Monthly Archives: October 2015

Experiential Learning Assignment

This is where you will ‘claim’ your concierge attraction no later than 11:59pm on 10/29. Include a brief statement as to why this site is significant to the culture of New York including a reference. Make sure it’s not something from the following list:

1. Empire State Building (& Top of the Rock)
2. Statue of Liberty
3. Chrysler Building
4. Central Park (the whole park can’t be a ‘site’)
5. The High Line
6. Trinity Church
7. Flatiron Building
8. Battery Park (the whole park can’t be a ‘site’)
9. 5th Avenue Shopping
10. SoHo Shopping
11. Apple Store
12. Staten Island Ferry
13. Times Square
14. Wall Street
15. Rockefeller Center
16. Radio City Music Hall
17. 9/11 Memorial/Ground Zero
18. Brooklyn Bridge
19. South Street Seaport
20. Union Square
21. Grand Central
22. The Intrepid
23. United Nations
24. The Apollo Theatre
25. St. Patrick’s Cathedral
26. Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
27. TKTS
28. Anything else in Times Square that is uber popular…
29. Ellis Island
30. Chelsea Market

Rules:
– No restaurants can be a site unless it is historical
– None of the big museums: MoMA, The Met, Natural History, Guggenheim
– Neighborhoods are not sites (e.g. Chinatown, West Village).

Noemi Mendez N.Y Times Travel Section Assignment

The article “Danny Meyer Restaurants to Eliminate Tipping” by Pete Wells published in the travel section of the New York Time is an article that is very controversial. The writer talked about how Mr. Danny Meyer an owner of many restaurants wants to eliminate the employee tips and add a surcharges of 20% to the bill of the customers that will allow to distribute a fare pay to all his employees, especially those who work on the kitchen like the dishwasher, dining room managers and the cooks. Mr. Meyer, also claimed that by eliminating the tips from the restaurants, its will beneficial to all his employees because sometimes the front of the house workers are discriminate by their appearances, race, age and sometimes by the customers moods when serving the customers. Mr. Meyer claimed that it is unfair because this doesn’t have to do nothing with their performance in the front of the house. In addition he claimed, that he have the back up of his employees when they understand the concept because is the right thing to do for the team.

I believe that by eliminating the tips in the restaurant would be very unfair to the front of the house. Even though that Mr. Meyer have a good intention of distributing a fare pay to all his employees in the restaurant, I think that this would be very unfair because the salary among all employees are different depending of their position in the restaurant from the executive chef to the cook. I also believe, that by eliminating the waiter’s tips some owners of restaurants could take advantage of the salary tips and pay what they want to their employee or use the tips to pay the employees’ salary. Usually, in some Hispanic restaurant the waiters only get pay a salary of $25 dollars a day and with the tips of the customers is how they compensate there salary in the week. I also believe that some customers will not be very happy by paying a 20% more of what they consumed in the restaurant because tips are a way of appreciation in a service and if they don’t like the service that they received in the restaurant the tips will go down. So it very important for owners to really think if this would benefit all employees or only the back in the house with the elimination of tips and the increase of customers bill by 20% of what they consume in the restaurant.

Christine D. NYT Memo

Christine Delva
October 27, 2015
Professor Duchamp
New York Times Memo
Re: In Panama City, A Restaurant that lives Up to its Name – October 13th, 2015

People often use food as a means of retaining their cultural identity. Different cuisines are connected to different cultures. There are many places I want to travel and eager to taste the cultural specialize dish. In the article,, the famous Chef Carlos Alba who goes by the name Chomolin made some changes to some traditional Panamian, San Francisco products and dishes by flavors that complete it now. There was beautiful garden ranch style house in Panama City. It was empty for over 30 years, about 50 years later it was cow pastures. It was clean out few mango trees then out of no where. Things appeared naturally such Papayas plants, culatro, and chilies. Mr. Alba and staff added various of herbs within a year the garden cacaco tree. He prayed mist of garden will produce all their needs. All the interior of restaurant is a mix styles was replace. Alba love going to grand restaurant for Col-caleron but that dish he loved to eat at home. The food was so good from originals plus the new flavor Alba will have the scent lingering on your finger tips. The secret in cooking a dish there is always room for it to have a better taste with different and natural ingredients. I was always thought food is priceless so never neglected or treat if they hungry. If most of us knew the valued food is, the merrier world be.

