Category: Restaurant

Introduction

Gusto 54 is a Global Restaurant Group (GRG) that has several restaurants across the country. Its story begins with Janet Zuccarini, whose Italian father, an award-winning chef, carried on his dishes to her German mother (Harris, 2018). Specifically, his spaghetti and tomato sauce were famous among Zucarrinis acquaintances (Harris, 2018). She further states, Children would want to visit my home (Harris, 2018, par. 1). Her father also taught her the value of hospitality (Harris, 2018). She believes that after working as a maître d at a few of the worlds most influential hotels, he learned how to make guests feel special. Being the CEO and founder of Gusto 54 Global Restaurant Group, Janet had devised a separate ingredient list for each of her seven restaurants, creating her unique recipe for success. Janet explains, It is not a one-size-fits-all solution (Harris, 2018, par. 2). As a result, Janet has created unique dining experiences for the one million people who visit her establishments annually.

However, the companys history over the last few years has been marked by a series of profound events that have jeopardized the existence of the Gusto 54 GRG. The reason for this was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent public excesses associated with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, and general social discontent in society. The main decision taken by Zucarrini was to invest the companys resources in organizational aspects  such as gender and race equality and inclusion. Thus, the subsequent analysis and report of critical positions on this issue is the main objective of this paper.

Analysis

Advantages and Maintaining Before COVID-19

The very successful restaurant chain was also undergoing significant development, having just launched Gusto 501 weeks before. Hence, the financial situation was assessed as fast-growing, as there was a need for urgent investment in new ventures. This growth was logical since a serious advantage allowed the catering business to stand out from the competition. According to the companys history information, this advantage could be a special recipe inherent in small family cousins (Harris, 2018). Providing this kind of service in a mass market is considered an unusual solution and attracts a high number of customers. However, this kind of advantage does not mean that Gusto GRG would not have continued to grow in the event of subsequent adverse events. Since the catering sector requires constant investment in new menus, seasonal renewals, and the management and quality control of existing businesses, problems may have arisen for another reason. As a result, there is a high probability of uncertainty in this matter, but there would not have been a sharp decline with the existing responsible approach.

Gusto 54s Culture in 2020

An analysis of the working culture in Gusto 54 prior to the measures taken is also an important aspect of the analysis. In particular, it can be concluded from the available information that there were certain social issues (Birbrager & Konrad, 2021). This can also be inferred from the fact that, following George Floyds case, the BLM drew attention to the issue of racial inequality in the restaurant chain (Birbrager & Konrad, 2021). Nevertheless, the approach was changed in the future to a different one, which has caused a positive shift in the social media. It is described in the following statement of executives: We pride ourselves on being culturally relevant and there is nothing more relevant than fighting ongoing injustices against the black community (Gusto 54, 2020, par. 1). Consequently, problems with inappropriate positioning of internal team processes were present before, but were not adequately addressed.

Present Values in The Company

To date, values such as equality, inclusion, LGBT friendliness, anti-racism, and a general atmosphere of diversity have been the companys key focuses. Based on the information on Gusto 54s official website, the key mistakes that hindered the cultural development of the collective were realized (Gusto 54, 2020). Moreover, the concept of family relationships between employees and employers, which Zuccarini has developed since the restaurants were founded, has also been significantly strengthened. A clear manifestation of this attitude is the mention of maximum frankness and the rejection of the corporate language inherent in organizations of this size. The phrase From day one we have operated in the spirit of famiglia, even so far as having treat everyone like family as one of our company values, indicates that (Gusto 54, 2020, par. 1). Thus, an informal atmosphere is the main direction chosen by the management in this case.

Analysis of The Committed Steps

The steps that have been taken by Gusto 54 GRG to stabilize the financial situation in view of COVID-19 and the subsequent impact made by BLM are agreed upon and supported by me. The main objective of such changes is to preserve the business, the brand, and the financial income. During the pandemic, Zuccarini was focused on preservation as she saw eateries around her close. She had no intention of bringing Gusto 54 to the same conclusion; hence, she assumed that everyone who worked for the firm in March was still employed there when the quarantine was enacted (Birbrager & Konrad, p. 5). However, the workers were not paid since it would have caused the restaurants to fail. Zuccarini required everyone to be adaptable and prepared to put the Gusto 54 ahead of their interests to save her firm. With survivability as the primary objective, all choices taken after March 2020 were based on the mentality mentioned above (Birbrager & Konrad, 2021, p. 5). Therefore, the information presented confirms a logical and far-sighted entrepreneurial approach that can be considered the only right one under the prevailing circumstances.

Main Challenges: Existing and Theoretical

The final section of the analysis is represented by the main problems faced by Gusto 54 and those that were likely to have been exacerbated if COVID-19 had not occurred. Based on the information available, the main obstacle was the growing customer base and the increasing number of new restaurants, which were significantly more significant than the companys existing management accounts (Birbrager & Konrad, 2021). This could have had severe negative consequences on matters such as the logistics of ingredient supply, the consistency of recipes, and the quality of dishes at all Gusto 54 GRG outlets. However, events in 2020 interrupted the process described, thus making it a critical challenge that was already occurring but had never progressed into a serious concern.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this analysis allows the main aspects of the changes that Gusto 54 underwent during COVID-19 and the emergence of the BLM to be analyzed. The advantages and the possibility of maintaining them before the pandemic were examined, revealing uncertainties about the future of the companys then approach. Moreover, the culture of the restaurant business was studied, in particular the main mistakes made by the management. However, an analysis of current values demonstrated a new, more socially responsible approach. The analysis of the committed steps by Zuccarini explained the responsible approach that the executive had taken, thereby saving the business. In conclusion, the existing and theoretical challenges listed gave a perspective on what could have happened to the Gusto 54 GRG in different scenarios.

References

Birbrager, L., & Konrad, A. (2021). GUSTO 54 (B): Relying on organizational culture in crisis. Ivey Publishing, 17.

Gusto 54. (2020). From day one we have... Gusto 54 Catering.

Harris, T. (2020). A taste for success: How Janet Zuccarini built the Gusto 54 global restaurant group. Women of Influence.

The world in its entirety is a vast place, with different cultures, languages, ethics, morals, and behaviors. These cultures are all particular to a specific region. A major entity of culture is food, where else will you have a taste of exquisite dishes if not in restaurants? Taking a trip around the world, I have put together some of my favorite restaurants I visited during my travels. The choice of being the best is based on the meals, the decoration, the environment, and the whole restaurant as a whole.

Everyone knows that if you want to taste the best cuisine in the world, you need to travel to Italy. During my trip to Modena, I found one of the best restaurants – Osteria Francescana. This restaurant is famous all over the world for all food lovers. Owned and managed by the most emotive chef in the world, Massimo Bottura. The interior decorations of the restaurant are exquisite, the contemporary paintings decorating the walls add to the beauty of the restaurant. Massimo has perfected the art of turning Italian meals into sophisticated art. The mortadella sandwich cherished by every Italian is prepared exquisitely. A taste of his Magnum ice cream bar, his lacquered eel are all dishes that will keep everyone coming back.

The next favorite restaurant is Eleven Madison Park, located in New York. The design of this restaurant was done by Bentel & Bentel. The meal courses offered here are a wide variety inspired by the culinary traditions and agricultural endowment of New York. The restaurant has a theatrical dining room. The chef managing the restaurant is Daniel Humm a Swiss. Humm is known for perfecting the art of preparing French cuisine from locally produced ingredients. Eleven Madison Park is open seven days a week. Lunch is served by 1 p.m. from Friday to Sunday. From Monday to Wednesday, dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Thursdays to Sundays.

In London, England, I love the restaurant Dinner. It belongs to Heston Blumenthal. The restaurant was opened in January 2011. The restaurant is located at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The restaurant is managed by Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts. Ashely is good at transforming local traditional dishes into modern-day cuisines. The restaurant is exquisitely designed and decorated. You even have the opportunity to have your own individual tailored dining experience (there is a private dining room). There is a chef’s table: you get to see all the activities in the kitchen, and your meal will be served by the head chef.

And my last favorite restaurant that I want to draw attention to is Mugaritz, located in Errenteria, Spain. It is located just a little beyond the rolling hills of the Basque Country. The restaurant was opened in March 1998 and was managed by Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz. Since 2006, it has been on the list of the best restaurants in the world. The managing chef is one of the best in contemporary cuisines. The interior decorations are completely covered in wood beams, making it look like a traditional Basque country house. Lunch is served from 12:20 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. every day. Dinner is served from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.

My favorite restaurants described by me in this essay are really fantastic. They perfectly embody the culture of their countries, and the impression of visiting them makes you want to return there again and again. I sincerely advise everyone to visit the places that are dear to my heart.

Asian hospitality is specific due to cultural peculiarities of the place. No matter which country one visits, the hospitality is going to be at the highest level. Being one of the main source of revenue, restaurant and hotel hospitality play important role in the development of Asian economics.

