?

self-service, cafeteria style, machine vending, buffet, drive thru, tray service, wait service

What is the difference between high and low temp warewasher styles?

High temp reach 180F and don’t require a sanitizing solution; uses more energy compared to low temp models

Low temp uses sanitizing chemicals and cleaning agents to clean and sanitize; less steam and heat created; uses less energy

What is the most common type of dishwasher?

Door type dishwasher

What dishwasher is the largest available commercial dishwasher?

Conveyor dishwasher

Which dishwasher is the most compact option?

Under counter

What are the commercial sinks available?

Handwashing- Must have at least 1 inside of or at the entrance to a food prep area; should be easily accessible

One compartment- a handwashing sink, but there may be an additional attached to prep produce, food serving, and warewashing

Two compartment- used to thaw and prep meats or frozen bagged sides; veggie sanitizing and prep station

Three compartment- wash, rinse, and sanitize dishes

Four compartment- scrape food waste, wash, rinse, and sanitize

Countertop warmers

used in display cases and for soups and side dishes

Strip warmers

keep food on the line, or in a buffet, at the correct temp

Heat lamps

placed over prepared food or at a carving station to keep them warm

Drawer warmers

used to keep food warm and ready to serve

Electric steam tables

have food wells and can be used to display hot or cold foods

Bain Marie

electric steam table hooked up to a food rethermalizer to heat the water keep food wells hot; may be used to thaw large amounts of frozen food for cooking

Bain Marie Heater

(food rethermalizer) can be used to heat sink water or to heat a Bain Marie

Cook and hold ovens

Cook food then keep it hot until serving time without drying it

Refrigerated holding cabinet

Holds food at the correct cold temp prior to serving

Holding cabinets

keeps food at right temp

Banquet carts

can be heated or not; non-heated (Queen Mary) carts have open sides; heated carts have doors that will keep plated dishes at the correct temp

Meal delivery carts

will keep food at right temp during transport and may be used to hold patient meal trays

Retarder proofers

will refrigerate dough and then heat for proofing

Oven proofer combo

will proof and then bake dough in same equipment using different controls

Proofing cabinets

used to proof bread products

Requirements for dry storage?

Clean and ventilated

50-70F

humidity of 50-60%

shelving 6” off floor

Wide aisles for carts

Kept locked to avoid pilfering

Requirements for refridgerated storage

32-40F

Thermometers accurate within 3F

Open slotted shelving

Good seal on door

Requirements for freezer storage

0F or below

Thermometers accurate within 3F

Open slotted shelving for air circulation

Doors have a tight seal

Standard oven

aka conventional oven; healing elements at top or bottom, inexpensive

Disadvantages are inconsistent heating, uneven cooking, and slow cook times

Steam oven

Cooks with water vapor and maintains flavor and nutrients; cooking is fast, consistent, and even

Not used for delicate foods and can’t crisp or brown

Convection oven

Circulates warm are for faster, even cooking and consistent heating; cook at low temps, cannot be used for all cuisines such as bread items (use bakery convection items

Rotary oven

Bulk production of food items, especially flour-baked goods; uniform baking and even cooking; air distribution system for consistent cooking

Microwave oven

Cook faster and consume less energy; overcooking can lead to soft and soggy food; often in satellite kitchens or service areas

Combination oven

combine convection and steam; faster cooking times and consistent heating

Deck oven

heavy stone shelf that heats up; food placed on deck, allowing for control of heating; great for pizzas; have long preheating times

Rotisserie oven

slowly cook meat; prevent meat from drying out and rotation results in even cooking; take awhile

Conveyor oven

force hot air through perforate sheet which quickens the cook time; fast, consistent, and even; not for small items or delicate foods

Tube style fryers

used for frying onion rings, chicken, fish, or anything in a frying basket; heated by gas and has better sediment zone; prolonged oil life and prevents poor flavor of food; harder to clean

Open pot fryers

use gas or electricity; easy to clean and used for any type of food; shallow sediment zone that gets clogged easily; basket fried foods like french fries, hash browns, and frozen foods

Flat bottom fryers

heated from below by gas; best fo floating oats such as donuts or battered foods; no sediment zone; aka shallow or donut fryers

Gas commercial range

open burners and dials for precise cooking temp control; shorter cooking times, more efficient

Electric commercial range

protective tops above tubes with metal elements; easier and cheaper to install; no fume hood and don’t emit heat into air

Types of stainless steel used?

Type 304 and Type 430

304 highly resistant to corrosion and rust, durable, easy to sanitize, and tolerates moisture, not magnetic

Type 430 is lower grade and includes iron so less resistant to corrosion; used to produce prep, mix ingredients, and plating, slightly magnetic

Regular vs unique factors for flooring?

regular(everywhere): equipment and foot traffic

unique(foodservice): water, food waste, grease, cleaning products

What are the 4 considering when picking flooring for foodservice?

Safety and slip resistance

sanitation and infection control

comfort and worker fatigue

aesthetics and durability

What are the types of flooring?

quarry tile- common and standard; slip-resistant and paired with rubber mats

natural stone/tile- used when kitchen areas are visible to customers

Epoxy: protective coating on concrete flooring and strong; slip-resistance coating to improve slip resistance or rubber mats; make sure to take comfort measures for employees

Vinyl/PCV: good for customer area; resilient flooring; waterproof and slip-resistant; reduce dinnerware breakage and reduce worker fatigue; resistant to abrasion, chemicals, grease, and physical impact

What does lighting help to do?

1. create safe and welcoming environment

2. optimize visibility

3. provide safe and efficient traffic patterns

4. minimize operating costs

How are lighting requirements communicated by?

1 foot candle

What are the lighting requirements for food service areas?

-refrigeration/storage/cleaning areas; 10ft

-reach in/under counter fridge; 20 ft

-self service areas/packaged food areas; 20ft

-hand/dish washing,storage; 20ft

-prep areas with food, knives, slicers, grinders, or saws; 50ft

What is motion economy and how is it accomplished?

Focused on improving manual work in manufacturing and foodservice in order to reduce fatigue and unnecessary movements

1. workplace arrangement

2. tool and equipment designs

3. human body motion patterns

What does HVAC stand for?

heating, ventilation, air conditioning

Supply air

comes from outside into building for ventiliation

Exhaust air

exits the building through ventilation

Return air

Mixes with supply air and recirculated through ventilation

which organization investigates workplace accidents?

OSHA

What does electrical hazards include?

worn electric cords, damaged extension cords, ungrounded outlets, faulty equipment wiring, damaged connectors, wet clean-up processes, and unsafe work practices

What does fire hazards include?

poor housekeeping, unempited grease traps, dirty air ducts, improper storage of flammable items, and faulty/frayed electrical cords

Where should you store heavier items?

On the bottom shelf

Where should you store lighter items?

On the top shelf

What is a class A fire extinguisher used for?

combustible materials

What is a class B fire extinguisher used for?

Flammable liquids and gases

What is a class C fire extinguisher used for?

electrical fires

What is a class D fire extinguisher used for?

flammable metals

What is a class K fire extinguisher used for?

cooking oils and fats

Chlorine (sanitizer)

corrosive

Affected by pH, temp, and soil load

not affected by water hardness

Effective again fungi and bacterial spores

Quaternary Ammonium (quats)

Effective against bacteria, mold, yeast, virus

Stable across large temp & pH range

Not used with hard water or heavy soil

Rinsing after cleaning