Jazmin Rodriguez – N.Y. Times Travel Section Assignment

Want to Visit South Africa? How to Survive a Long Flight

By Justin Sablich

This article was very interesting to read; it is about how to get as much enjoyment out of a long, direct flight. I myself have not travel on an extended flight such as one to Africa but I found the tips very useful for not only a long flight but short one also.  Mr. Sablich went to Africa, which took 16 hours, to visit the family of his now wife. After 16 hours, you’ll either like traveling or hate it; he stated.

For traveling such a lengthy aeronautical trip, he supplies us with some helpful surviving skills and suggestions. Most people would pay for an upgrade to First Class for comfortability but it isn’t necessary for prolonged trips because most are equipped with slightly more legroom and added goodies;  paying extra if can’t afford it, may be a waste.  According to Patrick Smith, a pilot who is also the author of “Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel.” Seatguru.com helps you discover comfortable seating.

Most airlines don’t give you freebies until asked. It is their version of “Don’t Ask, Won’t Give.”   Routehappy.com is very helpful for finding out about your flights amenities. The goodies, also known as amenities will help you but not as much.  As an educated consumer, packing your goodies in your carry-on bag; it’s essential.  It should include, but not exclusive to, bringing in water, sweater or hoodie and some of your favorite snacks.  Flight Attendant Kara Mulder, who has a blog, suggest to bring in food you can tolerate because “your body will response differently to food when at altitude.  Something I never knew.  Granola bars and dry oatmeal is highly recommended.

This article is inspiring me to travel, not 16 hours but if I know what to pack and how to entertain myself, it would be worth it. I am now aware of two useful websites.  To save money  as long as you plan ahead the trip should make you feel at ease, free from anxiety.  The article was very informative and it should serve as an insightful guide before travel, either short or long journeys.

Deven G.- Chapter 4

Chapter 4 revolves around the immense function of food and beverage within various divisions and locations in hospitality. It teacher you the food and beverage division and the responsibility a food and beverage director carries to assure efficient operation on a kitchen, catering event, restaurants, bars, and room service. Hotel kitchens and the responsibility of an executive chef to assure quality and quantity of food, organizing kitchen and its operations, & calculation and finance of kitchen expense along with their employees whom are mainly sous chefs. Functions of a typical bar, and their restrictions. Functions of a catering event and the way an event is executed from start to end. Last but not least, room service in a hotel and restaurant operations inside a hotel.

Executive chef: head of the team in kitchen, does more managing and less cooking. In addition, he/she is responsible for notifying the efficient and effective operation to food and beverage director.

Kitchen managers: same role as executive chef, except, they also play the role of a food and beverage director in small hotels

Perpetual inventories: An inventory software that updates inventory automatically

Food cost percentage: food cost divided by food sales

Example: salmon cost 5$ to get and cook, but sold to customers for 10$. Once you divide, you’ll get a food cost percentage of 50%

Contribution margin: expense towards a specific item/complete dish, & difference between the cost of preparing item and the selling price

Labor cost percentage: labor cost divided by net sales multiplied by 100

Food sales percentage: labor cost divided by food sales

Sous chef: executive chef’s assistant. Sous chefs follow up with executive chefs in regards to dishes before being sent out.

Chef tournant: plays a role in every station of kitchen, to help sous chefs as production is taken place.

Brigade: team in kitchen placed in different stations of a kitchen

Restaurant managers: individual/individuals whom manage restaurants, responsible for hiring, training, developing employees, marketing, coffee service, presenting forecasts and budgets to food and beverage director, etc.

Capture rate: an estimate of hotel guest type, population and their use of food and beverage outlets in a restaurant.

