Assignment Two Research Paper Comments

7/27/2019 Assignment Two Research Paper Comments

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Difficulties and Obstacles of Food Service and Relate Fields Shaw

By Jacob Shaw1

Introduction:

I, like many other Americans eat out at restaurants very frequently. We go out

with friends, we celebrate with relatives, and we take for granted the work that is put into

running a food service business. We have high expectations of the restaurants we visit

and refuse to take anything lower than par. We fail to realize the complexity of

Restaurants and Food Service businesses in general and we ignore the hardships and

hurdles thrown at these businesses on the daily basis. Restaurants are a vital part of our

lives and serve many of us our every meal. With a better understanding of the difficulties

that go into restaurant based businesses we can have a greater and more profound respect

for the food we eat and the work that goes into it. It is through these challenges that I

chose to shed light and bring careful attention too, pertaining to the food industry.

Research: Restaurants Success

What do you look for in a restaurant? What makes you want to visit again? These

are questions that every successful restaurant asks. These questions separate the

restaurants that succeed from the restaurants that fail. When it comes to running a

restaurant it is important that the owner and or manger understands what is necessary in

order to make the restaurant succeed and profit at its maximum potential. Author Monica

Parpal of How Not to Fail at Running a Restaurant, offers insight into practices that will

help increase the longevity of a restaurant through strategic practices. Monica Parpal

encourages managers to work harder than anyone else. Working harder than everyone

else means arriving at the restaurant early, stepping up and helping with other individuals

jobs, and pitching in when the workload is increased or someone calls out. If someone

calls out for personal reasons, call several employees to cover the shift of the missing

Comment [JS1]: Good strong introduction, nreason to have Restaurant capitalized in first

paragraph unless you are emphasizing someth

Comment [JS2]: Elaborate and explain howpeople will benefit as a person if they have a

better understanding of what goes into restaur

businesses.

Comment [JS3]: This sentence needs revisioit is hard to follow.

Comment [JS4]: This needs to be in italics acited correctly.


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By Jacob Shaw2

individual. Being a successful manager and running a successful restaurant relies on

dedication and the willingness to step beyond ones normal everyday tasks. Running a

restaurant is a difficult task and can become very stressful. Unlike employees on the

clock, managers do not make extra money for working overtime. If you are a manager of

a restaurant or food based business you should expect to work overtime all the time. If

the manager is unwilling to work overtime, they are clearly in the wrong business and

should probably look into a major career change.

A key factor in determining a restaurant success is the managers ability to

understand the businesses financials. Understand what money is being put into the

business and what money will be required to break even. Breaking even should not be the

goal of a restaurant; there is no profit in getting the money you spent back. Every

business is a risk but restaurants are unique because the risk is so high. Monica Parpal

explains that restaurants are at risk for failing for various reasons including: hazards,

employee training, and major liabilities. Owners need to understand exactly what they

need to do in order to make their business succeed. If being successful means paying for

ads in the newspaper, the owner should not hesitate. If the owner has an opportunity to

invest money that will give his business a competitive advantage over other businesses he

or she would be an idiot to ignore it.

Research: Success Tips for Restaurants

The goal of a restaurant is to make great food, make lots of people happy, and

make profit. Jeff Haden explains that a restaurants success is bound by the businesses

ability to meet consumer satisfaction. Jeff Haden gives information for achieving the

desired results. In order to make great food, a restaurant needs to have a great chef. In

Comment [JS5]: Cite individual again so it isclear that I am not the one quoting this.


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By Jacob Shaw3

order for a restaurant to gain customers the restaurant needs to be in a great location.

Location and convenience ultimately play as much importance as the quality and taste of

the food. Having a great restaurant location and a great chef doesnt guarantee a

restaurants success but it is a great place to start out. Like every other business in the

world, customer service plays a significant role in customer loyalty and retention rate. If

an employee complains about the taste of your tea, dont blow them off. Chances are

pretty high that if one employee is dissatisfied there are several that are dissatisfied. If

you are unwilling to meet your customers expectations you are at risk for people not

returning.

Roy Bergold explains in Roys Tips for Creating Repeat Business, that a

successful restaurant is a business that strives for customer loyalty. He goes on to explain

that its important to listen to your customers and to adapt to their needs and concerns.

Adapting to meet the demands of the customer is a great way to drive an increase in

profit and expand the restaurants overall reach.

Gaining customer loyalty should not be a hassle for the customer. The most

successful loyalty programs offer incentive for the consumer to return. Offer a free sub

for every five they purchase and you would be surprised how many people return over

and over just to get that free sub.

Research: Legal Side of Restaurants

With any great business you risk losing everything in order to gain the world and

restaurants are no exception. Restaurants are dangerous and if not taken care of, pose

major health concerns to the public. Bacteria grow on food and flourishes on kitchen

equipment. Proper cleaning techniques and strategies must be used in order to maintain a


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By Jacob Shaw4

safe environment. Angela Haupt describes the role of bacteria in the kitchen. She

explains that food left out for more than two hours at room temperature is twice more

likely to contain higher amounts of bacteria than the same food item that was kept in a

refrigerator set no higher than forty degrees.

Caron Beesley author of the article Opening and Running a Restaurant a Legal

and Regulatory Checklist gives insight as to the exact required and regulatory steps to

opening a business. She explains that restaurants must follow zoning laws. This basically

means that a restaurant cant just open up anywhere. It has to be in a location t hat is

permitted by the local government. Restaurants are required to obtain licenses and

permits stating validity of the business. Food Service businesses are also required to

follow food safety codes and undergo unannounced inspections. Each of these

requirements must be met in order to open a restaurant. A business that plants to sell

liquor is required to have a liquor license and carry various insurance policies to prevent

accidents from occurring. Insurance is used to protect the consumer and the business

itself from whatever legal hurdle may be thrown at them.

