The Restaurant

               A restaurant is a commercial establishment committed to the sale of food and beverage. A restaurant may be a licensed part of a hotel operation, whereby the sales of the restaurant contribute to the sales performance of the hotel as a whole.Restaurants may also be in­dependent business entities under individual ownership and manage­ment. Basically, restaurants provide tables and chairs for people to sit and eat food prepared by an attached kitchen. They are equipped with crockery, cutlery and linen which may vary in quality according to the standard of the restaurant, which is determined by its decor, independent bar, entertainment facilities and above all, the quality of service.

               There are different types of restaurants.

     Coffee Shop

 

A concept borrowed from the United States, distinguished by its quick service. Food is pre-plated and the atmosphere informal. Table cover layouts are less elaborate and have basic essentials only.

Continental Restaurant 

 

The atmosphere is more sophisticated and caters for people who can eat at leisure. The accent is on good continental food and elaborate service.

Specialty Restaurant

The entire atmosphere and decor are geared to a particular type of food or theme. Thus restaurants which offer Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Polynesian cuisine would be termed "specialty restaurants". The service is based more or less on the style of the country from which the particular cuisine originates.

    Grill Room

Various meat cuts are grilled or roasted here. Normally, a grill room has a glass partition between the restaurant and the kitchen, so that the guest can choose his meat cut and see the actual preparation."!

  Dining Room in a Hotel

 Found in smaller hotels, motels or inns who find it uneconomical to have more than one eating place. The dining room is basically  meant for the residents of the hotel but may be open to non residents also.

Snack Bars/Cafe/Milk Bars

Here the restaurant is informal and the service quick. The snack bar may have a counter for self service and specializes in snacks, soda fountain specialties, ice-creams, etc. The decor is relatively inexpensive.

      Discotheque

A restaurant which is principally meant for dancing to recorded music. A live band may also perform. An essential part of a discothe­que is a bar while the food offered consists mainly of snacks.

Night Club

It is principally open at night for dinner, dance and cabarets. A dis­pensing bar is always provided. Decor is lavish while service is elabo­rate. A live band is important to the set-up.

Most establishments insist on formal wear so as to enhance the atmosphere.

The above is broad information on the types of restaurants. What the waiter needs to know is the type of restaurant he will work in and the facilities and services that it provides.