Functions & Responsibilities of F&B Operations
- ms3304dealer
- Oct 15, 2017
- 4 min read
[Source: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/lessons-learned-from-my-summer-job]
We eat and drink every day. But do you know how many staff and departments are actually working hard to support the whole operations of the restaurant when we simply purchase a meal there? Food & Beverage management is complicated as there are many smaller departments that are under the control of the director of food and beverage. Let’s know more about the functions and responsibilities of the different units in the F&B operations.
Kitchen
Kitchen is one of the most essential departments in the operation. Without the chef and any cooking staff, the restaurant will have nothing to serve their customers, but tap water!
In a hotel, the kitchen is normally in charge by the executive chef, or in other words, the kitchen managers. They are responsible for the administrative work in the kitchen. For example, they are responsible for maintaining the food quality and ensuring the dishes served can satisfy the customers and meet their expectations in terms of quantity and quality. Meanwhile, they may also in charge of the menu planning and costs control, including both the labour and food costs. As new labour force is vital in maintaining the sustainability of a restaurant, so the executive chefs are also required to employ the qualified workers and provide suitable training to them.
[Source: http://hotels.ctrip.com/international/712600.html]
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Apart from the executive chef, there are many other chefs who are in charge of the daily operations, especially meal preparation in the kitchen. For instance, there are sous chef, roast chef, fish chef, banquet chef, pastry chef and vegetable chef, etc. They have different responsibilities to prepare for different dishes. Some smaller restaurant may combine some chef's positions.
Food Operations Department (Restaurants)
Restaurants are managed by the restaurant managers. They are responsible for marketing, maintaining the quality standards and forecasting and reporting the budgets of food and beverages to the director. For some hotels, the food operations department may also be in charge of the in-room dining, mini-bars and lounges. Apart from the administrative work, they may also have to deal with the problems faced from daily operations inside the restaurants. For instance, the staffing and scheduling of the front-line waiters and handling customers’ complaints.
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Beverage Department (Bars)
Bar managers are in charge of the bars. They perform the duties of the beverage cycle, including the ordering and receiving of the beverages, storing and issuing of the inventory to the restaurants and bars, and serving and billing the customers. They are also required to prepare the wine list, assist customers in wine selection and possess sufficient knowledge in beverages. Similar to other managers, they have to perform some administrative work, such as maintaining the cost control and supervising the employees.
[Source: http://www.quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk/at/bar/]
Stewarding Department
The chief steward is responsible for the cleanliness of the utensils and the back of the house, such as the kitchen and the warehouse. Maintaining stock control of the raw food, beverages and chemical stock is also part of their duties. They have to be in charge of sanitation and pest control of the restaurant, as well. Some administration work like the ordering and storage of cleaning supply and staffing and scheduling of workers.
[Source: http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/28387-hotelier-awards-2016-shortlist-unsung-hero/]
Catering Department (Banquet)
Catering refers to the occasions when people may eat at variable times. In order to handle and hold these catering events, such as the meetings, banquets and exhibitions, there would usually be a catering department in a hotel. It is under the control of the director of catering. The fundamental responsibility of the director is to sell its functions and services to customers. They also have to lead the employees, set the service standards for them and set the sales and costs budget for the team and for each staff. They are required to ensure the quality of the catering services and possess sufficient knowledge about food, wine and catering-related services so as to satisfy and tackle customers’ problems.
[Source: http://hotels.ctrip.com/international/1010990.html]
Learning Reflection
Before learning about this chapter, I have always considered that the kitchen would be the most essential part in a restaurant. Without the effort of chefs and kitchen staff, we cannot relax and enjoy such a delicious meal in a restaurant. However, after knowing more about the management in food and beverage industry and doing this blog, I have understood that there are actually many departments and units within a restaurant, no matter how large or small the shop is. For each department, they have their own functions and responsibilities which are very different with one another. This has made me realized that managing the operations inside a restaurant is definitely not an easy task, it indeed requires the effort from everyone inside the restaurant. Only with the collective effort from each employee in each unit, the restaurant can serve their customers and maximize their dining experiences. So, next time, when we go to a restaurant, we must appreciate and show our respects to every staff doing their best to serve us!
Reference
[1] Importance of F & B Department in a hotel (2010). Retrieved from: https://redcarpetacademy.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/importance-of-f-b-department-in-a-hotel/
[2] Food and Beverage Service Areas (2017). Retrieved from: http://www.bngkolkata.com/web/food-and-beverage-service-areas/
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