Pour/cost percentage: cost of depleted inventory/sales over period of time. Also equals to bar efficiency.

Responsible alcoholic beverage service: a practice to reduce any liability in bar/ guideline for safety, For example, serving alcohol to a minor or to someone who develops alcohol poisoning may be blamed on the bar person, manager, etc.

Pilferage: employees who steal or tamper alcoholic inventory to make extra money.

Shoppers: people who are paid to act like regular guests at bar but it’s actually inspecting the operation

Chief steward: responsible for several functions in hotel/restaurant, such as inventory of chemicals, pest control, sanitation, inventory control and monthly stock check.

Director of catering (DOC): responsible to the food and beverage director for selling, servicing, catering, banquets, meetings, & exhibitions in attempt to exceed guests satisfaction.

Theater-Style meeting seating: meeting set up for large audience to listen & comprehended instead of note taking.

Classroom style meeting: same as theater, but 3 times bigger & requires more labor to set up

Horseshoe-style room seating: room seating shapes as a V , but particularly for training sessions and workshops

Dinner style room seating: meeting in round table set, with food.

Catering event order: an order to clients and hotel employees about an upcoming event to assure awareness and precise procedures

Catering coordinator: coordinates event, in charge of contract negotiations, flower decorations, menu cards.

Catering service manager: responsible for delivering high level service to guests.

Room service: cleaning of rooms and resupplying of materials.

 

Jazmin Rodriguez – Chapter 4 Summary

Chapter Summary

Chapter four focuses on food and beverage operations. Describes the duties and responsibilities of a food and beverage director and other key department heads. Some of the departments explained within the food and beverage division in this chapter are: Kitchen, restaurant, bars, stewarding, catering, and room service. It teaches how to do calculations using key food and beverage operating scales.

Key Words and Concepts

  1. Banquet. My example: As a holiday tradition, the general manager arranged a Christmas banquet for the entire staff as a form of appreciation for their hard work.
  2. Banquet Event Order (BEO). My example: The hotel catering manager prepared a banquet event order for the event manager who was organizing a fundraising gala in the main ballroom.
  3.  Brigade. My example: The Brigade helps facilitate communication between staff and members. This is an organized system with the kitchen chef is in charge of supervising the rest of the line cooks.
  4.  Capture Rate. My example: Capture Rate gives the general manager a predictable number on how many guests is to be expected.
  5.  Catering. My example: The hotel was preparing a catering fundraiser gala for children with lupus.
  6.  Catering Coordinator. My example: The catering coordinator showed the president of the fundraiser a list of foods and desserts he can choose for the fundraising gala.
  7.  Catering Event Order (CEO). My example: The catering event order hired additional photographers and videographers for the gala. To insure the guest traveled home safely she hired additional transportation.
  8. Catering Service Manager (CSM). My example: Overall the president of the fundraising was pleased with the hard work of the all the individuals which made the gala an absolute success. He gave a special thanks to the catering service manager for hiring such talented individuals.
  9. Chef Tournant. My example: The chef tournant rotation through the stations was a major help to the station chef.