Being the third constituent of the world economics after oil and auto industry, Asia successfully develops this sector of its economics to continue profitable business in a complicated economic situation. Productivity, profitability, and sustainability are the main variables on the way to success in Asia.

Being involved in the competitive strategies, industries where hospitality is crucial try to develop and renew this sector. Human resource management also plays an important role in this sphere of services. Asian hospitality services are directed at customer. Having the motto to serve the customer all the services he/she required. All Asian and even international hospitality organizations work on meeting all the customers’ needs, both intrinsically and extrinsically.

Some Asian countries may face a number of difficulties due to their unawareness of the principals of hospitality. However, such places as Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Thailand rarely have such difficulties, however, the issues connected with organization of communication among staff may be crucial (Ali, Afzal, Shahzad, & Khan, 2012).

Starting the discussion about hospitality service trends in Asia, Machado (2006) says that “The need for better skills is addressed through improved materials and teaching methods, in the internationalization and the improvement of the quality of curricula in tourism and hospitality and in a more effective synergy between education and industry” (p. 56). Such approach to hospitality is advantageous as trained and particularly educated staff is more efficient for hotel and restaurant industry.

Moreover, the use of innovations and specific cultural trends are effective in increasing the income in the hospitality sector. Asian hospitality is closely connected to cultural aspects. Planning successful hospitality strategies, industries in Asian industries base their knowledge on culture, infrastructure, expertise, facilities, capacity and abilities (Machado, 2006).

Trying to meet customer’s needs, Asian hospitality industries try to include as many services in the list of the obligatory ones as possible. Most hospitality industries involve “meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), backpacker, and bed and breakfast sectors” (Hing, McCabe, Lewis, & Leiper, 1998, p. 264) in their every day activities and services for tourists, however ,the hospitality industry is rather new in Asia as these countries have recently become pay attention to this sector of economics, therefore, it is possible to wait for the innovations in the sector in the nearest future (Hing, McCabe, Lewis, & Leiper, 1998).

However, having a good base for development, such countries as Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Thailand face a number of difficulties which may lead to the reduction of the quality of the services. Having conducted an Importance–Performance Analysis in one of the Hong Kong hotels, Chu, & Choi, (2000) have come to the conclusion that the inability to distinguish between customers and their needs may lead to the reduction of the income due to the inability to organize the hospitality process in a proper way.

The table below shows the market potential for hospitality in some countries of Asia,

Table 1. Market potential for hospitality, 2011 (The 2011-2016 Outlook for Corporate Hospitality in Asia & Oceana, 2011).

This data shows that Thailand is at the top of the list which means that this country has greater potential, more appropriate conditions, trained staff, etc. for serving more customers with higher quality.

Such country as Macau significantly legs behind other countries as this place does not have quality staff and appropriate infrastructure for offering top quality services in hospitality sector. However, the hospitality potential has been increasing in Macau as well as in other countries under discussion. Moreover, the calculations show that the further grows of the hospitality in region in going to increase.

HONG KONG

MACAU

SINGAPORE

THAILAND

Table 2. Corporate Hospitality, 2006 – 2016 (The 2011-2016 Outlook for Corporate Hospitality in Asia & Oceana, 2011).

In conclusion, it should be stated that the hospitality trends in Asia depends on the development of the hotel and restaurant sector, on the number of annual tourists and on the quality of serving staff.

Reference List

Ali, H., Afzal, M., Shahzad, A., & Khan, M. A. (2012). Successful business ventures in South Asia Hospitality: Making profits in Recession. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(11), 706-723.

Chu, R. K.S.., & Choi, T. (2000). An importance-performance analysis of hotel selection factors in the HongKong hotel industry: a comparison of business and leisure travelers. Tourism Management, 21(4), 363–377.

Hing, N., McCabe, V., Lewis, P., & Leiper, N. (1998). Hospitality trends in the Asia-Pacific: a discussion of five key sectors. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 10(7), 264-271.

Machado, C. (2006). Introducing Learning Technologies in Tourism and Hospitality Studies in Central Asia. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 18(3), 56-66.

The 2011-2016 Outlook for Corporate Hospitality in Asia & Oceana. (2011, March 1). Regional Outlook Reports, 1-54.

Abstract

According to Hotels, Resorts & Cruise (2009), the hospitality industry has been growing drastically with new entrants making notable impacts over the past few years.

Karahan & Tetik (2012) add that competition has increased and hotels and restaurants have resolved to improve quality management by the use of international standards such as ISO 9001.

For the past eight years, Art Deco Hotel Montana has been ISO certified and according to the manager of Scala restaurant (Mr Binnennaun), the restaurant has achieved a wide range of operational and economic success because of the effective implementation of the strategy (Hotel-Montana 2012). Mr Binnennaun has been interviewed on how the standard has enhanced sales and operations at Scala.

It has been found out that Scala has risen to become the second best restaurant in Luzern because of the efficiency that ISO 9001 has integrated into its managerial framework (Tripadvisor.com 2012b).

The standard has been very crucial in assisting the management of the restaurant to find out what the needs of their clients are and how they are changing with time.

Consequently, this information has kept Scala from the doom of a strategic drift that has plagued other restaurants which have since faded into insignificance.

The Role of ISO 9001 in the Hospitality Industry- Scala Restaurant, Art Deco Hotel Montana

According to reviews on Tripadvisor.com (2012a), Scala Restaurant, Art Deco Hotel Montana, is ranked second among all the restaurants in Luzerne Switzerland. The restaurant is fairly priced with cuisines going for between 36 and 56 USD.

Meals served at Scala Restaurant are categorized into Italian, International, European and Diner (Via-travel 2012). This makes it one of the most classic hotels in the region. The great meals and awesome scenery add up to make it one the best food joints in the city if not in the country.

The meals and drinks which are presented by well- trained and high qualified waiters are just one of the major reasons why it reflects the ideals of the ISO 9001 system with regard to service provision (Hotels & Motels 2008a).

Switzerland is popular the world over for the international and classy restaurants that are to be found here. Scala is such one establishment that lives to the true spirit of the country.

In a city that has hundreds of options when it comes to choice restaurants, Scala has managed to stay on the top because of adopting a customer- centred managerial system.

According to the restaurant manager Mr. Martin Binnennaun, the management has put in place a system to make sure all clients at the hotel can forward their suggestions and complaints directly to the supervisors (Hotels & Motels 2008b)

The hotel is strategically positioned and has an effective leadership team. In spite of this, there exists worthy competitors that are targeting the same customer base. In other words, it is noted that Scala is not a monopoly in the hotel industry in the country.

There are several hotels operating within the country and especially within the city. Some of these include Old Swiss House, Grottino 1313, Rebstock, Gourmindia, and Bam Bou (Hotels, Resorts & Cruise 2009)

Art Deco Hotel Montana received an ISO 9001:2000 certification in the year 2004. Trivun, Kenjic & Mahmutcehajic (2008) are of the view that a major change in the operations of a business comes in as a load or an extra burden to the company concerned.

However, just like investing in a software application, the benefits of having a quality management system are worth every effort put into it. Just like everyone was using paper blueprints at some point, today everyone uses electronic files in their day to day activities.

The same scenario played out when Art Deco decided to implement the ISO 9001 certification. The implementation seemed to be quite a task. But ultimately the company has gained an excellent management system out of it.

The certification has had diverse impacts on the company for the short duration of time it has being in place. This has to do with both operational and economic benefits.

According to Whiters & Ebrahimpour (2011), many managers in the hospitality industry agree that the guidelines stipulated in the ISO 9001 have been very beneficial operation-wise with regard to stock rotation, safety, delivery times, processing orders, quality cost, defects and errors, and general productivity of organisations in the industry.

Yang (2006) adds that economically the standard has played an integral role in increasing market shares, sales per worker, and general economic feasibility.

During the interview, Mr Binnennaun noted that the implementation of the standard at Scala has contributed to the improvement of the criteria that employees follow at the restaurant and thus has a positive effect on operations. This is because the standard provides both a working system and room for improvisation (Hotels, Resorts & Cruise 2009).

At Scala, the standard has been very essential when it comes to reducing inconsistencies and enhancing delivery time compliance.

According to Costa & Lorente (2007), one of the most essential roles of the management in the hospitality industry is to enhance customer experience. When compared to other hotels and restaurants that have not implemented the ISO 9001 standard, Scala is far much ahead.

This is because of the reduced number of complaints from customers. Consequently, many of Scala customers continue to make multiple purchases. In the hotel industry and other service sectors, repeated purchase is indicative of customer satisfaction (Hotels & Motels 2008b).

In addition to the culture of elegance and hard work at Art Deco, having the standard in place makes all stakeholders strive towards excellence. Moreover, the increased control increases the quality of services and culminates in improved productivity.