School cafeterias and food service locations are no exception to laws and

regulations either. They receive a rating based on cleanliness just like every other

restaurant in the United States. In most cases cafeterias undergo further investigation to

ensure that students and kids are protected from harmful food service practices.

Research: School Cafeterias

When I look back on my days in elementary school I remember the thrill of

standing in the cafeteria line waiting on my slice of square pepperoni pizza. Cafeterias

were different back at that time and I enjoyed the food. Over the years I stopped enjoying


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By Jacob Shaw5

cafeteria food and became disgusted by what I saw around me. Once I hit middle school I

made up the decision not to eat in cafeterias again because of the lack of cleanliness. I

was concerned for my health and I decided that I would rather bring my lunch to school

than get sick from dirty food that the lunch ladys were serving. Restaurant businesses

started getting regulated much more harshly with the growing concern for food borne

illness. This problem is not common today but exists in schools, which in my opinion is

unacceptable. Certain investigations have unveiled a slew of reports that harmful

practices still occur even though it is not as common as it once was.

Kerry Tomlinson writes that several schools that they have personally

investigated violated health codes and put students at risk. Kerry Tomlinsons

investigation showed that every school did not have the same problems if they had any

problems at all but a select few had concerning results. Some schools failed in putting

away food in a proper way putting students and faculty health at risk. Others failed to

clean up after spilled food.

Rosedale Elementary School had mold and mildew that was located in the school

ice machine. This concerns parents because some children are more susceptible to

dangerous exposures like mold. Kerry Tomlinson highlights the fact that mold takes a

while to grow so it shows a level of neglecting by the school staff. I have personally seen

mold in ice machines at my old high school. Before marching band practice everyday we

would fill up the water coolers with ice and on the lid of the ice machine was black mold.

At the University of North Carolina at Charlotte there are several cafeterias. Two

of the cafeterias are traditional and are run by the company Chartwell. Various other food

Comment [JS6]: Needs revision: Startedbecoming more regulated.

Comment [JS7]: Revise so it is more clearwhat point is attempting to be made in this

sentence.


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By Jacob Shaw6

businesses are scattered across campus and include: chic-fil-a, Wendys, Mama Leonas,

Brueggers Bagels, Subway, Bistro 49, and several others.

Research: Common Problems with Restaurants

As Alex Roe points out, some of the major concerns in restaurants is the overall

cost for opening and running the business. Chefs require a much higher salary than

normal staff. Restaurants also need the regular staff that includes: waiters, waitresses,

hosts, bartenders, and much more.

Observation: Fretwell Caf

In my personal experience at Fretwell Caf I noticed a variety of ideas and

concepts that appear to speak for this business success. Employees are respectful to the

consumer regardless of how the consumer treats the employee. This aspect is important in

maintaining good relationships with customers. Cleanliness in my opinion is by far king

when it comes to the important concepts of a restaurant. Clean tables encourage people to

sit down. I hate dirty tables and in most cases I refuse to sit anywhere that does not

appear clean. If I am unwilling to sit because of a cleanliness concern, I have highly

unlikely to buy and or eat at this location. Cleanliness also stretches beyond the table and

into the kitchen. Fretwell Caf has very clean countertops, which is important to the

sanitary part of this business. If the countertops are dirty contamination is possible and

could threaten the health of its consumers. The health of the consumers is important

because it could play a major role in any legal action taken against the business.

Fretwell Caf is unique because of its location. It is located at the bottom of the

Fretwell building on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is

housed in the bottom of one of the major college buildings. Its location is unique because

Comment [JS8]: Add comma after dirty tomake sentence clear.


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it allows easy access to a caf without traveling far at all. Its location is beneficial to the

business because it is the closest restaurant and caf for at least a quarter mile for most

residence and scholars on the east side of campus.

Observation: Comparison to Crown Commons

Crown Commons is another popular location on the Campus of the University of

North Carolina at Charlotte. It is the most popular place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If you compare Crown Commons to Fretwell Caf you notice a variety of differences as

well as similarities. Food prepared at Crown is created on a mass scale. They create

enough food to feed a lot of people and do not focus on the individual. Crown also has a

larger variety of foods to choose from. Fretwell and Crown differ primarily on the target

audience. While crown commons attracts the hungry individual and lunch, Fretwell pulls

in the scholar that is having trouble staying awake. They pull in customers that want

coffee or want a more personalized bite to eat. A student that wants to study for a test

next class is far more likely to eat at Fretwell than Crown Commons. The Atmosphere is

important to the type of individual that each appeals too and ultimately helps in catering

to that specific group.

The two businesses are very similar as they both provided good customer service.

Both maintain clean environments and strive to create quality food. Fretwell and Crown

also appeal to the same audience but they target different groups. I personally enjoy

Fretwell more than Crown but I eat at crown out of convenience.

Conclusion:

This paper includes a number of sources that bring attention to the inherent

difficulties of running a food based business. Food Service runs into a variety of

Comment [JS9]: Atmosphere should not becapitalized unless you are trying to make a poin


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By Jacob Shaw8

problems and hurdles to jump through. We often take for granted to work put into

preparing our food and we overlook the hardships that we deem so simple. Restaurants

like Fretwell Caf face an uphill battle on a daily battle to survive. I, for one take these

businesses for granted on the daily bases and until now had no idea of the difficulties and

challenges faced by these businesses.

i

i My group members stated that my paper is strong but at some points lacks complete clarity. It also

just shy of the required length so I need to add more content in places that are not well supported.

Comment [JS10]: Need longer and moredescriptive conclusion.

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Assignment Two Research Paper Comments