Fine Dining: An Introduction
Fine dining is a combination of the finest food, as well as the service and environment of the restaurant. Others regard it as the most expensive form of restaurant that can be established and managed (Harrington et al. 273). It indicates that one can generate more money while also spending a lot of money to maintain the pleasure. This essay will discuss various features of fine dining.
Organization and Staffing
In terms of point of care, the organization of a fine dining restaurant includes various staff members. The general manager is the restaurant's administrator, overseeing everything from the dining room to marketing and public relations. There is a dining room manager who oversees the customers and servers. The person minimizes remuneration costs while ensuring a proper training of the various employees including expediters, bussers, and servers. The captain is a position unique to the fine dining restaurant that caters for a specific section of the dining room. He may assist the servers if they are slow or overwhelmed. The host/ess welcomes customers and may take reservations over the phone. The sommelier is also peculiar to this type of restaurant as they deal with all matters concerning wine. These activities range from creating a wine list, keeping inventory, recommending and serving the wine.
Hospitality and Customer Service
The hosting is the responsibility of all staff members in the fine dining restaurant. Despite the presence of the hosts, other staff members have an obligation to be friendly and accommodating to the clients. This is a customer-oriented approach, especially since the food-service industry is a hospitality enterprise (Jin et al. 459). Coordination is key among all staff. This is especially so for those who wants to rise above the ranks. It implies that all members have to know every job/duty available. Starting as a busser assists one to grasp the duties in a fine dining restaurant.
Types of Service
There are many categories of service that one can experience in any restaurant. Table service is not merely being served food and sitting down to eat. Regular restaurants provide various types of services such as the American service, English service, Russian Service, French service, Buffet service as well as Family Style service (Harrington et al. 275). On top of the above, the fine dining restaurant offers special type of service called the Tableside service. It is a form of service that allows guests to watch how their food is prepared enabling them to ascertain that the food is fresh and the finest ingredients are applied to its preparation. The required utensils are used and food is not directly touched by hand by the kitchen staff. Some meals prepared in this manner include prime rib and salad.
Planning and Organization
The planning and organisation of a meal is also a significant factor in the fine dining experience. Various tables are set in different manners which must be adhered to each server. Any change in shifts must ensure that the different servers are conversant with the diverse table settings. Various meals of the day are served in a particular manner. Factors such as temperature, speed of serving and cheerful service are of paramount significance (Radjenović 636). The order in which various components of a meal are presented as well as the side from which food is served are vital aspects in fine dining experience.
Monitoring Food and Beverage Operation
Monitoring Food and Beverage Operation in Fine Dining Restaurant.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Service
The major meals of the day are breakfast lunch and supper/dinner. All these have a specific manner in which they are administered. Starting with breakfast, it should be quick, prompt, and cheerful. The temperature should be appropriate and the hot entrée should be promptly before the guest finishes the first course. Fresh fruit/juice is first in the sequence followed by coffee placed on the right side of the spoons. Utensils utilized for each course have to be removed before the subsequent course is served.
Lunch has guests who could be business people with a limited time frame or travellers and the like who are having leisure at the restaurant. Prompt service is accorded first to those in a hurry while the others are not hastened. Beverage acts as a starter served with cold bread and butter (Radjenović 636). Foods are often set in the middle of the table waiting to be uncovered after the starter utensils are removed. During the dessert, hot beverages are served upon request. Finger bowls are finally served at the end.
During dinner, time is normally not a constraining factor. Appetizer is served from the left. Soup and salad is placed at the centre of the cover. A platter is used to serve the entrée. It is vital that a warm dinner plate is placed on the cover, depending on the service style employed. All beverages are placed to the right of teaspoons. Crumbing the table is also typical in fine dining restaurants subsequently followed by the dessert service. Finally, hot beverages are placed on the right. In conclusion, cleanliness is paramount in the preparation and handling of food.
Works Cited
Harrington, Robert J., et al. "Fine-Dining Restaurant Selection: Direct and Moderating Effects of Customer Attributes." Journal of Foodservice Business Research, vol. 14, no. 3, Jul-Sep2011, pp. 272-289. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/15378020.2011.594388.
Jin, Naehyun (Paul), et al. "Predictors and Outcomes of Perceived Image of Restaurant Innovativeness in Fine-Dining Restaurants." Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, vol. 24, no. 5, July 2015, pp. 457-485. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/19368623.2014.915781.
Radjenovič, Miško. "Development Model of the Fine Dining Restaurant." Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality Management in Opatija. Biennial International Congress. Tourism & Hospitality Industry, Jan. 2014, pp. 631-642.
