Food & Beverage

Kinds & Characteristics of Restaurants

Fine Dining Restaurant

• Serving high quality food
• Focus on dining experience
• Restaurant ambiance and decor of will be elegant & rich
• The staff employed is skilled and has a sound knowledge of the dishes served
• The restaurant employs sommeliers to serve wines and other alcoholic beverages

Advantages 

• Personalized service
• Great dining environment
• High quality food

Disadvantages

• More expensive
• More cost in tranning staff

Examples:
Farquhar Mansion- Penang

Interior design of the restaurant

Interior design of the restaurant

Fast Food Restaurant

• Serves fast food cuisine and have minimal table service
• Limited menu 
• Affordable price of the menu items

Advantages

• Convenient
• Budget friendly
• Very accesible
• Fast and save time

Disadvantages

• Menu item are high in sugar
• Health risk

Example:
Domino's Pizza

Domino's Pizza restaurant

Buffet

• Food and beverage are placed at public place
• Customer serve themselves
• Effectively for serving large numbers of people at once

Advantages

• Provide variety of foods and beverages
• Save on cost
• Give wides choice to cusotmer
• Cooks do not need to cook every new order comes in

Disadvantages

• Wastage
• May delay in replenishment 
• Service is not personalised
• Will lose if it turns out that there are not many buyers coming as need to provide large meals

Example:

The Islander- Hotel Jen Penang

Interior design of the restaurant

Franchised Restaurant

• Possible for those who lack extensive restaurant experience 
• Or can open own restaurant and after that begin franchising
• Involve least financial risk 
• E.g. menu, design, marketing plans, already have been tested in the market place
• Concept of restaurant is proven and the operating procedures are established with all of the kinks worked out.
• Training is provided, marketing and management support are available

Advantages

• Fewer risk
• Everything are well organized by franchiser 

Disadvantages

• Limited independence
• Limited growth
• High cost for opening a franchise

Example:

Mc Donald

Food & Beverages serve in Mc Donald

Independent Restaurant

• Owned by one or more owners
• Owners usually will involve in daily operation
• Not affiliated with any national brand or name
• Operation are more independent, creative and flexible

Advantages

• Relatively easy to open
• Operation are more independent and flexible
• Potential for growth
• Some will grow into small chain while larger companies will buy them out

Disadvantages

• Higher operating risk
• Not enjoy a renowned brand image

Example:

Fook Yuen Dessert Restaurant (Hong Kong)

Fook Yuen Dessert Restaurant

Sandwich Shops

• Simple to open and operate compared to full service restaurant
• Menu consists various kinds of hot and cold sandwiches
• Little or no cooking is required
• Hot and cold soups, pastries, selection of hot and cold beverages may offered.

Advantages

• Lower investment than conventional restaurant (Reason: Require limited kitchen equipment)
• Lower cost compared to full service restaurant
• Fast
• Cost efficient 

Disadvantages

• Limited choice of food items
• Lack of opportunity to make changes

Example:

Subway

Subway shop 

Family Restaurant

• Grew out of the coffee shop style restaurant
• Operated by independent family
• Restaurant are located in or within suburbs
• Services are informal 
• Simple menu and service designed to appeal to families
• Most do not serve alcoholic beverages

Advantages

• Moderately priced menu
• Provide table service
• Relaxed armosphere

Disadvantages

• Large platters of food can be messy
• Little portion control

Example:

Russell Williams Family Restaurant

Interior design of Russell Williams Family Restaurant

Casual Restaurant 

• Popular (Reason: Fits societal trend of a more relaxed lifestyle
• Defining factors: Signature food items, creative bar menu or enhanced wine service and comfortable decor.

Advantages

• Cost efficient
• More choice for food items
• Quick service
• Healthy option

Disadvantages

• Portion size cannot be determined
• Only little moderation on food

Example:

TGI Friday's

TGI Friday's exterior design

Steakhouse 

• Limited menu
• High food costs
• Majority of customers are men

Advantages

• Profitable
• Low labor cost

Disadvantages

• Limited menu
• High food cost
• Lack of  opportunities to make changes

Example:

Argentinian Steakhouses- London

Steak serve in Argentinian Steakhouses

Seafood Restaurant

• Seafood was a staple food in the taverns
• Many seafood restaurants are owned and operated by independent restaurant owners
• Red Lobster is the largest chain

Advantages

• Profitable
• Specified in seafood dishes

Disadvantages

• This type of restaurant only suitable for certain country
• Limited menu
• High food cost

Example:

Red Lobster

Seafood serve in Red Lobster

Ethnic Restaurant

Mexican Restaurants

• Before the day of the big chain Mexican restaurant, it's typically owned and operated by a Mexican family
• Menus, decor and music in Mexican restaurants are often colorful and exciting 
• Menu is built around tortillas, ground beef, cilantro, chiles, rice and beans
• Relatively inexpensive

Advantages

• Have their own style

Disadvantages

• Some people might not interest to taste the dishes
• High cost

Example:

Las Carretas- Selangor

Interior design of Las Carretas

Italian Restaurant

• Italian restaurants, including pizza chains, boast the largest number of ethnic restaurants in the United States
• Owe heir origins largely to poor immigrants from southern Italy, entrepreneurs who started small grocery stores, bars and restaurants in Italian neighborhoods in the Northeast.
• Offer an array of opportunities for would be franchisees & entrepreneurs

Advantages

• Have their own style

Disadvantages

• High cost

Example:

Italiannies

Italiannies

Chinese Restaurant

• Historically, they are owned by hardworking ethnic Chinese families
• The cooking revolves around the wok, a large metal pan with a rounded bottom
• China divided into culinary districts: Szechuan, Hunan, Cantonese & Northern style centered in Beijing
• Cantonese food is best known for its dim sum
• Szechuan food is distinguished by the use of hot peppers
• Chinese cooking style reflect the places in China from which the chefs came

Advantages

• Opportunity to create different types of menu
• Have their own style

Disadvantages

• Need specific chef to cook the dishes
• Some people might not interest to taste the dishes

Example:

Ming Palace- Kuala Lumpur

Table setting of Ming Palace Restaurant

Food Truck

• Large vehicle equipped to cook and sell food
• Variety of food and beverages are selling

Advantages

• Easy to maintain and operate
• Lower investment cost
• Fast
• Efficient to move around

Disadvantages

• Low demand during raining day
• No finance support for advertising
• High risk

Example:

Coffee Haven- Penang

Coffee Haven food truck

Tabletop Cooking

• Customer are seated as in a casual dinning setting
• Food items are prepared by the establishments for cooking on embedded gas stoves, induction cookers or charcoal grills
• Customer has control over the heating power of the appliance

Advantages

• Trendy
• Customer can enhance different dinning experience 

Disadvantages

• Limited yield
• Expensive
• High cost

Example:

Daorae- Korean Restaurant

The way food serve in Daorae

Coffeehouse

• Casual restaurants without table service
• Emphasize coffee and other beverages
• Limited selection of food items
• Allow patrons to relax and socialize on their premises for long periods of time without pressure to leave promptly after eating
• Frequently chosen as sites for meetings

Advantages

• Attract more customers such as business people as they allow patron to relax and socialize in their premises
• Provided various choice of coffee and beverages

Disadvantages

• Limited selection of food items
• Self service

Example:

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Exterior design of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf