food service

Operations vs. Management 

• Operations 

  • Menu planning

  • Purchasing

  • Receiving and storage

  • Ingredient assembly

  • Production

  • Distribution and service

  • Sanitation 

• Management 

  • Oversee and coordinate work

  • Ensure organizational goals and objectives are being achieved

Commercial and Non Commercial Foodservice Categories

• Commercial food services  – company pays primary service 

• Non Commercial food services – provide meals but not designed to make money/profit, follow a budget

• Military food services – catering members in different fields and areas

Onsite Food Services

• Feeding people at the location, not the primary service of the facility 

  • Ex. hospitals – feeding is part of helping people

  • Ex. schools – primary purpose is to educate

• Self operated or managed by a foodservice contract company 

Commercial food services 

• Restaurants 

• Fast, casual

• Family

• Casual, fine dining 

• Hotel restaurants 

• Recreation

• Catering, vending

• Food service in retail (grocery store)

Chain vs. Franchise

• Locations owned by the company 

• Franchisor : provides rights to the name, design, products, operating system

• Franchisee : pay a fee for the rights and royalties to continue to operate. Follow stated operating procedures. 

Noncommercial Food Services

• Hospitals – vending machines, cafeteria, coffee shop

• Long-term care – living facilities, retirement facilities, assisted-living

• Colleges and universities 

• K-12 schools

• Business and industry – benefits company

• Correctional facilities – have to feed inmates, provide balanced meals in a safe manner 

• Transportation – plane, train, etc. 

• Child and adult care food program, elderly nutrition program - meals on wheels example, etc.

Independent Living – 55+ 

Congregate care  – still living alone and progression of meal availability

Assisted living – apartment style living, help with living and daily tasks, may get most meals from congregate location 

Intermediate care  – need help to congregate areas

Skilled nursing

Scope of Service

• The number and types of business units offered by individual 

• Large urban hospital 

  • Patient services (tube feeding, any addition to regularly scheduled meals), retail (cafeteria for employees and families), nutritional services (inpatient and outpatient therapy, community education, research diets) 

• Community hospitals 

  • Patient services, employee foodservice, community foodservice, nutritional service

• School food service

  • USDA child nutrition (meetings, etc.)

  • Retail 

  • National school lunch program (NSLP) started because of the wars had children malnourished and needed to nourish children to be fit for the military

  • School breakfast program (SBP)

  • Special milk program

  • Summer food service program

  • Fresh fruit and vegetable program

• College / University

  • Residence hall dining (dining halls, pods, etc.)

  • Retail 

• Working in a restaurant vs. a self-operated university food service

  • Customers – choice of visiting, experience

  • Hours of operation – restaurant manager opening and closing

  • Working hours

  • Salaries 

• Pros of self - operated food services

  • Supervisor and employees with the same organizational mission and vision 

  • Greater commitment and empowerment 

  • Allowed more flexibility

  • Identical operational tools as other departments 

• Cons of self - operated food services

  • Outsource their food service 

  • Low participation 

  • Lack of knowledge

  • Lacks vision or expertise to improve 

  • Low dining participation 

• Pros of contracted food services

  • Purchasing power can decrease cost 

  • Provides regular financial reports

  • Qualified managers 

  • Provide new menu concepts, POS systems, recipes, training, marketing

• Cons 

  • Mission and goals contract company may be quite different from clients’

  • Managers have two bosses to please

  • Client must pay management fee to contract company

System 

• Input → transformation → output

• Method to explain how food services are connected 

• Input : any human, physical, operational resource

• Transformation : action or activity 

• Analyze interactions within an organization 

• Outputs : quality meals, satisfaction, profit/loss

Characteristics of a System

• A system is organized

  • Parts are interdependent 

  • Subsystems – operations and management – are linked by communication 

  • Each system exists within larger setting

  • Functioning in a state of dynamic equilibrium or steady state

  • Equifinality – more than one way to reach end goal (getting/making a pizza)

Operations and Management Subsystems

• Operations 

• Procurement – purchasing, receiving, storing, inventory management

• Production, distribution and service

• Safety, sanitation and maintenance

2/7/25

Examples of Environment Factors That Can Influence a Food Service Organization

• Local factors: 

  • Competitors

  • Suppliers

  • Customers

  • Future employees

  • Labor unions

  •  Climate

• Border factors: 

  • Laws and regulations

  • Economic environment

  • Political climate

  • Social changes

  • Technology

Types of Food Service Operations KNOW THESE 4!!!

