The article “The Lure of Baseball in the Dominican Republic” by Steve Knopper published in the New York travel section talked about his experiences while he was visiting the Dominican Republic in the baseball fields. In this article, he emphasis that the Dominican Republic is known for having most of the talented baseball players in the U.S. industry. Some of the talented baseball players that he mention in this article are Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martinez, Albert Pujols, Miguel Tejada and many others. He also talked about the poverty that surround the country and how many young players look baseball as a way of escaping from poverty by becoming rich and famous in the U.S baseball industry. Mr. Knopper, Also talked about the poverty, the electricity problem that shut off for hours making the country more dangerous in the darkness for traveling and to be safe. He also talked about others writers that criticized how the academic system work in the Dominican Republic by taking advantages of naïve families that sign a contract at young boy turn with the manipulation of bonus and a 30% when they sign a big contract in the U.S industry. But it how the writer end the article is all about the American Dream that young baseball players want one day to achieve no matter the sacrifices that they need to face in life for them to be able to escape from poverty and provide a better future to their families.

This chapter focus on the different types of beverages that include alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Some of the alcoholic beverages are wines, beers and spirits drinks. Some of the non-alcoholic beverages that are coffee, tea, and juice. In addition, this chapter talk about the operation of bars, hotels, and restaurants and the inventory control that is involve in the industry. To conclude this chapter, the writer talk about the liquor liability, the laws and the trends in the beverage industry.

Key Words and Concepts:

Alcoholic Beverage – Example: People love to buy alcoholic drinks for their guesses at a party or reunion.

Beer – Example: I can’t drink beer after my By-Pas surgery because the stomach could growth back to its normal size again.

Brandy – Example: Brandy is a drink that is smooth and fruity with a touch of sweetness and is considered a spirits alcoholic drink.

Champagne – Example: When we celebrate the New Year we usually drink champagne at 12 o clock to welcome the new Yew Year.

Cognac – Example: Cognac is considered to be the brandy in the world.

Dram shop legislation – Example: Bar owners need to follows the Dram shop regulation to have a successful business.

Fermentation – Example: Is the second step of making wine.

Fining – Example: Is the process were the wine is filtered and remove all type of particles that are still in the wine.

Fortified Wines – Example: Are the wines that are considered to be the sweeter among others wines because they have Sherries, ports, Madeira and Marsala.

Hops – Example: Is one of the four ingredients in making a beer. These ingredients are water, malt, yeast and hops.

Inventory Control – Example: Inventory control is a system that allow a manager to manage merchandise in a store.

Liquor – Example: People like to mix liquor with nonalcoholic drinks,

Malt – Example: Is one of the four ingredients in making a beer (grain). These ingredients are water, malt, yeast and hops.

Mashing – Example: Is the term for grinding the malt and screening out any bits of dirt.

Must – Example: Is the grape that are destemmed and crushed which make the juice that is extracted from the grapes.

Nonalcoholic Beverage – Example CocaCola, bottle water and juices are examples of nonalcoholic drinks.

Prohibition– Example: Whiskies became very famous during the prohibition time.

Proof – Example: Is the percentage that represent the alcohol level in the content of the label.

Sparkling Wine Example: People at night club love to drink Moet that is considered a sparkling wine.

Spirit – Example: Brandy is an example of distilled drinks.

Vintage – Example – Are red wine that is stronger that white wine and take more years to reach their peak. .

White Spirits – Example: People love to drink vodka, rum and tequila at Hispanic party that are considered white spirits alcoholic drinks.

Wine – Example: My Favorite wine is called Manischewitz that contained a varieties of grapes wine no less than 51% Concorde.

Wine and Food Pairing – The sommelier suggested appropriate pairings of wine with food.

Wine Tasting – Example: Is when a person determine the favor of a wine by tasting and smelling.

Wort – Example: Is the liquid that is obtained after the mashing process in making a beer.

Yeast – Example: Is the skin of the grapes that helped the wine to convert to sugar that controlled the sweatiness or dryness in the wine. Also it help to determine the taste of the beers.

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.

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.

This chapter focus on the functions of a hotel and the major departments that make sure that a customer received the best services and accommodation that a customer should receive during a stay in any hotel business. Some of the major department that are part of a hotel business are the rooms divisions director, the food and beverage director, the marketing and sales director, the human resources director, and the chief engineer accounting or controller, and the chief engineer or facility manager.