The image of Scala has greatly been boosted by the use of ISO 9001 guidelines in addition to this. Although the ISO certificate is not meant to enhance brand awareness or to act as an advert, hotels that are certified tend to have an outlook of quality foods and services.

However, it is important to note that the number of certifications has increased tremendously in the recent past thus watering down the essence of ISO 9001 (Hotels & Motels 2008a)

Mr Binnennaun pointed out that the link between economic benefits (such as increase in sales volume) and the certification is quite evident at the restaurant.

It is also very clear that the costs incurred in implementing the standard were not having a negative impact on the economic outlook of Scala. The standard positively enhanced the quality of both the system of management and the quality of services at the restaurant.

ISO 9001 has also improved the attitude of employees at the restaurant with regard to quality and quality improvement.

This is because it makes it easier for them to detect errors in the system and resolve problems in real time. Ultimately, employees are more satisfied and motivated at work (Hotels & Motels 2008a).

Because of this benefit, Art Deco has managed to have quite a high level of worker retention. This has the effect of reducing the resources that would have otherwise been allocated to recruiting new workers. In addition, Trivun, Kenjic, Mahmutcehajic (2008) note that when employees are motivated, sales volume increase.

Employees at the restaurant regard themselves as an important part of what happens at Scala and they consequently present suggestions on increasing its competitiveness. They also feel safer more protected.

Mr Binnennaun also noted that the standard has increased the level of communication among internal stakeholders. This has come in handy to enable them discover how the needs of clients are evolving and how to appropriately respond to them.

It is noted that the benefits of ISO certification to this hotel and others in the industry cannot be downplayed. The certification not only benefits the clients but it also improves the experiences of the members of staff and other stakeholders such as investors. It also serves to attract clients to the hotel.

The ISO 9001 certification has been a major factor in the success of Scala. It has created many opportunities for the growth of the restaurant and contributed in fostering a strong base of clients.

The management has been transformed to mainly focus on retaining the experiential knowledge of its workers through commendable employee retention, enhancing customer experience and service differentiation. It has also made it possible for all the stakeholders at Art Deco to feel like active participators to its success.

This goes a long way in realising the vision of the hotel. The vision is to be a classic international hotel in the region, emerging as one of the best food joints in the region.

References

Costa, M & Lorente, M 2007, ‘ISO 9000 as a tool for TQM: a Spanish case study’, The Quality Management Journal, vol. 11 no. 4, pp. 20–30.

Hotel-Montana 2012, Scala restaurant. Web.

Hotels & Motels 2008a, ‘Hotels in Switzerland’, International Journal of Business, vol. 3 no. 2, 4-8.

Hotels & Motels 2008b, ‘Hotels & Motels Industry Profile,’ European Journal of Hotels, vol. 4 no. 1, p. 1.

Hotels, Resorts & Cruise 2009, ‘Hotel Montana’, Resorts & Cruise Lines Industry Profile, vol. 1 no. 2, pp. 2-3.

Karahan, D & Tetik, D 2012, ‘The determination of the effect level on employee performance of TQM practices with artificial neural networks: a case study on manufacturing industry enterprises in Turkey’, International Journal Of Business & Social Science, vol. 3 no. 7, pp. 133-142.

Tripadvisor. 2012a, Scala Restaurant-Art Deco Hotel Montana. Web.

Tripadvisor. 2012b, Lucerne restaurants. Web.

Trivun, V Kenjic, V & Mahmutcehajic, F 2008, ‘Life-long learning strategies in tourism and hotel industry’, Tourism & Hospitality Management, vol. 14 no. 1, pp. 171-184.

Via-travel 2012, Art Deco Montana 4*, Luzern. Web.

Whiters, BE & Ebrahimpour, M 2011, ‘Impacts of ISO 9000 registration on European firms: a case analysis’, Integrated Manufacturing Systems, vol. 12 no. 2, pp. 139–151.

Yang, C 2006, ‘Establishment of a Quality-Management System for service industries’, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, vol. 17 no. 9, pp. 1129-1154.

Introduction

Globalization has increased business competiveness. Presently, most corporations recognize the need to utilize comprehensive feasibility studies (Peebles & Wilson 2002, p. 34). This concept is also applicable in various global tourist destinations. French cuisine restaurants are important facilities in the hospitality industry. This report presents a feasibility study for companies with interests in establishing French cuisine restaurants.

The proposed location is Singapore. It is focused on a comprehensive strategic destination risk analysis. Its objective is to provide critical advice to the potential investors on the feasibility to venture in French cuisine restaurants. French cuisines provide critical services including meals and cocktails among several others.

The report contains a brief analysis of the proposed location, the business type and concept. A detailed environmental description is also provided. Furthermore, there is an analysis of the market size, the target clientele and other notable competitive factors. Lastly, a strategic analysis of business factors, conclusions as well as recommendations is provided within this report.

Location and Company Profile

Location Profile

Singapore is a small but highly advanced nation with a stable government. Singapore harbors an approximate population of five million people. Although Singapore is predominantly multicultural, English is extensively spoken. Despite its relatively small size, the country has emerged as an economic monster.

Its strategic location has enabled easy access by international tourists. As a result, the country experiences high levels of international visits. Perhaps, this explains the huge presence of contemporary tourist facilities within the country. Notably, for a long time, Singapore has emanated as the Southeast Asia’s highly contemporary and advanced city (Abeysinghe & Choy 2007, p. 19). Its business investment potential within the hospitality industry is overwhelming.

Amongst some of its unique factors include the blend of different cultures. This distinct racial tapestry provides the tourists with an extensive alternative for sightseeing. Generally, the city provides many culinary opportunities for tourist attraction. These factors contribute to Singapore’s cultural appeal.

The capacity of the city to provide luxury suits, hotels and delectable cuisines cannot be overlooked. The island is located within the South of Asia. The major island is bordered with other several small islands. Agreeable, political stability and peace are basic factors that promote fair development within the hospitality sector (Arthur 2001).

Observably, Singapore has gradually excelled in business and tourism over the past years. The outlined factors have made Singapore to be recognized as a potential model. Particularly, this is applicable to most emergent states. Indeed, Singapore is a potential global hospitality destination.

Company Profile and Concept

French Cuisine restaurant offers a variety of hospitality services for the tourists and other customers. The restaurants provide fresh and innovative dishes. These dishes are mostly of French, Italian or Asian origin. Furthermore, American accents are also provided within most French Cuisine restaurants. The culturally wide coverage of the French Cuisines is appropriate for the highly multicultural Singapore environment.

The French cuisines provide a temperate dining experience (4Hoteleirs 2009). The objectivity of the business is to offer a shared family or friends’ experience. There is utilization of high quality foodstuffs together with ingredients. Most companies employ highly skilled personnel to operate the French cuisine restaurants. The services within French cuisine restaurants are highly appropriate for business, family dinners as well as romantic tours.

Why Invest in a French Cuisine Restaurant in Singapore?

Singapore is a focal destination for global investors with interests in the hospitality industry. Situated within the peak of Malay Peninsula, the city’s tropical climate attracts most leisure and business foreigners annually. Singapore’s highly developed infrastructure increases the tourists’ capacity to visit several unique places (4Hoteleirs 2009). Because of this excellent infrastructure, the travelers are able to access all French cuisines within the island.

The clean and unique environment offers an amiable condition for peaceful business venture. Moreover, its political stability and government encouragement of foreign direct investments is welcome. Singapore has an award winning airport. Changi Airport offers suitable air links to all major global cities. In this context, Singapore experiences huge annual international travels. This is a potential market for hospitality investment within the country.

The high cruising competencies evident in Singapore is a basic indication. It depicts that the city has the capacity to provide unique market. The increasing multicultural composition of the country potentiates the urgent need for establishment of cuisines with international and multicultural appreciation. French cuisines are appropriate for cities with distinct style and trends. They are also better thriving within countries with multicultural and international tourist capacities (Mahtani 2011).

The French cuisine restaurants offer strategically located hospitality services. Apart from international tourism, the country’s capacity to offer efficient domestic tourism market is eminent. Generally, the highly transforming Singapore’s overall economy is a potential enabling factor for investment.

PESTLE Analysis

Political

The country practices a parliamentary democracy system of governance. Singapore’s politics has been dominated by the “People’s Action Party”, (PAP) since independence. Coupled with effective government policies, the harmonious political atmosphere is ideal for economic growth and investment. The government has a unique political culture. Most positions are appointed. The leadership approach follows the top-down strategy.

The PAP has played a critical role in ensuring economic stability (Lee 2000, p. 56). Perhaps, the absence of political dominion within Singapore explains the reason for its immense economic progress. Observably, there is minimal political interference in governance and public policy formulation.

This trend is also observed during policy implementation processes. The system of meritocracy ensures that authority is obtained through expertise and fidelity to the nation. The country also stands out as multicultural. Additionally, it is composed of diverse religions. Fairness is practiced during provision of vital services such as education and housing.