• Conventional Operation

• Meals are prepared mostly from scratch and served in same facility

• Most common type

• Meals served ASAP (restaurants, fast food)

• Hospitals 

  • de/centralized service (tray built in one location and moved to patient)

• Costs are lower

• Menus feature variety 

• Labor intensive 

• Workload peaks and valleys 

• Ready-prepared 

  • Menu items are prepared and then chilled or frozen for later use (ex. Meal prep)

  • Cook-chill 

    • Cooked food in plastic bags

    • blast/tumblr chiller

    • ROP packaging (limits bacteria growth)

    • Store chilled

    • Two separate inventories 

  • Cook-freeze

    • Foods cooked then rapidly frozen

    • Flash freezing

    • Recipes may need alteration to withstand freezing

  • Sous vide

    • Raw foods in vacuum packaging

    • Cooked by immersion 

    • Served, chilled and refrigerated 

    • Reheated 

  • Saves labor costs by smoothing out peaks and valleys

  • More flexibility in terms of scheduling production

  • Cooks can maintain high quality and consistency in the finished product

  • Pay attention to details to retain quality, safety, and nutrition in foods that are cook-chilled, cook-frozen or sous vide

  • Some recipes may not work well 

  • Need to purchase special equipment 

• Assembly/serve

  • Menu items require little preparation. Ready to serve or ready to heat most of the time. 

  • Many foods are portion controlled

  • Modified diet options in healthcare settings

  • Requires sufficient cold storage space

  • Lower labor costs

  • Don't need high skilled chefs, much space or equipment 

  • Food costs are higher as they’re mostly prepared

  • Limited menu 

  • Quality of some convenience foods may not be acceptable and some low in protein 

• Commissary 

  • Food prepared in a large central kitchen and transported to satellite kitchen for service 

  • Many meals in many locations

  • Large-scale equipment needed

  • Prepared foods

    • Bulk

    • Pre Portioned

    • Preplated

  • Tend to be very efficient and cost-effective

  • More consistent food quality and nutritional quality 

  • More control over food production

  • Transporting is expensive

  • Specialized personnel may be needed

  • Equipment failures affect a lot of locations

  • No direct customer feedback

2/10/25

Measuring 

• Count – eggs, tomatoes, potatoes

• Weight – grams, ounces, pounds

• Volume – cups, liters, fluid ounces (volume), weight ounce

• Measuring liquids

  • 1 cup = 8 ounces

  • Fluid ounces

  • Flat surface and eye level readings

• Measuring solids

  • Proper measuring cup

  • Spoon ingredients in

    • Fill to top 

    • Don't pack tight

• Decimal equivalents for 1-8 ounces

  • 1 oz = 0.06 lb

  • 2 oz = 0.12 lb

  • 3 oz = 0.19 lb

  • 4 oz = 0.25 lb

• How to calculate :

  • Oz to lb → 4 oz / 16 oz = 0.25 lb

• How to convert lb to oz → 0.44 lb x 16 oz/lb = 7 oz

• Decimal equivalents for 1-8 fluid ounces

  • 1 fl oz = 0.125 cups

  • 2 fl oz = 0.25 cups

• Convert fl oz to cups → 4 fl oz / 8 fl oz = 0.50 cups

• Cups to fl oz → 0.875 cups x 8 fl oz/cup = 7 fl oz

Convert Units of Measure Using Bridge Method

• To convert 7 pints to quarts : 

  • Pints → quarts

  • Pints → cups → quarts

  • Place “7 pints” over 1 as follows 

    • 7 pints/1   x   2 cups/1 pint   x     1 quart/4 cups 

 = 14 quarts/4  =  3.5 quarts

Menus 

• Menu effects

  • List of food items available 

  • Pricing 

  • Sales and education tool

  • Most important internal control

    • Inputs 

    • Transformation

    • Outputs

• Menu types 

  • How often they change

  • How pricing works

• Menu changes

  • Static – restaurant style – same items daily

    • Room service in a hospital

  • Single use – one meal or event

  • Cycle – repeated series 

    • Rotated

    • Length of cycle varies

    • Sufficient variety for customers 

2/12/25

Cycle  menu pro/con

• Adds daily variety

• Control over costs for purchasing

• Production forecasting is easier

• Repeated use – allows for workload balance

• Purchasing more inventory items 

• Production is more complicated

• May not allow for seasonal or unexpected items

Menu pricing 

• Table d’hote – 3 course meal

• All you can eat

• A la carte

Degree of choice

• Total number of items

• Extent of selection – the number of choices

• Selective – at least 2 choices in all categories 

• Semi-selective – at least 2 choices in some categories

• Nonselective – no choice – preselective house menu

Menu Considerations – customer view

• Food habits – practices and attitudes the predetermine what, when, why and how we eat

• Food preferences : degree of liking for a food item

• Habits often pass to next generations 

• Increased diversity awareness

• Traditional meal patterns are changing

• Sociocultural backgrounds 

  • Age, income, education, culture, lifestyle preferences, geographic area

• Prices 

• Appealing meals 

  • Taste, texture, flavor, temperature, color, shape

• Manager view : 

  • Consistency with food service concept and mission

    • Often conflicting with customer expectations → conflicts with financial goals 

  • Strive to meet QUALITY expectations of customers 

  • Const effective with food and labor cost

    • Food cost – cost of food as purchased

    • Balance of low and high cost menu items

    • Sales mix – portion of sales

    • Food cost % = food and beverage costs / sales

    • Labor cost % = labor cost / sales

    • Daily food cost / customer 

  • Ease of purchasing, production and service

    • Expensive or out of season ingredients

    • Equipment availability and capacity 

    • Kitchen design / layout and storage

    • Labor – number, skills and days off

    • Advanced production options 

    • Type of service 

Steps for Planning Menus

• 2 - plan the lunch entrees

  • Avoid items in the dinner menu

  • Variety preparation methods 

  • Variety in daily offerings – soups, sandwiches, salads, etc.

• 3 - plan the sides of lunch and dinner

  • Usually offered separately for dietary restrictions 

  • Starch appropriate for the entree 

  • Non-starch vegetable

• 4 - plan the menu items that will be offered

• 5 - plan desserts 

• 9 - extended diets

• 10 - nutrient analysis 

Emergency Preparedness

Menu Design

•  Menu psychology – design and layout of a menu to influence the sale of food served

  • Primacy and recency – listing items

  • Eye magnets – attention-getter

  • Limit selections

  • Price listings – avoid using $ or putting prices in columns

• Merchandising – presenting options in ways to influence a shoppers decision 

Menu descriptions 

• Truth in menu laws - cannot misrepresent menu items

• Portion size

• prep/cook methods

• name/ingredient quality 

• Point of origin 

• Nutrient claims or health claims - regulated by FDA

• Photographs of menu items look like actual dish

• Pricing is accurate

• Written descriptions 

  • Accurate, simple

  • Avoid overselling wording

  • Clearly state what's included

  • Description reflects foodservice

• Menu size

• Menu size 

  • Read like book

• Menu layout

  • Sharp contrast

  • Don't overdue color

  • Consistent artwork

• Menu presentation 

  • Hospital : paper, spoken menu, room service

2/17/24

Converting Between Volume and Weight

• A recipe calls for 1-¾ cups of flour and you need to know how many ounces that represents

  • Volume → weight

  • 1 cup flour = 4.3 oz

  • 1.75 cups / 1  x    4.3oz / 1 cup = 7.5 ounces

• A salad recipe calls for 8-½ pounds of cherry tomatoes. How many pints do you need?

  • 1 # = 3 c

  • 3 → c → pt

  • 8.5 lb/1  x   3 cups/1 lb   x   1 pint/2 cups  = 25.5/2

  • = 12.75 pints or 12 pints + 1 ½ cups 

• You have extended a home recipe to make 100 servings. You need 50 T of chopped bell peppers and would like to convert the amount to #

  • 1 c  = 5.3 oz/c

  • T → C  → oz → #

  • 50 T/1   x  1 cup/16 T  x   5.3oz/1 cup   x   1#/16 oz = 265/256 #

  • = 1.04# = 1# 1 oz

Product Yield 

• Yield – amount of a product resulting from completion of procurement, production and service

• AP (as purchased) quantity – the weight or volume of an item as it was purchased

• Product yield 

  • Cooking losses – decrease in yield during cooking

  • Handling loss – production and portioning 

• Yield %

  • % of food that is edible

  • Determine purchase amounts (AP quantity) needed

  • Figure out number of servings possible from available amount

  • As-purchased (AP) = edible portion (EP)/ yield percent 

• A recipe calls for 4 pounds of chopped celery. How much do you need to purchase?

  • AP = EP/yield %

  • 4 pounds/0.73 = 5.5 pounds 

• A cook has 10 pounds of whole cantaloupes to cut into cubes for a fruit salad. How much will it yield?