  10. Chief Steward. My example: The chief steward had to call a meeting with the kitchen staff to discuss complaints being received about the waiting time for guests to receive their orders.
  11. Classroom-Style Seating. My example: Classroom-style seating is optimal for the host, because it directs all the attention towards him/her.
  12. Contribution Margin. My example: The general manager used the restaurant’s high contribution margin as proof to show that business was improving.
  13. Dinner-Style Room Seating. My example: The chef used dinner-style room seating for his event, to ensure that everyone in attendance was being social.
  14. Director Of Catering (DOC). My example: The Marriot Hotel manager searched desperately for a new director of catering. Only a good DOC knows how to prepare for an event ahead of time, so he/she is not scrambling last minute.
  15. Director of Food and Beverage. My Example: As director of food and beverage, Helen always makes sure she designs a new menu for the holiday season.
  16. Executive Chef. My Example: Being the new executive chef, John felt a lot of pressure on him to make sure everyone in the kitchen was performing.
  17. Food Cost Percentage. My Example: Ben purchases water bottles for the hotel at $1.00 each, and then sells them for $2.00. This means his food cost percentage is 50%.
  18. Food Sales Percentage. My example: The percentage of revenue generated through sale of food or drinks
  19. Horseshoe-Style Room Seating. My Example: The customer service trainer requested a horseshoe-styled room seating to help the staff interact during the workshop.
  20. Kitchen Manager. My Example: The kitchen manager at Sea Shore, makes sure all kitchen staff take safety procedures seriously to prevent any injuries.
  21. Labor Cost Percentage. My Example: The Labor Cost Percentage for the new restaurant is 42%. This was calculated by dividing the employee labor cost ($15,000.00), by the total cost of doing business which is $35,000.00.
  22. Perpetual Inventory. My Example: All modern kitchen managers use perpetual inventory software to know the exact amount of stock available.
  23. Pilferage. My Example: Safes were introduced into the hotel industry to help prevent accusations of pilferage towards the room service staff.
  24. Pour/Cost Percentage. My Example: Similar to food cost percentage, except used in beverage control.
  25. Responsible Alcoholic Beverage Service. My Example: A bar’s failure to comply and uphold the standards of the responsible alcoholic beverage service can result in a lawsuit.
  26. Restaurant Manager. My Example: To secure an effective establishment, sometimes restaurant managers have to make difficult decisions like firing an inefficient employee.
  27. Room Service. My Example: One element that aided the success of the hotel industry was the offering of room service. Room service allows guests at a hotel to get up and get their day started, without having to worry about the upkeep of the room.
  28. Shopper. My Example: People who are paid to use a bar as a regular guest would, except that they observe the operation closely.
  29. Sous Chef. My Example: In stressful situations the head chef relies on the sous chef to aide in finding the solution.
  30. Station Chef. My Example: To avoid chaos, the restaurant manager appointed several station chefs. These station chefs will each manage their own part of the kitchen, and share the responsibility.
  31. Theater-Style Room Seating. My Example: Theater-style room seating is usually used for the gathering of larger groups or people.

Christine Delva Chapter 4 Summary

Christine Delva
Professor Duchamp
October 26, 2015

CHAPTER FOUR
Summary
Chapter four is based on the major roles of division in food and beverage department. There are many operations that help the business goes smooth such as: catering, room service, restaurant, and etc by this will build a strong foundation. In the industry a successful business with a great operation must a great leader to lead the employees holding up their end of responsibilities. Paying attention and keeping tabs on every sales in business help know every gross revenue in your business. Guest satisfaction are main focus point and mandatory element in successful business.
Key Words
1)Banquet – My baby shower was held at Remsen Banquet Hall with full services caters.
2)Banquet Event Order- Sequencing and organizing are all important details to have successful banquet event order which will consist of menus, people attending, decorations and staffs.
3)Brigade- The brigade is a team of cooks working at different preparing different food.
4). Capture Rate- Sonia sweet sixteen at Crystal Manor are expecting maximum of 150 guests.
5)Catering- The Chen family had their daughter’s wedding catered by an excellent business that specialized in Asian cuisine.
6)Catering Coordinator- Majority engaged couples will hired catering coordinator to handle everything to have less stress and focus on the wedding.
7)Catering Event Order- They organized blueprints to show how the menus, seat arrangements and decorators should be done.
8)Catering Service Manager- The chief or boss of catering service department for any hotels or restaurants.
9)Chef Tournant- Is the chef reliever when the cook need a break from time to time.
10)Chief Steward- The chief steward is responsible for the back of the house to be spotless and control all inventories.
11)Classroom Style Seating- In business meeting or conventions chairs placement in classroom style seating facing podium.
12).Contribution Margin- The profitability of products from the selling price and food cost to provide the concept of contribution margin.
13)Dinner Style Seating-Private Catering events usually use dinner style seating for the parties to know number invitations to send out.
14)Director of Catering- the general manager for specially events making sure everything is order.
15)Executive Chef – We sat at the Sushi Restaurant and watch the executive operating and have control of the kitchen. Yet still manage to prepare few dishes for family and me.
16)Food Cost Percentage- The price of food and the time to make the food is how we get daily sale percentage.
17)Food Sale Percentage- Farmers laver cost and producing the world necessity to make a living helps determine the food sale percentage.
18)Horseshoes Style room Seating- Talent shows or performance would use horse style room seating for the audience to grasp a great view of everything.
19)Kitchen Manager- The kitchen Manager dictates how each operations within the kitchen should be run and what is expected from staff members.
20)Labor Cost Percentage- It’s the calibration of revenue and sales from the time consuming of work done which deliberate the right of labor cost percentage.
21)Perpetual Inventories- A system business use to help maintain control and structuring of the cost of food.
22)Pilfering- Travelers from all over the world staying in hotels have tendency to take lotions, towels or robes when they leaving the hotel to go back country.
23)Pour/Cost Percentage – The pour/ cost is base on the inventory of drinks whether in the bar or restaurant to determine the sale done for each month will give you the percentage made.
24)Responsible Alcoholic Beverage Service- Bartenders are in charge of to check for idenfication before service alcohol so he/ she won’t be responsible for anything that happen in place of business.
25)Restaurant Manager-the general manager of all the division and operation in the restaurant are followed by specific rules and regulations.
26)Room Service- People usually order room service because they don’t want to leave the room and they are requesting something.
27)Shopper- Manager Tonya is trying improve her business, she hires a shopper to view what changes can be made.
28)Sous Chef- When the head chef is on vacation, then sous chef become temporary head of kitchen until the head chef returns.
29)Station Chef-The station chef is responsible for particular specialty dish at the restaurant.
30)Theater Style Room Seating- Beautiful orchestra band perform above a theater style room seating.

Noemi Mendez Chapter #4 “Food and Beverage Operation”

This chapter focus on the different departments division that operate and are involved in the food and beverage operation. Some of the most common business that are involved in the food and beverage operation are the hotel, catering, restaurants, room service and bars. For each business to be successful in the industry of food and beverage division its must have a good leader that that know how to train and lead all the staff that work under his/her umbrella with their specific responsibilities in the food and beverage division.

Key Words and Concepts:

Banquet – Example: I and my family enjoy to go to the Chinese buffet and enjoy the banquet with different kind of food.

Banquet event order (BEO) – Example: Is also known as the catering event order that provide the hotel personnel with essential information of successful event.

Brigade – Example: Is a chef that specialize in one task on the kitchen. Like sauce, fish, soup, cold lander and ect….

Capture rate – Example: Is an estimation of the numbers of expected guests that will visit the restaurant for any meal.

Catering – Example: Is the division in the hotel department that is responsible of the food and beverage.

Catering Coordinator – Example: Is responsible of planning a successful event in the hotel catering.

Catering event order (CEO) – Example: Is also known as the banquet event order that provide the hotel personnel with essential information of successful event.

Catering service manager (CSM) – Example: Is the head of the catering service department.

Chef tournant – Example: Anahis is my chef tournant in the restaurant that is capable of dismiss any chef from his station and take over his/her duties.

Chief steward – Example: The Chief steward is making sure that all the rooms in the hotel are cleaned.

Classroom-style seating – Example: The conference room look like a classroom with small tables and chairs for customers to take notes.

Contribution margin – Example: Is a system that help calculate the cost of a preparing item and its selling price.

Dinner-style room seating – Example: The reunion meeting was performed in a small room hotel with a capacity of 10 peoples that is arrange with a round table at the center in the room.

Director of catering (DOC) – Example: Yaniris is the director of catering at the Unique Bar’s Restaurant that is responsible for the success of each catering meeting and the customers’ needs with food and beverage that will generate a reasonable profit to my restaurant.

Director of food and beverage – Example: My friend Jazmin is the director of food and beverage department at the Unique Bar’s Restaurant and is responsible for the operation of the kitchen bar.

Executive chef – Example: One day, I will become the executive chef of my own restaurant.

Food cost percentage – Example: The food cost percentage is a formula that allow to calculate the total cost of food sold by the total of food sales.

Food sales percentage – Example: Is the percentage of the amount of convenience foods purchased versus those made from scratch.

Horseshoe-style room seating – Example: When I was at the conference in Miami, the room meeting was arrange for us to interact between each other. It has a black, flip chart, overhead project that were used for the workshop and training section.

Kitchen manager – Example: If I have an issue with the food, I will like to talk to the kitchen manager.

Labor cost percentage – Example – Is a formula to calculate the labor cost of an employee. (Labor cost/net sales *100 = )

Perpetual inventory – Example: The perpetual inventory software will always calculate the food cost per outlet and calculate the profit of the menu costing.

Pilferage – Example: Mike was fire from Bon Bars because he was stealing or tamper with liquor from the business.

Pour/cost percentage – Example: Is a system that calculate the efficiency of a business and help reduced labor costs.

Responsible alcoholic beverage service – Example: All my bar employees need to be train in Responsible alcoholic beverage service to prevent any type of liability that will damage the business with drunk and potential minor’s customers.

Restaurant manager – Example: The restaurant manager was calming an angry customers that was not satisfy with the waitress behavior at the table.

Room Service – Example: All the guests expected excellent services during their stay at the hotel.

Shopper – Example: Destiny and Bruce are professionals undercover to will go to the bars and watch the operation and the employee behavior in the business.

Sous Chef – Example: The sous chef is interviewing a potential hostess.

Station Chef – Example: The fish chef is cutting the fishes in his station.

Theater-Style room seating – Example: The room in the hotel was arrange like a theater with a big image projections and center room chairs.

 

 

 

chapter 3

Kesso Diallo
Prod Duchamp
Chapter 3 summary

Chapter 3 is mainly about hotels having many goals while working but they usually aim for the customers and the staff employees ; to satisfy them, Hotels have many things such as lobby entrance, parking space for customers who have vehicles . Overall the this chapter focuses on the functions and departments of a hotel.

Application service provider – this helps hotel save time including money

Average daily rate – Ex: my mom has an average of daily revenue for 2500 and has 25 cars available per day the average rate would be $10.

Call accounting systems – every guest that stays in a hotel has a phone in the room and there is no fee , you can call as much as you please. Also the a

Catastrophe plan – insurance just incase anything happens , for ex: renting your house to someone.

Central reservation office – deals with 1800 numbers where you can call to reserve or book a hotel room.

City ledger – can be found in the back of house

Concierge – provides services to customers , for example , how to locate certain things ex: POOL or eating areas .

Confirmed reservations – email received after making a payment to something or signing up .

Cost Centers – review accountants information

Daily Report – how many rooms that were booked and how many were not ; reserved rooms or not .

Employee right to know – salary and/ profits

Executive committee – making decisions and making sure its delivered ,

Global distribution systems – you can book through this system to make sure it is what you want. Availability

Guaranteed reservation – confirming a flight or a hotel room 24 hours before , just in case so you can be guaranteed a space .

Night Auditor – a staff employee who works at night ; front desk .

Occupational safety and health administration – enforces safety rule

Productivity – economic values, average measure of the production .

Property management systems – is the head system that hotels use to gather information on all minor systems in the hotel .

Revenue management – peak; hotels have different prices for seasons

Revenue centers – hotel generate their revenue through sales .

Revenue per available room – an important metric because it provides a quick, simple overview of a company’s top-line operations in a form that incorporates both room rates and occupancy.

Yield management – purchasing a ticket where you know its cheap instead of buying it when everyone is going on vacation a month prior where its more expensive.

Uniformed staff – involved in the same requirements

Room divisions – has many branches under it as well where they work as one to control the function sales.

Room rates – rates that are charged for a hotel room ; the prices change every season .

Room occupancy percentage – when you divide the rooms booked to not booked .