The president is the official leader of the Singapore state. On the other hand, the prime minister leads the government. The country has developed strategic plans to boosts its hospitality sector. In addition, the state considers strategic initiatives to increase potential opportunities for international investment (Toh & Tan 1998, p. 112). Observably, the country targets to transform the tourism sector into a fundamental revenue generator.

This development is projected to transpire by 2015. In its target, the government of Singapore intends to gain an approximate of $21billion. Additionally, it aims to attract about 17 million international visitors by 2015. The Singapore Tourism Board, (STB) has established a tourism roadmap that is properly benchmarked.

The roadmap outlines the development opportunities and mechanisms for the hospitality sector. The notable achievements can be attributed to the effective government policies. The increasingly supportive and innovative government policies on hospitality and tourism provide room for potential growth in the future.

The Hospitality Industry in Singapore Economy

Singapore harbors distinct hospitality and tourist sites. For instance, the Singapore Flyer remains as the globe’s biggest observatory wheel. This was launched in 2008. Apart from these, there are unique landscape features that have magnificent areas for sightseeing. The Marina Sands and Resorts World located in Sentosa provide distinct, contemporary and integrated hospitality facilities and services. There is an increasing competition within the hospitality sector.

The hospitality industry is one of the principal contributors of the national revenue in Singapore (Khan, Phang & Toh1995, p. 65). The government has increasingly polished its policies on hospitality and tourism industry. This is done with an objective to modernize and increase the level of international and domestic investment. There are numerous other exciting developments that have created stimulus impact on the hospitality industry.

The international arrival within Singapore in 2010 was projected at an approximate of 14 million persons. Presently, the standard number of foreigners expected in Singapore during any time is expected to increase. Generally, a 55 per cent increase has been recorded in the past few years. The sustainable development within this sector has forced the government to draw several other plans to increase the accommodation and tourism facilities in the future.

Singapore in the Economic Crisis

The involvement of Singapore’s economy within the international marketplace is notable. It is true that the global economic crunch had severe implications and impacts for most world economies (Koh & Mariano 2006, p. 46).

Evidently, Singapore was not spared. It is notable that Singapore’s economy remained relatively steady despite the severity of the impacts of the economic crisis in many neighboring states. Singapore also weathered the detrimental 2008 world financial crisis. Instead, the country emerged as a steadily growing economy in the entire globe. This forward trend was recorded in 2010.

Comparatively, 2010 was characterized by intensive struggles observed within globally established economies like the U.S.as well as Europe (Glick & Spiegel 2010). The hospitality industry is one of the major drivers of the Singaporean economy. Within the initial quarter of 2009, Singapore recorded a considerable contraction in its GDP rate. This was noted to be at 11.5 per cent. During this same period, the country registered a remarkable reduction in its non-petroleum exports.

Indeed, it is apparent that Singapore also tasted the murky waters of the global recession. The huge foreign exchange reserves that were created by Singapore sustained its survival. It is estimated that up to the present day, the country still holds a $170 billion worth of reserve fund. Notably, this advantage offered a flexible atmosphere for policy makers to solve the impacts of the financial crisis.

Economical

Singapore’s economy has potentially grown from the period of the great global financial crunch. In the past few years, the country’s economy has increased by a recorded approximate of 1.6 % annually. This has been recorded within its first quarters. In 2010, the gross domestic product was generally higher within the first quarter of the fiscal year. The government has projected increased economical growth in the preceding years.

It is critical to note that there have been instances of shrinking economic performance (Kennedy 2011). Particularly, this has been noted within the past few years during the global economic challenge. Singapore still remains optimistic of a recorded high development and growth rate. Effective government polices and political stability offer unique opportunity and ambient atmosphere for potential growth and investment in the future. This environment will provide a potential source of growth for the hospitality industry.

Socio-Cultural

The country has a distinct socio-cultural heritage. In Singapore, there is a combination of the contemporary lifestyle with the customary cultural beliefs and practices. Generally, it remains as a remarkable multicultural destination with English as the predominantly spoken language.

The mixture of Chinese, Asians, Indians and other races provides a perfect recipe for business investment (Arthur 2001). The government of Singapore has noted the potential growth within the hospitality sector. Consequently, in the last few years, there has been an establishment of modernized tourist destination facilities.

The Marina sand is one of the examples of such hospitality facilities. Indicatively, the establishment of French cuisine restaurants within Singapore will be appropriate. This is due to the extensive range of cultures that are predominant in the country.

There is a growing concern whether individuals with diverse cultural orientations within Singapore can adapt to the socio-cultural transformations. The issue of tourism and globalization is increasingly becoming eminent within Singapore. Therefore, there is need for the establishment and investment in globally sensitive businesses within the hospitality sector (MCutler, 2010). Investment in French cuisine restaurants will be appropriate in exploiting the eminent market opportunities.

The effects of modernization on individuals and families within Singapore are notable. The Asian tradition prevalent within Singapore has potentially been transformed and diffused due to the increased inclusiveness of other races. There are effective infrastructural networks within the entire state. This means that investors have the opportunity to locate their intended French cuisine restaurants within unique localities in Singapore.

Other social amenities including electricity, water and health services are also present. The operational social systems offer a basic ground for establishing a thriving business. Particularly, the presently increased instances of terrorist attacks have potentiated the need for high security (Bergesen & Lizardo 2004, p. 40).

This requirement is considerably appropriate within the hospitality sector. In respect to this, Singapore has developed effective policies addressing national security and tourism safety measures. Therefore, security is also guaranteed within the hospitality industry. All these socio-cultural factors provide a basic platform for establishment of a successful venture within the hospitality industry in Singapore.

Technological

The increased technological advancements have remarkable influences on business processes. The application of e-commerce cannot be undermined in this technologically competitive era (Kaynak, Bloom & Leibold 1994, p.25). The French cuisines must appreciate and implement appropriate technology in their processes. Social networking including the use of facebook and twitter are among some of the important ways of marketing.

Media marketing has potential opportunities for businesses to showcase their products or services (Woudernberg, 1991, p. 120). Singapore as an emerging powerful economy also has a huge potential for adoption of efficient technology. Through application of relevant technology, the French cuisine restaurants will be able to enhance customer booking and reservations. They can also advertise their products and attract several customers.

Legal

The Singapore government has effectively streamlined legal policies regarding land acquisition and business processes. There are flexible policies on foreign direct investment. Furthermore, the hospitality and tourism board offers relevant policies that safeguard foreign and domestic investors within the industry (Mahtani 2011). This provides an ambient environment for investment and trade within the sector.

The government has significantly reduced its restrictions on foreign direct investment. Particularly, this is notable within the hospitality sector. This is because the hospitality and tourism industry is regarded as one of the most vibrant and viable revenue generation areas. The STB provides various regulatory measures for the industry. Permission and licensing procedures are flexible and easy to accomplish. Apart from these, the taxation policy favors both the investor and the nation.

Environmental

The stable political environment is a positive factor for potential investors targeting Singapore. The government has recognized the strategic role played by the hospitality industry. Therefore, tourism safety Act has been implemented to ensure high security levels.

However, it is notable that the present global threats from terrorism require more comprehensive approaches. Security is an important aspect in enhancing successful business (Chung & Parker 2008, p. 279). The country is in the process of developing and amending existing policies on tourist security. Additionally, comprehensive counter terrorism policies are yet to be implemented. However, other basic social amenities and infrastructure such as health facilities are adequate.

Market Analysis

Singapore has continually endeavored to improve its hospitality and tourism industry over the past years. With a record of high tourist and international visitor turnover annually, it is indeed one of the global tourist destinations. The country has focused on the development of hotels.

Indeed, it is agreeable that there are relatively limited numbers of French cuisine restaurants that operate within international standards in Singapore. Some of the targeted areas of potential hospitality investment include the Chinatown, Southern Waterfront as well as the central Business District (Mahtani, S 2011).

Notably, the country has experienced four consequent years of successive development in its hospitality industry. Between 2004 and 2007, the country recorded increased cases of tourism receipt as well as international visitor arrivals. The normal occupancy as well as room rates has immensely grown within the last few years. This signifies a positive record in the consumer numbers for the intended French cuisine restaurant products and services.

In 2009 and 2010 a 23 per cent increase in the occupancy rate was been recorded (MCutler, 2010). In addition, the total revenue has also remarkably increased by 23 per cent as observed in 2006. This upward trend has increasingly been noticed in the consequent years. The market analysis clearly indicates that the country still remains a viable hospitality investment destination.

Competitive Analysis

Target Customer

Most consumers of French cuisine restaurant products are international travelers and tourists. Categorically, these include the American, Italian, Asian and even Indian tourists. The age category does not matter. However, honeymooners are categorically associated with high consumption and target rates.