• AP = EP/yield %

• AP x yield % = EP

• 10 # x 0.50 = 5# cubes

Recipes 

• Weight and measurements of ingredients are combined using procedures to create a specified product 

• Written recipes are a communication tool

  • Ingredients 

  • Instructions 

• Written in a defined pattern or style – uniformity simplifies use

• Standard US weights and measures

Standardized Recipes 

• A recipe that has been tested

• Adapted for use in a specific kitchen 

• Produce the same quantity and quality of food every time 

• Consistent, flavor, texture, yield, reduce overproduction, accurate nutrition information, food/labor cost control

• Ingredient quality varies (seasons)

• Equipment and how its used

• Person cooking the food varies final product

• The same cook may not prepare dish the same every time

• Weather / kitchen temperature and humidity 

Recipe Testing 

• Smaller yield is easier to test 

• Prepared recipe evaluation 

• Involve production staff

• Change one ingredient/procedure at a time

• Evaluate each product 

• Repeat process as needed 

Ratio 

• Relationship between two quantities – expressed in the same unit

Mirepoix

• 2 parts onion

• 1 part diced carrot

• 1 part diced celery

Ratio vs. Recipe

Ratio – 

• General formula

• Sets fixed relationship between quantities

• Generate ingredient quantities measured in same unit

Recipe –

• Specific set of ingredient 

• May not have ingredient amounts in any relationship 

• Measures ingredients in appropriate units

• Yield a specific amount of product

Part Size

• Part = unknown quantity

• Each part must represent the same quantity

  • Known quantity / corresponding number of parts

    • = part size

• Quantity = 6# diced onion, 

• Parts = 

Popover Batter 

• Convert following recipe into volume ratio : 

  • 1 ½ qt whole milk

  • 4 ½ C all purpose flour

  • 1 qt large eggs

  • 1 ½ C butter 

6 C milk : 4.5 C flour : 4 eggs : 1.5 butter

Adjusting Recipe Quantities 

• Calculate conversion factor 

  • Desired yield / current yield = factor 

Increasing Recipe Yield

• To adjust a recipe from 50 to 175 portions : 

  • Desired yield / current yield = factor 

    • 175/50 = 3.5

  • Then you multiply each ingredient by 3.5

    • Flour : 12 lbs x 3.5 = 42 lbs  

    • Sugar : 12 oz x 3.5 = 42 oz  → 2 lbs 10 oz

  • Change the amounts into more common measurements

    • 42 oz sugar is 

Decreasing Recipe Yield 

• Constraining factor

• Scaling factor = constraining quantity / recipe quantity

• Recipe calls for 8 squares of semi sweet chocolate brownies. If you only have 2.5 what scaling  factor is used to find chocolate.

  • 2.⅝

Recipe and Portion Cost

• Calculate AP cost/unit

• AP cost / number of units purchased = AP cost per unit

• AP cost - cost of foods as purchased

• Restaurant buys 25 pound bags of sugar, each bag is $15.50. Calculate AP cost per pound and per cup

  • AP cost / # of units purchased → $15.50 / 25 pounds = $0.62 / pound

Cost per cup

• Convert 25 pounds into cups (1 lb sugar = 2.25 cups)

  • Bridge method : 25 lb / 1  x 2.25 cups/ 1lb  = 56.25 cups

  • AP cost / # of units purchased →  $15.50 / 56.25 cups = $0.275/cup = $0.28/cup

Ingredient Costs

• AP quantity – check the unit compared to cost unit

  • Ex. AP 2.5 pounds of butter cost $4/pound

  • Units are not similar, change recipe unit to match purchase unit

• Step 1 example: 

  • ¾ cup brown sugar : cost given in cost/pound 

  • Appendix D : 1 cup brown sugar weighs 7 ounces 

    • Bridge method : 0.75 cup/1  x  7 oz/1 cup  x    1lb/16oz  = 0.33 pounds

• Step 2 example:

  • Recipe calls for 1 cup of shallots, minced and cost is $6.89lb

  • Appendix D : 1 cup minced = 5.5 ounces weight

    • 1 cup/1  x   5.5oz/1 cup  x   1lb/16oz  = 0.34lb

    • Calculate AP - yield % = 88%

    • EP quantity/ yield % = 0.34 lb/0.88 = 0.39lb (AP quantity)

• Step 3 example:

  • Calculate cost 

  • AP quantity x AP cost per unit = ingredient cost

    • 0.39 pound shallots x $6.89/lb = $2.69

Recipe Costs

• Add up cost of all ingredients = total recipe cost

• Divide total cost by number of portions

• Total recipe cost / number of portions = cost per portion

• A recipe cost $80 to make, yields 20 portions

  • $80.00/20 portions = $4.00/portion 

Food Cost %

• Formula: food cost / food sales  x 100 = food cost %

• Ex. $83,492 / $238,183   x  100 = 35.1%