A Historical Overview of Service PDF

A Historical Overview of Service Introduction Restaurants play a significant role in our lifestyles, and dining out is a popular social activity. Everyone needs to eat—so, enjoying good food in the company of friends and in pleasant surroundings is one of life’s pleasures. Eating out has become a w...

A Historical Overview of Service Introduction Restaurants play a significant role in our lifestyles, and dining out is a popular social activity. Everyone needs to eat—so, enjoying good food in the company of friends and in pleasant surroundings is one of life’s pleasures. Eating out has become a way of life for families. Today, more meals than ever are being eaten away from home. Consumers love restaurants: 9 in 10 adults say they enjoy going to restaurants. Restaurants allow them to enjoy a favorite meal that has flavor and taste sensations they can’t easily replicate at home. 62% of Gen Z prefer dining out at least once a week. ❖ According to the National Restaurant Association: - 49% of all customer complaints involve service - 12% for food, - 11% for atmosphere or environment, - 28% for other reasons.  Excellent service is vital to the success of every foodservice operation. ❖ Fifteen years ago, American selected restaurants based on: 1. Quality of service 2. Quality of food 3. Ambiance 4. Price and value relationship 5. Parking and accessibility 6. Various other factors Currently trends for choosing a dining facility are (report by the National Restaurant Association, 2005): 1. Cleanliness of the premises (sanitary standards) 2. Quality of service 3. Quality of food 4. Price and value relationship 1 ASSIGNMENT #1: Mention the factors that influence customer decisions when choosing a restaurant today. Include recent statistics, not late than 2022. Due Date: submit by 12pm on the 14th of October Submission: via Teams Egypt Key Findings The number of restaurants in 2019 grew to 40,605, up by over a thousand units from 2018. Sales values reached $7.5 billion, up $900 million or an increase of 14 percent compared to 2018. Egypt’s institutional food service industry revenue is estimated at $7.3 billion. According to Euromonitor International: - the number of full-service restaurants in Egypt in 2022 grew by 24 percent to 3,836 outlets, - limited service restaurants grew by 4 percent to 22,831 outlets, - cafes and bars grew by 6 percent to 16,369 outlets, - the number of street stalls and kiosks grew by 8 percent to 1,321 outlets. The Age of Service Increased productivity, disposable income, and leisure time have contributed to a growing demand for service industries, so much so that we say we are in the Age of Service. Serving food and beverages is a significant part of a huge and profitable industry in the dominant service sector. Historical overview of service Ancient Times Early people ate largely for survival. There was little ceremony involved. With the discovery of fire, some foods were cooked. Clay was used to make dishware and other utensils that could hold food while it was cooked over the fire. Thus, the diet changed from raw foods to stewed and roasted meat, cooked seeds, vegetables, and other items. After humans moved from caves and built houses, fireplace cooking developed. This was an advancement in cooking technique but service remained crude and rudimentary. 2 Excavations in the Orkney Islands near Denmark show that around 10000 b.c., people built their houses around a common kitchen and cooked their food and ate together as a communal group. There is no evidence of eating utensils. Diggings from somewhat later times in the Mohenjo- Daro region in modern Pakistan reveal the existence of restaurant-type units where the public went to dine. Orkney Islands The ancient Chinese also had restaurants that served food and drink in fine pottery and porcelain dishware. It is thought that the Chinese have used chopsticks since 6000 b.c. It was not until six or seven thousand years later that the knife, fork, and spoon, as a place setting, were developed somewhere in southwest Asia. Greek And Roman Times The Romans had small eating and drinking establishments called taberna vinaria, from which we get the word tavern. These tabernas were so popular in the third century b.c. that they were found tucked away into every corner of every large city. Cooked food was kept warm in thermopoliums, stone counters with holes in them to keep food warm. The tabernas dispensed a significant amount of wine stocked in huge stone jars. There are many accounts of pagan feasts in honor of the gods of ancient times. Greeks held feasts and celebrations that lasted for several days. Street Vending Street vending service also developed early. Wall paintings in ancient Egyptian tombs show vendors selling food in markets, where people ate standing in the street. Vending and street eating were also common in ancient China, when a vendor would come down a lonely, dark street at night crying out his menu. People would come out of their homes and make a purchase. Vending of this kind is still done in many countries. 3 The development of European Haute Cuisine Still, inns and hostelries continued to serve travelers. In one publication from the period, we learn that inns offered three levels of service according to one’s ability to pay. Monasteries took in and fed travelers on their way to the Holy Land. Public life revolved around the Church, which often sponsored community feast days. Markets offered food and drink for street consumption. With the beginning of the Renaissance in the fifteenth century, the great flourishing of art, music, and architecture helped foster an environment in which dining and service, too, became more elaborate and sophisticated. Artisans and skilled trades-men formed guilds to help regulate the production and sale of their goods. Several guilds involving food professionals grew in number and power: - Chaine de Rotisseurs (roasters of meat) - Chaine de Traiteurs (caterers) - Chaine de Patissiers (pastry makers) During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, as more people ascended from poverty, the demand for better service and cuisine rose, especially in Italy. Books on social and dining etiquette appeared: - acceptable behavior while dining, dining room decoration, and good living in general - official manual of behavior and etiquette - a guide to desirable conduct in society, and it became