Banquet Operations & Service

Banquet Operations

• Encompass in-house functions in the company's rooms.
• Include outside catering at client-chosen venues: airlines, boats, industrial sites, or other locations.

Banquet Service Functions

• Cater to weddings, social events (parties, debuts, anniversaries), conventions, conferences, meetings, seminars, and trade exhibits.

Banquet Menu Formats

• Sit-down menus offer food service to guests at tables using American, Russian, or both service styles.
• Buffets arrange foods sequentially on a table, allowing self-service.
• Cocktail service features buffet-style hot/cold appetizers and finger foods which do not include tables.

Banquet Organizational Setup

• Banquet Sales Office designs banquet packages with prices.
• It focuses on selling services to potential clients, handles bookings, and prepares event orders and contracts.
• Banquet Service prepares function requirements, sets up venues, and serves food and beverages.

Banquet Personnel Roles

• Banquet Sales Manager/Coordinator handles bookings, reservations, adjustments, and promotion.
• Banquet Sales Executive is responsible for sales and bookings.
• Banquet Service Manager/Supervisor plans, organizes, directs, and controls banquet set-up and services.
• Banquet Captain oversees setup, service, and clearing for assigned functions.
• Banquet Custodian ensures proper safekeeping and issuance of supplies and equipment.
• Banquet Waiter attends to mise-en-place, setup, and service.

Catering Menu Program Basics

• Menu programs cover meals for personal functions, reception menus, and themes.
• Basic menus include breakfast, lunch, dinner, hors d'oeuvre, reception, special-function, a la carte, and beverage selections.

Key Restaurant Operation Elements

• Service style determines needs for equipment, personnel, and food production.
• Price range defines catering volume and annual profit.
• Menu selection depends on kitchen staff competence and management objectives.
• Kitchen orientation helps set menu pricing.
• Production capacity is important.

Typical Catering Dinner Format (Eight Courses)

• Appetizer (Wine No. 1)
• Soup
• Fish Entrée (Wine No. 2)
• Sorbet
• Poultry or Beef Entrée (Wine No. 3)
• Vegetable/Starch
• Salad
• Dessert (Wine No. 4)
• Cheese (Wine No. 5)

Style of Service Criteria

• Wait staff skill level
• Cuisine served
• Available equipment
• Menu pricing
• Customer profile

Banquet Table Service Styles

• French service includes tableside preparations like Caesar salad, carved filet de boeuf, and flambé desserts.
• Russian service is where dishes are brought one course at a time.
• American (plated) service involves pre-plating each dish in the kitchen.
• Buffet service is self-service.

Catering Menu Program Key Aspects

• Controlled by a pricing structure that aims for customer satisfaction and profit.
• This involves cuisine level, menu items, and food quality.

Catering Menu Item Purchasing Criteria

• Items should be purchasable in large volumes, available year-round, and priced to yield acceptable food cost percentages.

Food Cost Control Tests

• Raw Food Test determines count, weight, and yield of perishable items.
• Canned/Bottled Test assesses drained weight, count, and uniformity.
• Butcher's Test determines the actual portion cost of meat, fish, and poultry by accounting for trimmings and by-products.

Computing Cost with Butcher's Test

• Separate and compute saleable/non-saleable portions.
• Ratio of saleable weight to initial weight is calculated.
• Cost of saleable weight formula: (As Purchased Weight / Saleable Weight) x Ratio
• Cost factor to cope with market prices.

Cost Control Measures

• Buffer margin minimizes recosting frequency and accounts for acquisition cost increases (10% of food cost).

Menu Definition

• Menu is a list of prepared dishes that should attract clients and represent value, also can be in menu folder or displayed on menu board.

Menu Planning Factors

• Consider staff capabilities, client budget, ingredient seasonability, catering site facilities, food cost, dietary needs, menu wording, and balance/color.

Catering Menu Characteristics

• Attractive presentation according to catering style.
• Dishes served at proper temperatures.
• Descriptive menus highlighting color, aroma, texture, and contrast.
• Emphasis on creativity, presentation, and simplicity.

Catering Menu Types

• À la carte
• Table d'hôte
• Holiday
• Formal
• Festive menus are for peak holiday periods.
• Club
• Continental characterized by fresh ingredients and diverse cooking techniques.

Menu Considerations

• Use balanced textures; focus on roasting, baking and frying.

Additional Menu Types

• Commercial
• Fixed or set
• Cycle or cyclic is a series repeated over time.
• Digital offers flexibility and sustainability on screens/tablets.
• Kid-friendly options are smaller portions of familiar food
• Du jour uses daily ingredients

Courses in a Menu

• Breakfast: Fruit/juices, protein, bread/cereals, butter/preserves, beverage.
• Snacks: Beverages, bread/cakes/sandwiches, noodles/pasta.

Cocktail Events

• Standing affairs using buffet-style service.
• Servers with trays prevent crowding.
• Cups and punches garnished.
• Appetizers should be sharp or spicy.
• Cocktails are bite-sized with seasoned sauce.
• Hors d'oeuvre is a small, delicate, and tasty tidbit.

Cocktail Menu Composition

• Can range from nuts to a sophisticated smorgasbord.
• Food can be hot, cold, salty, piquant or rich.
• Fat-rich foods such as nuts, olives, and cheese.
• Buttered sandwiches help with alcohol consumption.

Buffet Composition

• Breads, salads, main dishes, and side dishes.

Well-Detailed Plan Components

• Description of events
• Checklist of things to do
• Itemized inventory of equipment

Operational Control

• Excellent staff service involves presentation and sanitation.

Chapter 8: Operational Controls

• Procedures to guarantee food/beverage quality quickly.
• Purchasing controls: market specs, choosing purveyors.
• Purchasing regulations (specifications) define food product requirements.
• Production controls: standardized recipes ensure consistency.
• Measurements and weights should be accurate.
• Directions should be plainly stated.
• Yield is the number of servings.

Production & Evaluation

• Production sheet is the final step for achieving consistency, it contains servings, food cost and selling price.
• Sales mix evaluation analyzes menu item sales for popularity.
• Presentation controls: dish size, portion size, and garnish are important to quality.

Catering Menu Meeting

• Identifies logistical issues like staffing and equipment.

Beverage Control

• Standard recipes are needed for consistency.
• Purchasing requires understanding of spirits and wines.

Alcoholic Beverage Purchasing Criteria

• Product name/brand
• Quantity
• Proof (alcohol content)
• Pricing unit

Beverage Purchasing Benefits

• Requirements are predictable.
• Additions at discretion.
• Good for geographical themed bars.

Beverage Presentation

• Use glassware to enhance beverages.
• Garniture increases perceived value.
• Decorative stirrers are good for themed interest.