Families on holiday and camping missions also include another group of targeted consumers of the services and products offered within the French cuisine restaurants. Most multinational corporations have also been identified as target groups (4Hoteleirs 2009). This is because they have huge budgetary allocations for employee retreats and meetings that usually require banqueting services.

Singapore being as a renowned investment destination would provide a good location for the French cuisine restaurant. Tourists from Europe, America, Asia and even Africa are highly targeted. Efficient services and products with global recognition must be offered to attract these target groups.

Competition

Competitive Advantage on Actual Competitors

Tourist hostels and hotels such as the Marina sands and Sensota are some of the actual competitors. The determination of the STB to establish new and innovative state-of-the art tourist boarding facilities also offer a remarkable source of competition (4Hoteleirs 2009). However, these actual competitors have a basic disadvantage. This is because they do not specialize in French cuisines and lack the present complete global touch.

The French cuisine restaurant has a competitive advantage in providing specifically specialized services with the taste of French. It provides a multicultural approach that uniquely stands out globally. Since this is a new venture, the French cuisine restaurant has the advantage to note the existing brand weaknesses notable within other existent hospitality facilities. In this regard, it has a potential merit.

Competitive Advantage on Potential Competitors

The major threats for the French cuisine restaurant are the global corporations that have operated for a long time in the Singapore hospitality industry (Kostova & Roth 2002, p. 230). With the growing demand within the tourism and hospitality sector in Singapore, it is possible that these multinationals are eyeing this venture. However, the French cuisine restaurants have the competitive advantage of unique experience and composition. The distinct approach of providing a variety of services with a multicultural appeal is important.

Nature of Ownership

The flexible foreign direct investment policy within Singapore promotes an individual or private company ownership. This is evident even with both international and domestic investors. Joint ventures with the local companies are also encouraged (ADB 2009). The STB include one of the agencies responsible for quality assurance and regulation of the businesses within the hospitality sector.

Sustainability Analysis

A rating scale indicating the level of severity and significance of the Pestle analysis indicates the variances within each identified factor. Basically, both negative and positive effects of the outlined factors are indicated in the report. For verification of sustainability issues, an individual may also conduct a manual count of the positive and negative points for each factor (Adams & Frost 2008, p. 300).

Rating helps to identify the most significant factor. A manual count of the factors discussed indicates a positive score in the matrix. Therefore, it may be concluded that the project is considerably sustainable.

Strategic Considerations

The multicultural approach is an important strategic consideration. This strategy is applied by the French cuisine restaurant. Generally, it is vital within the hospitality industry due to many reasons. In Singapore, the mixed cultural environment and intensive international travels provide a basic niche for development of the business.

The target population is generally wide. This explains why the approach of multicultural competency is appropriate. In strategic business management, corporations are advised to note the basic unique factors within their intended niche (Chung & Parker 2008, p. 275).

Conclusion and Recommendations

The sustainability analysis indicates that Singapore provides the best destination for French cuisine restaurant. However, there are important factors for consideration. Some of these factors include the effects of multiculturalism and globalization on businesses. Other important factors are security measures and terrorism threats that presently affect the entire global hospitality industry. Finally, the area of location of the restaurants must also be considered. Generally, a strategic location within the main island is appropriate.

List of References

4Hoteleirs 2009, S’pore’s RevPAR takes biggest hit in Q1. Web.

Abeysinghe, T. & Choy, M. 2007, The Singapore Economy: An Econometric and Future, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.

Adams, A. & Frost, R. 2008, Integrating sustainability reporting into management practices, Accounting Forum, vol.32, pp. 288–302.

Arthur, A. 2001, Hospitality 2000-the people: A report on the second global survey of the hospitality industry’s leadership. Web.

ADB (Asian Development Bank) 2009, Enterprise in Asia: Fostering dynamism in SMEs. Web.

Bergesen, J. & Lizardo, O. 2004, International Terrorism and the World-System, Sociological Theory, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 38-52.

Chung, H. & Parker, D. 2008, Integrating hotel environmental strategies with management control: A structuration approach, Business Strategy & the Environment, vol. 17, pp. 272-286.

Glick, R. & Spiegel, M. 2010, Asia and the Global Financial Crisis: Conference Summary. Web.

Kaynak, E., Bloom, J. & Leibold , M. 1994, Using the Delphi Technique to Predict Future Tourism Potential, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 12, no. 18, pp.18-29.

Kennedy, A. 2011, Global economic woes hit Singapore, Japan exports. Web.

Khan, Y., Phang, S. & Toh, R. 1995, The Multiplier Effect: Singapore’s Hospitality Industry. Cornell Hotel & Restaurant Administration Quarterly, vol.36, no.1, pp. 64-69.

Koh, W. & Mariano, R. 2006, The Economic Prospects of Singapore, Pearson Addison-Wesley, Singapore.

Kostova, T. & Roth, K. 2002, Adoption of an organizational practice by subsidiaries of multinational corporations: Institutional and relational effects. Academy of Management Journal, vol. 45, no.1, pp.215-233.

Lee, Y. 2000, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story 1965–2000, Singapore Press Holdings, Singapore.

Mahtani, S. 2011, Defying Global Recession, Singapore Goes Upscale for F1. Web.

MCutler, R. 2010, Singapore shows its strengths. Web.

Peebles, G. & Wilson, P. 2002, Economic Growth and Development in Singapore: Past Perspective, Routledge, London.

Siriwardana, M. & Schulze, D. 2000, Singapore and the Asian Economic Crisis, ASEAN Economic Bulletin, vol. 17, pp. 233-256.

Toh, H. & Tan, Y. 1998, Competitiveness of the Singapore Economy: A Strategic Perspective, Singapore University Press and World Scientific, Singapore.

Introduction

Service quality is an important factor that customers consider when choosing the nature and type of restaurants in the hospitality industry. Restaurants that offer high quality services attract customers, while restaurants that offer poor quality services lose customers. Statistical analysis of the quality of services that restaurants offer require assessment of customer expectations and perceptions.

Markovic, Raspor, and Segaric (2010) state that the difference between customer perceptions and expectations indicates the quality of services that a restaurant offers. In essence, customer perception is the experience that customers gain in the course of consuming services (Markovic & Raspor, 2010). In contrast, customer expectation is the quality of service that customers believe a restaurant has the capacity to provide. In this view, this report analyzes statistical study aimed at establishing if services of restaurants in Croatia meet customer expectations.

Statistical Study

Type of Data

The study used questionnaires to collect data in three aspects of the restaurant industry, namely, demographic attributes, customer expectations, and customer perceptions. The type of data that the study presents in the demographic attributes is continuous and qualitative because they indicate percentage of gender (male and female customers), percentage of the level of education (primary, secondary, college and university, and masters or doctorate), percentage of the country of residence (Croatia, Italy, Germany, Austria, and others), percentage of age (16-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, and 66 and above), and the frequency of previous visits to the restaurant (never, once, and twice or more).

Moreover, in both customer expectations and perceptions, the type of data that the study present is continuous and qualitative because they rate perceptions and expectations in the form of a seven-point Likert scale, which ranges from the highest point of 7 as “strongly agree” to the lowest point of 1 as “strongly disagree.”

Level of Measurement

The data for the demographic attributes of customers fall in the interval level of measurement because they indicate the difference in the proportion of male customers and female customers, distribution of customers according to their education level, proportion of customers basing on their country of residence, percent distribution of customers according to their ages, and the proportion of frequency in terms of visits to the restaurant. In this view, the data in the form of gender percentages, education level, country of residence, age, and frequency of visits to the restaurant, are in the interval level of measurement. The data for customer expectations and perceptions fall in the ordinal scale because they rate customer responses in a seven-point Likert scale. The ordinal scale used shows the degree of agreement or disagreement with certain statements in the questionnaires, which assess the expectations and perceptions of customers.

Presentation of Data

The study presents data in a grouped manner because the grouping summarizes the demographic attributes of customers and rates responses of expectations and perceptions of customers. The study groups the demographic attributes for gender into male and female, for education level into primary, secondary, college and university, and masters and doctorate, for country of residence into Croatia, Italy, Germany, Croatia, and others, for age into 16-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, and 66 and above, and for frequency of previous visits into never, once, and two or more. Additionally, the study groups responses of expectations and perceptions of the customers into a seven-point Likert scale, “strongly agree”, “agree”, “somewhat agree”, “undecided”, “somewhat disagree”, “disagree”, and “strongly disagree” from 7 to 1 respectively.

The Purpose Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the quality of service that restaurants offer in Croatia by assessing expectations and perceptions of customers with a view of identifying important variables that influence performance of restaurants. To achieve the purpose, the study designed questionnaires, which assess demographic attributes of customers, expectation responses, and perception responses. According to Markovic et al. (2010), the study used 35 restaurant attributes, which are components of empathy, responsiveness, reliability, price, satisfaction, assurance, and tangible, in assessing expectations and perceptions of customers.

Subsequently, the study used a convenience method of sampling in distributing questionnaires to potential participants in 32 restaurants in Opatija Riviera, Croatia. Markovic et al. (2010) state that the study obtained 156 complete questionnaires, which represent a response rate of 31.2%. The study hypothesizes that modified DINESERV model is a reliable instrument that managers in the hospitality industry can use in assessing expectations and perceptions of customers accurately.

To achieve its purpose, the study also formulated a number of questions to guide researchers. The first question sought to establish the levels of expectations and perceptions among the customers, while the second question sought to establish the quality of service that restaurants offer by finding the difference between expectations and perceptions. The third question sought to identify factors of the modified DINESERV model, which effectively explain customer expectations and perceptions.

Analysis of the data using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses shows the restaurants have lower level of perception scores than expectation scores, which means that they offer a poor quality of services to customers (Markovic et al., 2010). Moreover, the study reveals that seven factors of the modified DINESERV model effectively explain customer expectations, while two factors effectively explains customer perceptions (Markovic & Raspor, 2010). In this view, the study shows that DINESERV model is appropriate in predicting expectations and perceptions of customers in the hospitality industry.

Reasons for Picking this Report

I selected this study because it relates to my major of hospitality management. The study examines management aspects of the hospitality industry, which include customer expectations and perceptions. Markovic et al. (2010) report that the findings of the study are relevant to the hospitality industry because they enable managers to note weaknesses and strengths of their restaurants and develop appropriate strategies to improve service quality and meet expectations of customers. Moreover, I selected this study because it applies statistical analyses, which I have learned in the statistics course. Specifically, the conversion of qualitative data into continuous data using seven-point Likert scale to allow descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate tests provides a practical application of statistics. The type of data and the level of measurement are also evident in the study, thus making it an appropriate choice for this statistical project.

Conclusion

Since hospitality is a service industry, quality of services that restaurants offer to customers have marked effect on their growth and development. The sustainability and viability of restaurants in the hospitality industry are dependent on the quality of services they offer. The assessment of customer expectations and perceptions provides the basis of determining service quality. Statistical analysis of expectations and perceptions of customers in restaurants in Croatia shows that there is a significant difference. The difference indicates that restaurants offer poor quality of services, which do not meet the expectations of customers. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses of continuous and qualitative data shows that the modified DINESERV model effectively explains service quality using customer expectations and perceptions.

References

Markovic, S., & Raspor, S. (2010). Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using SERVQUAL: A Case Study of the Croatian Hotel Industry. Management, 5(3), 195-209. Web.

Markovic, S., Raspor, S., & Segaric, K. (2010). Does restaurant performance meet customers’ expectations? An assessment of restaurant service quality using a modified DINESERV approach. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 16(2), 181-195. Web.

Today, when there are thousands of well-established restaurants, no independent venue will survive on the competitive market without having a sustainable competitive edge. By developing and implementing a mobile app for the restaurant business, a beginning restauranteur can easily stand out from their competitors who are not so keen on technology. Restaurant reservations apps provide venue managers with the ability to keep track of their table capacity, dining preferences of their guests, and reward points (“How Much”). App users can choose between different restaurants and make reservations using their smartphones.

This paper aims to outline a business proposal for a restaurant app. The paper will analyze a company’s competitive strategy and propose a design for the application.

Competitive Strategy

E-Spoon is a company that specializes in the development, hosting, and management of online restaurant reservation services. The company’s E-Spoon mobile app will be designed for the United States market and will allow its users to search for food venues and make reservations based on a wide variety of parameters that include, but are not limited to, dates, price ranges, and cuisines. The major company’s competitors are Yelp, Opentable, UrbanSpoon, and Zomato (“The Best Online Reservation System”). In addition to delivering reservation services, mobile applications developed by the competitors provide their customers with the information on open and closing times as well as special offers. However, none of those applications allow their users to browse wait times.

The company’s app will redefine attributes such as quality and excellence in simplicity by providing its customers with seamless user experience. E-spoon app will have the following features that are conspicuously missing from similar offerings by the company’s competitors:

• A paid feature that allows booking a spot on the line and skipping the line for.
• Wait tables.
• Siri, Cortana, and Google Now components for blind customers.
• Diet plans based on customers’ food preferences.

Web Design

Yelp Reservations app is one of the easiest booking apps on the market. Figure 1 shows the web design of the Yelp Reservations app.

Similarly to UrbanSpoon, OpenTable, and Zomato apps, the reservation system allows customers to make bookings using their smartphones (“How Much”). The app has a geolocation-based search that saves time for its users by sparing them from the necessity to enter a city of their residence. The user profile is another key feature that has to be a part of E-Spoon. It will allow the app users to store and review their photos as well as browse photos made by their friends (“How Much”). The design of the Yelp Reservations app also includes a review and rating feature that can potentially attract more customers. The analysis of the app suggests that the E-Spoon app should have a social sign-in option allowing its users to register through social media such as Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and Facebook among others. Other must-have features include, but are not limited to, video uploading, in-app purchases, filters integration, and activity stream.

E-Spoon will use two channels to connect its customers to the reservation services: a website, and a mobile app that can be launched on platforms such as iOS, Windows, and Android (“How Much”). By allowing the application to reside on PC and Mobile, the company will attract more customers and enhance their consumer experience.

Conclusion

The paper outlined a business proposal for a restaurant app that will include the following features: wait tables, diet plan suggestions, user profile, geolocation-based search, picture and video uploading, in-app purchases, filters integration, and activity stream among others.

Works Cited

“How Much does it Cost to Develop an App Like Yelp?” Cleveroad, 2017. Web.

“The Best Online Reservation System for Your Restaurant.” Restaurant Den, 2017. Web.

Introduction

The restaurant and dining industry comprises many types of players from cafes and restaurants to luxury hotel-based restaurants. The largest percentage of share of the restaurant industry however is taken up by the restaurants and the cafes. The restaurant and dining industry in the world is estimated to have a market value of $1,367 billion as of 2008 (Global Restaurants Industry Profile’ 2008). In the year 2007 alone, the industry grew by 4.2 per cent.

The industry has the variant type of business pertaining to restaurants, bars, pubs as well as fast-food restaurants. The leading company managing the restaurant industry worldwide is the McDonalds Corporation. “The global restaurant sector remains fragmented and made up predominantly of small and medium-sized enterprises, which suggests a high degree of competition. Restaurant operators are the main market players.

End-users are the buyers and they are generally highly price sensitive. It is possible to enter the market on a small, independent scale. However, to compete successfully with the strong, diversified brands, a significant investment outlay is required. The strong intensity of rivalry is mitigated by market growth and product differentiation.” (Global Restaurants Industry Profile’ 2008)

It is not easy to enter the restaurant industry, however, when a restaurant is able to survive the initial few years after its establishment, it needs to be spectacular in order to be able to attract and retain the attention of its customers and clientele while making a mark for itself. For this two strategies are available. One pertains to catering to a broad market and providing a variety of foods. On the other hand, the second strategy pertains to creating a niche market for the restaurant by creating the required theme around the restaurant and its food for providing the customers and clientele with a customized and differentiated experience.

The restaurant industry is part of the hospitality and service industry; therefore it is crucial to acknowledge that quality is presentation, service as well as in the management of the restaurant is very important. In the restaurant industry “staff costs are significant, as success in the restaurant industry is strongly influenced by the quality of the service provided. The leading companies have focused on expansion through acquisition or franchising in recent years rather than building new outlets, which are more costly, e.g. a majority of McDonald’s restaurants are operated by franchisees.” (Global Restaurants Industry Profile’ 2008)

Australia is one of the most diverse countries with a rich culinary industry providing a blend of different cultures and different tastes. Moreover the cosmopolitan nature of the city Sydney is the perfect background for high a five-star restaurant to cater to the different tastes of its clientele with excellent cuisines supported by excellent service. Restaurant Lebaen is one such restaurant, however, the personnel at Lebaen have taken their excellent food quality and the quality of their service for granted.

This paper explores how the service quality and the operations at the restaurant Lebaen can be improved while training the staff to work their parts cohesively in making the restaurants a success.

The Problem

The problem that is faced by the Lebaen restaurant is that the restaurant has been a high performing, five-star restaurant operating in the rich cosmopolitan city of Sydney. People have come to consider the restaurant as one of the best in its class and there expect their every visit to be excellent to the point of perfection. However, the staff of the restaurant has major issues specific to taking their excellence and the quality of the food and the service for granted.

Their attitude of the food and service as being a given has made the restaurant suffer in the recent months with a dramatic decrease in the quality of the food, the quality of the service as well as the hospitable environment of the restaurant. This has resulted in a change in the customers’ and clienteles’ perception about the expectorant from being a high profile, and high performing five-star restaurant to a restaurant with mediocre food and service quality.