a classic of upper-class tastes of the European Renaissance. These last two works formed the foundation of hospitality service. The Gastronomic influence of Catherine de Medici In 1533, the future king of France, Henry II, married Catherine de Medici, a member of one of Europe’s richest and most powerful families. When she moved to France from her home in Florence, Italy, Catherine was shocked at the inferior level of food preparation and service: - Food was brought to the table in large pots or on platters, and diners helped themselves, - Serving liquids with ladles and picking solid foods up with their hands. They ate from wooden trenchers; daggers were their only eating utensil. Liquid in the trenchers was sopped up by bread and the solids scooped up by hand. Bones and waste were thrown on the floor to be picked up by household dogs and cats. 4  Wooden Trancher Daggers Catherine brought a staff of master cooks and servers to her new home. Table-cloths and napkins went on the tables, and the crude dishware and trenchers were replaced with fine dishes and carved goblets made of silver and gold. She introduced French society to knives, forks, and spoons, which the Florentines had been using since they were introduced to them by a Byzantine princess in the tenth century. The foods now were sumptuous and refined, and the service was lavish and elegant. The French court and nobility quickly adapted to the new regime, and began to imitate it. Because the use of eating utensils was so new, those who entertained did not own many, and guests were expected to bring their own. Fortunately, the king’s nephew, who would later become King Henry IV and an enthusiastic gourmet, approved heartily of his aunt Catherine’s standards. When he ascended the throne, he too required the highest levels of service at court level. France’s nobility became connaisseurs of fine food, drink, and service. Upper-class standards continued to rise until formal dining reached lavish and elegant levels during the reigns of Louis XIII to XVI in the 1600s and 1700s. The Restorante In 1765, a Parisian named Boulanger opened the first restorante. Above the door was a sign in Latin: “Come to me you whose stomachs labor and I will restore you.” Boulanger claimed the soups and breads he served were healthful, easy to digest, and could restore people’s energy; hence, the name restorante. The guilds objected, claiming that only they had the right to prepare and serve food to the public. They sued Boulanger to stop him legally. Boulanger countersued and started a campaign to gain publicity. He had friends in high places that supported him. Soon he made his case a celebrated cause, even getting the Assembly and King Louis XV into the controversy. Boulanger won his suit. He protected his right to compete with the guilds, and opened the door for others to start similar operations. Soon restorantes opened in Paris and other cities in Europe, and the foodservice industry began. 5 Coffee was introduced to Europe in the seventeenth century. This brought about the development of the coffeehouse where coffee was served along with other beverages and some light food. By the eighteenth century, there were about 3,000 coffeehouses in London. The French Revolution (1789 –1799) ended the rule of the kings. Many of noble, wealthy, and influential people were killed or fled France. A new class arose, composed of artisans, capitalists, merchants, and intellectuals. This new middle class began patronizing restaurants, and the public demand for high-quality food, drink, and service increased. At the same time, many highly skilled cooks and servers who previously had served the upperclass found jobs in the new foodservice industry. By 1805, only six years after the Revolution, fifteen fine-dining restaurants could be found in the area of the Palais Royal alone, serving the nouveau riche (new rich) the finest food with the best service. As this new class grew in stature, a group of refined gourmets appeared, and a number of them began to write about the art of fine dining. At the same time a group of chefs developed who also were interested in a high level of cuisine and service. The first of these was Marie-Antoine Carême, who trained a large number of very famous chefs to follow him and continue his high level of food service. They not only invented new dishes and new service, but also established rules on what foods should be served together, when they should be served during the meal, and the manner of service. Thus, it was Carême who first said that a heavy meal should be accompanied by a light soup such as a consommé, and a light meal should be accompanied by a heavy soup, such as a hearty lentil purée. The growth of service in modern times The development of service after 1900 revolves around the tremendous growth of the foodservice industry—a direct result of increased industrialization, mobility, and disposable income. Today, one-fourth of all meals eaten in a day are consumed away from home. This represents 42% of the total dollars Americans spend for food and drink. People are eating out often and are demanding high-quality, yet increasingly casual service. 6 The rise of Hotels Greater mobility led to the growth of hotels and motels, which, in turn, affected food service. Luxury hotels were built to serve affluent patrons. The marriage of fine hotels, fine dining, and fine service culminated in the partnership of César Ritz, a hotelier, and Auguste Escoffier, one of history’s greatest chefs. Ritz oversaw the front of the house and hotel management, while Escoffier saw to the kitchen and dining services. They made an unmatchable team; both had the highest standards. Ritz strove for elegant and luxurious service and spared nothing for the comfort and enjoyment of guests. Escoffier adapted and simplified the elaborate classic menus of his time to highlight top-quality cuisine and service. The wealthiest members of English and European society were their guests. Ritz and Escoffier soon had many imitators. The 20th century: Food service is a major economic sector and an important source of employment. Foodservice is expected to grow faster than the average for all industries over the next decade. The 21st century (Present): Various types of automated and contactless food service entered the 21st century. Contactless food service, QR menu technology, and robotic food service are a few examples. 7