Key Words and Concepts:

1. Application Service Provide (ASP) – Example: Is a system in which you can book a hotel room online with a computer.
2. Average Daily Rate– Example: Is a formula that hotel implements to calculate the division of room revenues by the total number of room sold in a hotel business. Ex: computer database chart.
3.  Call Accounting Systems (CAS) – Example: Is a system that help monitor and track the customer’s phones charges. Ex. Computer database chart.
4.  Catastrophe Plans– Example: is a plan that the security staff developed to ensure the safety of guess and staff from any type of natural disaster. Ex: Hurricane, and earthquakes.
5.  Central Reservation Office (CRO) – Example: is the office where reservation are made by guesses.
6.  Central Reservation System (CRS) – Example: Is an online reservation system that help the guest to reserve a room at any chain hotel company.
7.  City Ledger– Example: Is the accounting of a company that has established credit with the hotel.
8.  Concierge – Example: is a secretary that help the guesses in a hotel with the services that are available during their visits.
9.  Confirmed Reservations – Example: Is a reservation in a hotel that is made by a guess with sufficient time and provide a clearly view of the room view and capacity and provide a confirmation number at the end of his or her transaction.
10.  Cost Centers – Example: The Human Resource department is an example of cost centers because they are responsible for managing the cost of a business for an incorporation, but are not responsible for the revenues or investment decisions.
11.  Daily Report – Example: Is a report that be need to be performed by the accounting at the end of every night shift.
12.  Employee Right to Know – Example: Is the awareness of dangerous chemical used in a business.
13.  Executive Committee – Example: The Executive management is responsible for all the major decision in a hotel business that could affect the business budget in decision making.
14.  Global Distribution Systems (GDS) – Example: is a software that help hotels to obtain reservations through online reservations.
15.  Guaranteed Reservations – Example: Is a type of transaction with the deposit of a credit card that guarantee the reservation of a hotel room, when a guess expected to arrive late or unable to show up.
16.  Night Auditor – Example: Is an accounting or clerk that verify and accurate the customers balanced at the end of the shift.
17.  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – Example: Is a law that require all employee to be safe and work in a healthy condition.
18.  Productivity – Example: Is the amount of product, good and services produce by an employee.
19.  Property Management Systems (PMS) – Example:
20.  Revenue Management – Example: Is an accouter that is responsible to analyzed and maximize the revenues business when it can be profitable and when the economic is weak by selling discount hotels room.
21. Revenue Centers – Example: The accounting department of a hotel or any business is responsible for the cost and profit of an organization.
22. Revenue Per Available Room (REV PAR) – Example: Is the total revenues that a hotel could get by the divisions of the total room that are available and not reserved in that night.
23. Room Occupancy Percentage (ROP) – Example – Is the total number of room occupy by guesses divided by the total room that are available in the hotel business.
24. Room Rates – Example: Is the various rates charge for a hotel room.
25. Rooms Division – Example: Is the operation of a hotel business that involved the security of a guest from the beginning of a hotel reservation and end with the guest satisfaction during their hotel journal reservation.
26. Uniformed Staff – Example: Are the hotel staff that work in the front desk with the uniform and greet guesses on a hotel. These includes door attendant, the bell person, housekeeping and security.
27. Yield Management – Example: Is the analytical study of a business that help an owner to analyze past reservation in attempt to maximize the profit of a business.

This chapter is a brief introduction of how the hotel business evolved in the United States with the grand opening of the first tavern in the states of Boston in 1634 by an entrepreneur named Samuel Coles and finish with the development of luxury hotel in the new millennium. Also this chapter focus on the sub-categories of hotel development and ownership. Some of the sub-categories are franchising, the referral associations, the management contracts and the real estate investment trust. Additionally, this chapter focus on the classification of hotel and how the hotels are rate by the American Automobile Association (AAA) with the raking numbers from 1 to 5 diamonds. Some of the hotel classifications are city center hotels, resort hotels, airport hotels, freeway hotels, and motels, casino hotels, convention hotels, full-service hotels, economy/budget hotels, boutique hotels, extended-stay hotels all-suites extended-stay hotels, condotels and mixed use hotels, and the last category is bed and breakfast inns. To conclude this chapter, the writer talked about the trends in the hotel development in which include capacity control, safety and security, assets and capital, technology, new management, globalization, consolidation and diversification within segment of the lodging industry.

