Food and Beverage Services - Organization

The food and beverage service is part of the service-oriented hospitality sector. It can be a part of a large hotel or tourism business and it can also be run as an independent business. The members of the F&B Services team are required to perform a wide range of tasks which include preparation for service, greeting the guests, taking their orders, settling the bills, and performing various other tasks after the guests leave.

Let us see the F&B services in hotels, structure of F&B department and ancillary services in a hotel.

Food and Beverage Services in Hotel

Most of the star-ranked hotels offer multiple F&B services in their hotels. They can be −

• Restaurant
• Lounge
• Coffee Shop
• Room Service
• Poolside Barbecue/Grill Service
• Banquet Service
• Bar
• Outside Catering Service

Structure of F&B Services Department

The F&B Services personnel are responsible to create the exact experience the guests wish for. The department consists of the following positions −

Food & Beverage Service Manager

The Food & Beverage Service Manager is responsible for −

• Ensuring profit margins are achieved in each financial period from each department of F&B service.
• Planning menus for various service areas in liaison with kitchen.
• Purchasing material and equipment for F&B Services department.

Assistant Food & Beverage Service Manager

The Assistant Food & Beverage Service Manager is aware of and is tuned to all the work the F&B Services Manager performs and carries out the same in the absence of his superior.

Restaurant Manager

The Restaurant Manager looks after the overall functioning of a restaurant. The responsibility of this staff member include −

• Managing the functions in the dining room
• Ordering material
• Stock-taking or inventory checking.
• Supervising, training, grooming, and evaluating the subordinates
• Preparing reports of staff and sales
• Managing budgets
• Handling daily sales and coordinating with cashiers

Room Service Manager

The Room Service Manager is responsible for −

• Selecting, training, encouraging, and evaluating all junior employees
• Ensuring that cultural values and core standards of F&B department/establishment are met
• Controlling labor expenses through staffing, budgeting, and scheduling
• Handling guest complaints
• Providing special requests

Banquet Manager

The Banquet Manager is responsible for −

• Setting service standard for banquets
• Forecasting and allocating budgets for various types of events such as conferences, meetings, etc.
• Achieving food and beverage sales
• Controlling chinaware, cutlery, glassware, linen, and equipment
• Handling decorations and guest complaints
• Providing special requests
• Purchasing required stock by following appropriate requisition procedures
• Following up each function by receiving guest feedback and submitting it to F&B Manager
• Participating in departmental meetings
• Planning and pricing menu
• Training, grooming, and development of staff underneath

Bar Manager

The Bar Manager is responsible for −

• Forecasting the daily flow of customers
• Allocating right number of staff according to customer influx
• Managing and monitoring bar inventory from store to bar
• Tracking all types of drink sales
• Allocating cleaning and tendering tasks

Food Safety Supervisor (FSS)

A Food Safety Supervisor is a person who is trained to recognize and prevent risks associated with food handling in an F&B Services business. He holds an FSS certificate that needs to be no more than five years old. He is required in an F&B Services business so that he can train and supervise other staff about safe practices of handling food.

F&B Ancillary Departments

Food and Beverage department relies upon the support of the following departments −

Kitchen Stewarding

The Kitchen Stewarding department strives to ensure cleanliness, preparedness, and orderliness in the commercial kitchen so that the kitchen staff can work efficiently. It also ensures that all the tools and utensils required for a specific meal or cooking task are cleaned properly and are ready to go. The kitchen steward is a working link between the F&B Services and the commercial kitchen.

Dishwashing

The Dishwashing department is responsible for providing clean and dry supply of glassware, chinaware, and cutlery for bar, banquet, lounge, and restaurant service.

Laundry

The F&B department is highly reliable on laundry department or outsourced laundry services for timely supply of dry-cleaned and wrinkleless linen.

F&B Staff Attitudes and Competencies

Each member of the F&B department hierarchy needs to have the following traits and skills −

Knowledge

Awareness of one’s responsibilities and roles, appropriate knowledge of food items, food and beverage pairing, etiquettes, and service styles is a great way to build confidence while serving the guests.

Appearance

It creates the first impression on the guests. The F&B staff members must maintain personal hygiene, cleanliness, and professional appearance while being on duty.

Attentiveness

Attentiveness is paying sincere attention to details, memorizing the guests’ needs and fulfilling them timely with as much perfection as one can put in.

Body Language

The F&B Services staff needs to conduct themselves with very positive, energetic, and friendly gestures.

Effective Communication

It is very vital when it comes to talking with co-workers and guests. Clear and correct manner of communication using right language and tone can make the service workflow smooth. It can bring truly enhanced experience to the guests.

Punctuality

The F&B Services staff needs to know the value of time while serving the guests. Sincere time-keeping and sense of urgency helps to keep the service workflow smooth.

Honesty and Integrity

These two core values in any well-brought-up person are important for serving the guests in hospitality sector.