Types of Restaurants

Food and beverage service

Types of Restaurants

COFFEE SHOP

It is a food and beverage outlet in a hotel that operates round the clock. It is derived from the American concept of a ‘café’ and ‘garçon’. It gained popularity from the modern day need to have a quick meal. It has a simple menu that consists of wholesome dishes chosen from different cuisines. The popular beverage here is beer. The prices are conservative.

·        It has an atmosphere of “bustle” or of high activity and movement.

·        People and their movements are often integral to the design of such establishments. Seating arrangements provide flexibility to the guest and space for easy staff movement. It would normally include a buffet arrangement at one or all meal periods.

·        Usually offers a view of the outside (swimming pool etc) as they are open round the clock. Normally, it has a lot of natural light as it caters to breakfast eaters. It may also employ ‘al fresco’ dining.

·        Music is light and peppy and blends with the theme and maybe instrumental or vocal.

·        Floors may or may not be carpeted depending on the movement though fast moving coffee shops prefer marble, granite or wood flooring.

·        Table set-ups are flexible so as to optimize seating because space is the main constraint. Table configurations would vary from tables that seat two or more guests. Table appointments vary as per the style of the menu or establishment.

PASTRY SHOPS

It is an outlet that sells ready-to-eat bakery, patisserie and delicatessen products. It has a separate confectionery section offering chocolates and marzipan. The main attraction is the display.

·        They mostly have a show rack made of glass to display the various products on sale.

·        The décor is simple and does not distract the buyer from the main focus, which is the product on display.

·        It has minimal provision for seating, as the food is normally ready-to-eat. It may also have stand-in counters. The dining area is strategically located, forcing people to walk through displays.

·        The table appointments are minimal including only the cruet set and popular sauces.

·        In hotels, they are located at the lobby level, offering easy accessibility and some sort of view for the guests.  They may also have a separate entry.

·        The music varies with the product on sale. If there are a profusion of Indian products then Indian classical music is played or else, western instrumental music is played. The music is normally channeled or recorded.

·        The lighting is normally white bright lights to highlight the product display and spotlights are used in the racks.

·        Sauces, condiments and fresh bread are also sold.

DESTINATION RESTAURANTS

These are restaurants that are recognized as a destination on their own for the kind of facilities that they offer and some other element that make them a unique meal experience. This element may be the location, historic importance; the restaurant may be privy to important issues or be known for the famous clientele they cater to. Some restaurants may become destinations due to its chef who may be famous and have a following.

·        The owners, designers and chef put emphasis on creating an outstanding experience for those who seek it out.

·        It is built to last a fad and ages well.

·        The style of the restaurant determines its popularity. Therefore, the atmosphere is made special by using the elements of lighting, décor, and view.

·        View is an important element as the external and internal view is aimed at uniqueness.

·        The table appointments are as per the style of the restaurant or the menu on offer.

·        The seating is such that it optimizes on the external view or the internal decor and ambiance- which ever may be the focal point in the restaurant.

·         It may also offer other facilities as in sports, recreation within the premises of the destination.

·        The prices are generally towards the higher end.

ETHNIC RESTAURANTS

These are representations of cuisines of different regions. The décor and the ambiance contribute towards creating a feeling of being transported to the distant land, as the emphasis is not only on providing the particular cuisine. The service is formal, normally platter to plate and the price ranges from high to medium.

·           All elements, whether it is the lighting or the seating, uniform of the employees, crockery and china, help in creating the atmosphere, which gives the feel of the ethnic region.

·           The table appointments, lighting, colour schemes and table set-ups are in accordance with the ethnicity and the clientele it caters to.

·           The floor may or may not be carpeted in terms of seat turnover and movement and style of service. Most ethnic restaurants, which would use trolleys and kiosks, would like an even surface rather than the exclusive or exquisite restaurants that prefer carpeting.

·           Music is normally traditional.

·           Most of the restaurants have an internal view rather than external as it attempts at creating an atmosphere.

·           The trend is to deliver the message subtly and not in a clichéd manner.

GRILL ROOMS

Restaurants based on this European concept, serve large cuts of meat which are cooked to guest specifications and involve a lot of showmanship as cooking is done at site. Another variation of grillrooms is steak houses. Usually, they offer a large variety of wines and spirits to go with the food. The prices are in the mid market range and are used extensively for business luncheons.

·        The menu is normally fixed and limited, as only items that can be grilled are served.

·        They have long tables emphasizing on common seating, as there are hot plates and grills on the tables where chefs cook for guests.

·        They have a restricted view of the outside, as the showmanship of the chefs is the main attraction.

·        The music depends on the kind of atmosphere to be created.

·        The primary colours used are reds and browns to bring out the “meat factor”, which is the main meal element.

·        The atmosphere is semi-formal and lively.

·        There is use of dim lighting except to highlight the guest's view of the cooking.

·        Table settings or appointments are sparse – some sauces and condiments are kept on the tables.

·        A lot of specialized equipment is used in such restaurants for preparing and serving meals.

 

FRANCHISEE RESTAURANTS

In this, the owner of the outlet affiliates it with an international or national chain of restaurants. The chain lends its name at a fee and the owner has to abide by the standards set by the franchiser. For customers such outlets are a measure of reliability in the menu and service.

·        As the customers expect and associate the product and style of service to be the same as that of the parent company there is a lot of emphasis on décor, music, lighting and staff training.

·        The menu is normally the same as the parent company except for variations brought in for regional preferences.

·        The view in the restaurant is more internal and the uniqueness of the franchised outlet attaches some amount of excitement to the product.

·        The décor is normally unique and acts as a trademark on its own. Often a lot of artifacts and memorabilia are displayed which gets attached to the brand name.

·        Usually vibrant colours and lights are used.

·        The music is loud, maybe channeled, live or recorded and of commercial nature blending with the theme of the restaurant.

·        A lot of televisions can be seen around usually and table appointments vary with the cuisine.

·        Linen is normally avoided and a lot of paper is used along with plastic.

·        To attract repeat clientele, different activities may be scheduled for different days of the week. For e.g. Karaoke nights.

 

 

THEMATIC RESTAURANTS

These are restaurants with a core theme and the entire production revolves around it. The effort is to steep the guest in a special mood or a three dimensional fantasy. Everything goes to create this effect- lighting, seating, menu items, music, décor, staff uniform, colour scheme and ambiance. Atmosphere is semi-formal or formal and market range is high to medium. If in a restaurant the theme is restricted to cuisine then it becomes a speciality restaurant.

·        The name, service style, style of menu, cutlery and crockery used is all in harmony with the theme, which gives a distinct identification to the outlet.

·        The dishes and food items are often named in accordance with the theme.

·        Different levels are used often to break the monotony and mood lighting is a must.

·        The seating may vary as per the theme and so does the décor.

·        The concept maybe adopted by a coffee shop, bar, pub, discotheque.

BARS AND PUBS

These are outlets that offer a range of spirits and alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic beverages along with a limited food menu. The British pub is renowned the world over as a unique social center, the focus of community life, an influence on popular culture, a source of history and a tourist attraction.

Pubs, as they exist today, started in the U.K, when the invading Roman army introduced the concept of tabernae or roadside wine shops. The natives preferred ale to wine and hence the beerhouse or alehouse was born. The concept caught on when the pubs offered not only a number of beers but also wholesome meals like shepherds pie, fish and chips etc.

Bar can be defined as a counter or a place where beverages, especially liquors are served to customers. They are known to serve only light snacks and often have a brassiere attached to them. Another variation is the theme bar, which has become popular and offers guests synonymous activities like the sports bar.

·        These are located in publicly accessible areas as in near shopping malls. In hotels, the trend is to have bars which are located at the same level as the lobby to lure guests.

·        The general level of illumination is bright during the day but dimmed in the evenings to create an atmosphere of intimacy. A lot of bottom lights and spotlights are used.

·        The colour scheme is funky and coordinated with a theme if any.

·        The seating is normally close, as there is maximum utilization of space. Banquette seating is popular and furniture used has no sharp corners or edges. The atmosphere is casual and light.

·        The table appointments used is minimal and the surfaces used for flooring and tables are normally easy to clean and maintain, as chance of spillages is more.

·         The main attraction is the bar counter and the décor maybe in accordance with a theme or in general.

 

DISCOTHEQUES

These are clubs or cafés that provide dancing space for guests along with live or recorded music. They offer a variety of drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic along with fixed food items and snacks. They normally operate in the evenings and is popular amongst the young generation.

·        “A disco needs to be a fantasy” is the ground rule that most architects and designers keep in view when dealing with a disco. The illusion of space is created.

·        It has to have a dance floor either in the center or in the side.

·        Seating could be tiered with clear view of the action.

·        Lighting is a major factor and the lights used are dim, neon, psychedelic, criss-cross beams, spotlights and cast coloured lights.

·        Music is also another major factor and is the main reason people visit a disco. Varied music is played by a disc jockey and often-live bands feature.

·        Table appointments are minimal and vary with the theme and cuisine offered.

·        Flooring is varied as sometimes glass is used, and granite, wood, marble are used singly or in combination. Carpets are rarely used because they are hard to maintain.

·        The colour scheme is bright and eye catching.

CAFÉS:

·           Based on al-fresco dining, seating often spills out on the road. It is easy for the guest to walk into them.

·           It serves light meals and coffee in an informal atmosphere.

·           The furniture is normally of wrought iron and space utilization is maximized with usage of circular tables mostly.

·           The seating is not very convenient to spur movement.

CAFETERIA:

It is usually attached to an establishment, catering to workers or staff of the organization. It is the primary source of social interaction in an organization where people collect to get respite from work. Today’s trend is to make it thematic and to use it as a tool for boosting employee productivity and morale.

·        It is based on the concept of utility and durability.

·        The food is placed in one place where there are open counters, stacked crockery, cutlery and glasses. They have strategically located food counters, soiled dish stacking areas, hand-washing areas and seating areas.

·        It has basic bright white lights and washers that are within view.

·        It may play commercial music as it is used for breaks.

·        These days, cafeterias often provide the “feel” of a restaurant.

·        Logistics involved would be the number of diners at one time, hours of operations etc.