Key Words and Concepts:

1. Capital Intensive – Example: To open a restaurant in the city of New York it’s require an intensive amount of money because for you to survives the first year you need to have a strong capital intensive amount of money.
2. Fair Return on Investment – Example: When you share ownership of a business with the co-owner it is important to share the profit of a business equally among themselves.
3. Feasibility Study – Example: To open a restaurant business in an specific demography area, the owner need to do an intensive feasibility study to see if the business will be profitable in that area.
4. Direct Economic Impact – Example: The war between Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States has a negative direct economic impact to the United States economic.
5. Indirect Economic Impact – Example: The war between Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States has an indirect economic impact on people salary and job stability in the United States.
6. Franchising – Example: McDonald’s and Subway’s restaurants are examples of franchising business.
7. Management Contracts – Example: I want to open a restaurant business and I would like to partnership with a management contracts because I don’t have the knowledge or experience on how to manage a business in the culinary art industry.
8. Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) – Example: I would like to invest my saving in the real estate trust by buying stocks on REITs and obtain a profitable return on the investment.
9. Referral Association – Example: Some hotels and motel are associate with the Referral Association and most of them use a common image, logo or advertising slogan which are known for providing discounts to members, management training and continuing education program.
10. Vacation Ownership – Example: In the Dominican Republic, tourist and foreign Dominican like to buy vacation ownership in hotels that are associate with the beaches coast like Punta Cana.

The article “How to rent a Europe Villa (and Not Go Broke)” by Stephanie Rosenbloom published in the travel section of the New York Time is an excellent source of information for travelers who are planning a vacation with a limited budget. In this article, Ms. Rosenbloom talked about how you can rent a villa and not to go broke during a vacation trip to Europe by following some strategies when planning a vacation to a foreign country. One of the strategy that the writer recommended, is to nab a couple deal by using legitimate company’s website that offer great deals for a family package. The second strategy that the writer recommended, is to venture farther afield by renting homes that will be more affordable that a private and luxury hotel.  The third strategy, is to plan your vacation from October to April in the off seasons, when prices are usually low because most of the people usually don’t travels during that time. The only downside of planning your vacation on low season, is that the weather will not be the same as the high season but your can also enjoy your vacation with more indoor activities that outdoor. The fourth strategy is to go with a group of family and friends and split the bill between themselves. By splitting the bill,  you and your family could have a great vacation and your vacation to Europe will be less expensive and more affordable. The final strategy is to be flexible when you are planning your vacation because that the only way that you can find a good offer discounts. With all these strategies, the writer guarantee that your pocket will not be broke in a trip to Europe, you just need to take your time and plan your next vacation very carefully.

This chapter focuses on the history of how Hospitality started from the beginning of the Ancient Times with the group called Sumerians. Who were the first to recorded elements of hospitality with Tavern that was created only from men to drink beers, and relax and enjoy other women companionship. Then in medieval times, with the demand of transportation, inns, and coffees houses the culinary history started to evolve due the oppressions of the French Revolution. In which, French immigrants travel to the United Stated and new food was discovered by the president Thomas Jefferson. That’s how the terms of hospitality, travel and tourism in the United Stated started to develop in the twentieth century and new restaurants all across the United stated were created to accommodate the demand of new tastes and flavor in the art of culinary.

Key Words and Concepts:

1. Corporate Philosophy: The core beliefs that drive a company’s basic organizational structure. All CUNY staff should follow the corporate philosophy of CUNY policies and treat all employees with the same right and respect in an organizational structure.
2. Empowerment: The act of giving employees the authority, tools, and information they need to do their Jobs with greater authority. All Employees should be empower by their supervisor to be able to build a liability and continuity among the staffs.
3. Front Of The House : Comprises all areas with which guests come in contact, including the lobby, corridors, elevators, guest rooms, restaurants and bars, meeting rooms, and restrooms. Also refers to employees who staff these areas. All employees should provide superiors exceptional services to guest in a company or corporation or small business owners.
4. Goal: A specific result to be achieved; the end result of a plan. To strive to achieve or surpassed a specific task that you propose in life.
5. Guest Satisfaction: The desired outcome of hospitality services. To provide a services that it’s rewording and provide good feedback from the consumer.
6. Heart Of The House: The back of the house. All staff involved in the development of an organization or establishment will provide superior services and attention to all guess.
7. Hospitality: The cordial and generous reception of guests. A wide range of businesses, each of which is dedicated to the service of people away from home. To provide good services in an organization to all customers that are involved in an organization like restaurants and hotels.
8. Inseparability: The interdependence of hospitality services offered. To provide a unique service that would surpass any competitor.
9. Intangible: Something that cannot be touched. Maintained company policy and procedures to provide superior service that cannot be change until further notice.
10. National Restaurant Association (NRA): The association representing restaurant owners and the restaurant industry. Is an organization that represent a franchise organization, like McDonalds restaurant in which is franchised with different owners.
11. Perishability: The limited lifetime of hospitality products; for example, last night’s vacant hotel room cannot be sold today. It’s a produce or services that has its limited in services in an organization and it can’t be re-sell to a customer until the produce become available again.
12. Total Quality Management (TQM): A Managerial approach that integrates all of the functions and related processes of a business such that they are all aimed at maximizing guest satisfaction through ongoing improvement. To provide the best services in an organization to a customer and this will allow customers to provides excellent feedback of an organization and attract potential new customers to the organization.
13. Tourism: Travel for recreation or the promotion and arrangement of such travel. To plan a trip to a person or a group of people that will travel to a new city or country to acquired and learn new cultures values and experiences.
14. Sustainability: It is encompass everything from how waste is managed, how employees are treated. How the food impacts the health and well-being of its patrons. To provide good services to a customers with excellences food tasted, excellences services and excellences experiences during a stayed in a company or organization.
15. Return on Investment: An Important financial measure that determines how well management uses business assets to produce profit. It measures the efficiency with which financial resources available to a company are employed by management. ROI 5 Annual Profit divided by Average Amount Invested. The outcome profit of a company that are provide by a satisfy customer in an organization depending of the services that he or she received during the stayed in an organization.

The article Air and Rail Travel News: “Remodeled Planet at British Airways” by Elaine Glusac published in the travel section of the New York Time has its pros and cons. I consider this article very interesting, because it makes the passengers more comfortable in long flights with new seat cushions, Panasonic entertainment system and seat with access to a power outlets to connect electronic devices for those who would like to during the flights. This is very good for people who travel very long distances flights, because they will have entertainment, be more relaxed and comfortable whiles riding a jumbo plane.

The downside of this article, is that this type of makeover is only for jumbo plane who are traveling very long distance flights: London to Boston; Chicago; Dubai; Kuwait; Largos, Nigeria; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Another downside, is that only the British Airways company is the one with the makeover. I consider that all airlines companies should acquiring the same new equipment and technology on their airplanes, no matter the distance of a flights. Passengers should be entitled to the same accommodations while traveling to different places. Nowadays, traveling is expensive and instead of accustomed their passengers with good experiences while traveling, there are some airlines that are depriving their passengers with limited services like food on short distance flight.

Hello, my name is Noemi Mendez and I consider myself a voyager. I believe in finding solutions and making them more efficient. I view life as a business. I believe in attributes of life; you are what you invest.  If a person doesn’t have any dreams or aspirations in life, that person will not accomplish many goals and will not become a productive citizen in society. That’s why I believe that the most important attribute you can have as a human being is being an important part of any endeavor that will improve your life for a better future no matter how difficult it is to overcome.

As an Immigrant, from the Dominican Republic, I have accomplished an extensive educational background as a single mother with three beautiful daughters. I have begun college since I obtained my GED in 1998 and I haven’t gave up by going to college as a part time student even though that there is a lot of sacrifices when children are involved in your life.  But, I never gave up and that’s why I have an Associate’s degree at Hostos Community College with a major on Early Childhood Education. I also, accomplished a Bachelor’s degree at Leman College with a major in Sociology and a minor in Childhood Education. So the big question that many of my coworkers and friends have asked me is why I decided to do a second Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and not do my Master’s degree in Childhood Education?

The reason why I decided to do a second Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management is because I have a big dream of owning my own restaurant and becoming a boss in my own restaurant in the future. I also believe that I have the necessary tools of becoming a successful entrepreneur in the food industry business. I know that being a restaurant owner is not an easy job and come with a lot of sacrifices. But life is a journey, and if you don’t follow your dreams you never know what you can accomplish in life.

Another big reason why I chose to do a second Bachelor degree in Hospitality Management is because I love cooking and everyone that tasted my dishes make great and positive comments on the flavor of any of my food dishes. I personally don’t possess any experience in the food industry, that’s why I decided to come to the New York City Tech of Technology College to learn all the strategies, training and techniques necessary of becoming a good chef first, then a food truck owner and then a restaurant owner in the future. I know that I want to accomplish a lot in life but one of my big strengths is that I never gave up until I accomplish what I want. Being an entrepreneur is very important for me as the leader that I am. I develop myself every day in the decisions I take in life and the role I play every day for the well-being of my children and society. One day when you go to your local supermarket on the frozen food isle you may see one of my dishes for sale. I do believe in myself and the talent that I can share for the world to taste. All you need is an open mind an empty stomach and a fork to digest my talents!