This has decreased the traffic coming into Leben and in order to retain the stars, the reputation, as well as quality of the food and service, dramatic and immediate action, has to be taken by the management at the Leben. “At one level, regarding foodservice as a theatrical performance encourages managers to ‘put on a show– to use staff (actors), processes (scripts) and physical evidence (props and sets) to enhance the customer experience.

If, however, the metaphor is applied in a deeper way where the customer is seen not as the audience but as a participant in the show, then the managers’ role becomes one of providing the space in which the experience is co-created; a stage on which the customer is the star, and the staff the supporting cast. An analysis of the service encounter as a drama can reveal the role the customer is playing, the super-objective behind their visit to the restaurant, and the unspoken subtext behind critical incidents. The restaurant itself needs to remain in character, presenting a consistent message, for example of hospitableness and generosity” (Morgan et al., 2008)

The areas that need to be explicitly targeted in order to increase the quality at the restaurant pertain to the staff, who are the backbone of the service sector industry, the food which is the main product of the company as well as the service standard, which needs to be established and maintained in the long run. Aside from this the kitchen operations, as well as the reception counters and attendant service, needs to be revamped from a business process reengineering point of view. The following sections present the actions plans and the specific strategies that would be employed in increasing the quality and the level of service at the restaurant to rebuild the restaurant reputation.

Plan of Action & Strategies

Before embarking on making any changes, the entire current process flow of the restaurant and its reception, dining area and kitchen operations need to be evaluated. For this, the regular operating day needs to be observed from a third-person perspective to determine which operations are having backlogs and where the service starts falling apart. However, in order to carry out this exercise, the staff needs to be unaware of the observation to provide a realistic result.

The second step that needs to be taken is to take the results from the observation exercise and sit the staff of the restaurant down for a business meeting. The staff needs to be told about the results of the observation and their feedback specific to their reactions as well as their reasoning for the poor service and quality needs to be heard out. However, it must be stressed that in the restaurant business the service quality that is delivered to the customer is all dependent on the product and the person presenting. This takes into account the attendee, the kitchen staff as well as the reception staff all of who come together to create an experience for the customer.

The staff of the restaurant, similar to that of a hotel is the backbone of its service and quality which can drive the standards up or bring them down with their performance. “The results indicate that front desk, housekeeping, and parking employee performance have significant effects on perceived quality, whereas front desk and room service employee performance have significant effects on perceived value. The only performance cue having a direct effect on word-of-mouth intentions is the performance of housekeeping employees. Both quality and value increase word-of-mouth intentions; however, the effect of value is large relative to the effect of quality.” (Hartline & Jones, 1996)

In order to change the attitude of the staff, proper training needs to be provided where while delivering them the results of the observation-based study (‘How to treat your staff’, 2005). This would provide them with a holistic and real picture of their food and service quality standards as perceived by the customers. The training that would be provided would pertain to evaluating the personal performance of each individual member of the staff as well as their teamwork performance to provide a healthy competition which would increase the determination level of the staff to excel at their profession.

In order to increase the quality of the food, tough criticism, as well as restrictive training of the chefs, needs to be undertaken so that no mediocre quality dish is able to pass out through the kitchen doors. Moreover, the ingredients that go into creating a dish need to be ensured of being the best quality available. For this, a proper logistics management system needs to be set up in collaboration with local markets (Simchi-Levi et al., 2004) whereby a guaranteed purchase deal can be made for the best quality orders offered by the wholesaler.

This would benefit the restaurant as well as the wholesaler in terms of increasing business. The eight success factors for operating in the restaurant industry pertain to “single-unit operations, standard operating procedures, multi-unit strategic planning, interpersonal and social responsibilities, travel and visiting units, human relations, effective leadership, and unit level finances, which explained 75 per cent of the variance among the individual items” (Di Pietro et al., 2006)

Therefore in order to increase the service quality, the commitment of the management, as well as the management and development of the human resource at the restaurant, is important. “Organizational commitment exerts a strong positive influence on the service recovery performance of frontline staff as does empowerment and rewarding them for service excellence. When frontline staff are performing service recovery effectively, they are less likely to resign and report higher levels of job satisfaction” (Boschoff & Allen, 2000).

One of the best tools to train and develop the staff as well as to improve their performance and service quality is to call regular meetings before the opening time and discuss the performance of the individual staff for creativity, readjustments as well as consistent delivery of high-quality performance. The regular staff meetings “ensure effective staff communication in response to the growing ethnic diversity of the foodservice workforce.

Language barriers are tough to overcome in the foodservice operation, from staff communication and delegation of responsibilities, food safety and security to preparation instructions and customer interaction” (Riel, 2006) The meetings are a “place to share information, sharpen skills and build staff enthusiasm. Tom Miner, a principal at Technomic Inc., a Chicago-based food and restaurant consulting firm, says that communication is key to a healthy culture, and that is what these meetings are all about.

Effective meetings don’t just happen. They call for careful planning and creative thinking.” (Gerst, 2004) At such meetings, new recipes can be discussed and the feedback of the customer can be discussed with the staff. Moreover, any issues being faced by the staff can also be highlighted and brought to light for open discussion. A show and tell approach can be used whereby every staff member can be asked to act their roles as per their excellent performance and build on it for the business hours.

The strategic decisions that would be required in order to ensure impeccable delivery of service quality ad food to the customer pertaining to determining which staff is able to perform in which capacity under variant environmental conditions. The successor chain needs to be built and an internal competition on a weekly or a monthly basis needs to be put in to ensure the attitude of the staff is to keep on growing in terms of their service quality and performance. Another decision that needs to be made pertains to retain and train which of the staff, and to let go the staff which is not able to perform up the level of service quality that is required by a five-star high profile restaurant.

Making the Restaurant Effective & Efficient and Productive

The main factors that make the restaurant operations efficient, effective, as well as productive, include careful planning for the goals and objectives of the restaurant, strategy development and implementation of the strategies as well as a strong monitoring and development system which uses customer feedback (Gomes et al., 2007) to improve the operations of the restaurant.

In order to make the restaurant effective the efficiency with which the restaurant operates as well as its performance in the industry/ market needs to be taken into account. “For effective managerial planning in the restaurant industry, the planning procedure should derive: a forecast that predicts types of meals that will be served; a recipe or bill of material that calculates the ingredients needed for each menu item; a labour standard for preparing each menu item to develop the capacity requirements plan; and the hourly wages and burden costs for estimating the cost of material, labour, and capital equipment plan.

With this information, a weekly schedule of labour and materials can be derived to efficiently plan needed resources in relation to the planned output.” (Wacker, 1985) Aside from this, a detailed plan of operations for the restaurant including the specific roles and the job descriptions of the staff can be drawn up which would provide a comprehensive and practice plan for the operation flow of the restaurant.

The efficiency of the restaurant deals with the productivity of the staff by taking into account the inputs that are being employed in terms of the human resource, the material, the equipment etc, and the outputs that are being generated in terms of the reputation and the revenue of the restaurant, the performance of the human resource in terms of their service quality, the critical acclaim that the restaurant is able to achieve through its excellent food and service.

“A linear programming-based approach, data envelopment analysis (DEA), can be used to evaluate the efficiency of hotel and restaurant companies” (Sanjeev, 2007) However in order to improve the efficiency of Lebaen close attention needs to be fused on the costs and expenses of the restaurant for controlling the cost efficiency as well as training the staff to improve their attitude and increase their service quality.

Productivity is a direct result of operational efficiency. The increase in efficiency leads to increased productivity, however, capacity management needs to be employed to deal with the increase in customer and traffic coming into the restaurant as a result of improved service quality.

Conclusion

Managing a busy operation like a restaurant in the hospitality industry is highly competitive and requires extensive work and precision in terms of setting targets and strategies to above the goals and objectives of the company. In order to improve the situation of the service quality as it is depicted at the Lebaen restaurant, it is required that the human resource needs to be trained in terms of their delivery of food and service. moreover, the attitude of the staff needs to be adjusted which can be facilitated through internal healthy competition and regular meetings to discuss customer feedback as well as any staff issues. I addition to this the productivity as well as the efficiency of the restaurant needs to be monitored so the restaurant is profitable and effective in terms of achieving its stated objectives.

References

2005, ‘How to treat your staff’, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Vol. 195 Issue 4398, p60-61, 2p, 1 color. Web.

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Executive Summary

The issue of occupational health and safety covers a wide array of factors that influence the health and personal safety conditions in the workplace. The theories that form the basis for consideration of the issues of the La_Camera Restaurant include the classic deterrence model, the responsive regulation model, and behavior reasoning theory.

The methodology used in the paper included the application of these theories in the situation at La_Camera to determine the theoretical impact of their application and the potential to improve operations.

The recommendations offered for La_Camera include the use of more positive methods of enforcing occupational health policies, reduction in the use of the punitive measures, and the implementation of the measures to mitigate not just safety risks, but also health risks affecting the employees.

Introduction

Framework for the Report

The issue of occupational health and safety is a wide body of knowledge that deals with safety in the workplace. Employees have a right to work in a safe environment that guarantees their personal safety and health.¹ The focus on occupational health and safety is not just accidents that occur in the workplace.²

It also includes diseases that people get when they are at work, depending on the working conditions. Working conditions can cause health deterioration among workers, apart from workplace injuries. This report focuses on occupational health in the context of the La_Camera Restaurant. A previous examination of the operations of the restaurant showed that there were some theoretical possibilities to improve the occupational safety and health practices.

The report identified various ways that the restaurant could use to improve its work. The original report looked at the three theories, and it examined one in detail. The purpose of this work is to look at different ways of implementing this theory in the context of the La_Camera Restaurant.

Context Analysis

The three theories that formed the backbone of the previous report were the classic deterrence model, the responsive regulation model, and the behavior reasoning theory.³ The classic deterrence model states that the best way to reduce accidents in a workplace is to deter people from committing the accidents by implementing the punitive measures.

The responsive regulation model sought to bring in the positive motivation aspect in it by creating rewards for people who were reported to take occupational health and safety risks. The third theory, the behavior reasoning theory, assumes that people act based on certain reasons hence if the employees get good reasons to observe high standards of safety in their workplaces, then there is a good chance that they will uphold the required standards.

These three models informed the study of the application of occupational health at the restaurant. In addition to these, there was an effort to investigate the operations of the restaurant, in order to determine how well the models applied work in the restaurant.

This involved the examination of the relationship between the restaurant waiters and the managers to determine whether they were predisposed to better occupational health and safety operations.

In addition, the report looked at some of the policies relating to the sources of injury and risk that seemed to have an influence on the practice of occupational health and safety. The other issues that informed the study included the role of regulators and clients at the restaurant.

Methodology

This exercise will look at the theories afresh in order to identify clearer strategies of their implementation. Without invalidating the classic deterrence model, this work will focus more on the other two theories. The reason for this is that the scope of the responsive regulation model covers the implications of the classical deterrence model, hence there is no need to revisit the implications of the theory in detail.⁴

On the other hand, the behavior reasoning theory forms an important viewpoint to help in understanding the responsive regulation theory. This makes it important as a part of this detailed analysis of the implications of these theories in the La_Camera Restaurant.

The second element of the method applied for this study is that there will be another look at the relationships between the staff of the La_Camera Restaurant to create a concise picture of the occupational health and safety issues in the restaurant. The final element of the methodology is the comparison of the occupational health and safety practices at the restaurant with other establishments to identify the lessons that the La_Camera Restaurant can adopt.

Discussion

Research Findings

The findings of the previous research fall into three major categories, along in line with the three theories. Under the classical deterrence model, it was clear that there were measures instituted at the café to ensure that the members of staff found it easier to conform to safety standards than to risk to have the penalties of violation.

For instance, the restaurant charges broken cutlery to the waiters responsible for that, hence it is in the interest of every waiter to keep the utensils from breaking. One of the unintended consequences of this policy is that when no one witnesses the breaking of the utensils, then no one owns up to the loss because of the penalties imposed on the offender.

Secondly, the responsive regulation model was not in full use at the restaurant. There were no clear incentives for the staff to participate willingly in the development and implementation of the occupational health and safety standards. The attractiveness of this model came from the fact that while it allowed people to interact freely, it alienated the leadership, making it difficult for the staff members to volunteer information.

Thirdly, there is sufficient verification for the behavior reasoning theory because of the occupational health and safety theories at work at the La_Camera. It is not difficult to find reasons for each of the prevalent attitudes towards reporting incidents that have an influence on occupational health and safety.⁵ The fact that the policies of the company tend to punish employees that enhance risk factors makes it unattractive for them to report such incidences.

Despite the problems with the manner in which the restaurant approaches occupation health and safety issues, it is nonetheless clear that the restaurant puts a premium on safety issues. Its policies actually came up to protect the employees and the customers that patronize the restaurant.

The existence of the strict codes still makes it a safe environment to work. The only issue with it is the negative notions that the codes seem to evoke among staff caused by the safety procedures. Another strong point of the system is the fact that it allocates responsibility of addressing the risk factors in a logical way, having a clear chain of command.

It is the responsibility of the staff member responsible for spillages, breakages, and minor personal accidents to deal with the cause immediately. The responsibility moves upwards to the supervisors and then the managers. This feature of the occupational health and safety procedures makes it very easy to stop any further risk to the rest of the staff members.

Analysis of Findings

The findings are consistent with the predictions of the theories of occupation health. It is true that many organizations tend to use negative motivation to address health and safety issues in the workplace. The reasons for doing this vary, but they seem to make sense. However, the best practices in occupational health and safety seem to be counter intuitive.

Instead of seeking to keep things safe by using threats, it is better to use encouraging methods because people respond better to encouragement rather than punishment. This does not mean that there should be no recourse for negligence or willful actions likely to threaten the safety of the workplace.

It means there must be a system that encourages the reporting and documentation of the occurrence of the safety risk factors in order to control them. One of the approaches is to give a monetary reward to employees with good safety records, or to base performance pay on safety activities.

It can also include having rewards for employees that come up with ideas that can help improve the safety of the place as they aid in identifying risk factors that the restaurant does not formally recognize. Another option is to put up some kind of reward for the safest shift to encourage teamwork in the area of occupational health and safety.

One of the best practices at the La_ Camera is that there is a very clear chain of command when it comes to occupational health and safety. The restaurant reporting lines also serve as the chain of responsibility when it comes to the assessment and elimination of safety factors. This clarity helps a lot in cases of emergencies and enforcement of policies. It is the best practice recognized in occupational health and safety field.

As it is common in many workplaces, there is too much focus on the safety of the employees and patrons at the restaurant, and very little focus on the health concerns that come about in the course of duty.

The research showed that many organizations tend to focus on safety and completely ignore the health component mainly because health issues are more difficult to detect and relate to the workplace. The La_Camera does not have clear protocols or policies relating to the health the workers especially concerning the health problems that activities at work can cause.

On the one hand, there are strict regulations that govern the entire hospitality industry relating to communicable diseases because of the risk of spreading them to clients.⁶ However, there is very little attention to the health risks the staff faces on a daily basis. For instance, chefs spend a lot of their time in smoky and humid conditions as they prepare dishes. Waiters do not have many options when it comes to serving smoking clients in the sections of the restaurant for smokers.

Examples of Application of Occupational Health and Safety Theories

A study on occupational safety showed that one of the most prevalent health complications that are the results of workplace injuries all over the world is the musculoskeletal disorder.⁷ This is an injury of the muscles, tendons, and nerves. The leading cause of these disorders is poor ergonomics.⁸

The working conditions require the repeated use of certain body parts that experience inordinate strain over time. Some industries have more risk of these injuries as compared to others. However, virtually all workplaces have factors that predispose workers to these conditions. The risk factors are not very severe in the hospitality industry, but some aspects of working there can result in health deterioration of the workers.

Waiters and chefs tend to spend many hours running their feet off moving about the kitchen and the restaurant hall. In addition, waiters carry several pounds of weight on each trip, either carrying food to the customers, or bringing back used utensils. These actions, continued for many years, can cause severe back pain. In addition, if the waiters and chefs use inappropriate shoes, than it can cause or aggravate lower back pain.

This case shows that there is a need to enforce certain working conditions such as the length of a shift and the weight that a serving tray should not exceed. This is easier to implement by limiting the size of the tray used by the waiters. In addition, the restaurants should determine the best type of shoes adapted to work for long hours for both waiters and chefs. This measure will result in less strain during working hours and lesser risk of absenteeism from work.

To illustrate the application of the responsive regulation model, there are documented evidences of cases when workers developed terminal lung disease because of working in a popcorn-processing factory.⁹ Occupation health practitioners related the disease to a particular chemical used to line popcorn flavoring.

he chemical, diacetyl, is one of the known causes of bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and poorly documented lung ailment. This chemical caused death of a number of employees who worked for Jasper Popcorn Company by inducing brochiolitis obliterans. At the time the employees became ill, it was not yet clear that it was the cause of infection.

The chemical occurs naturally in milk and vegetables in trace quantities. Hence, it did not seem to present any serious risk to the employees. Jasper Popcorn company decided to increase the quantities that were used to line its popcorns because it improved the butter taste in popcorns. Upon identification of the chemical as a possible cause of lung disease, there was little intervention from the authorities because there were no procedures to deal with the issue.

It took litigation efforts to bring the issue to public attention precipitating redemptive actions. In this sense, the lack of procedures to deal with unforeseen consequences in occupational health led to the unsatisfactory management of the diacetyl problem, which ended up causing the death of many employees in the popcorn industry.

The lessons for the La-Camera Restaurant from this situation is that there is a risk of causing harm to employees provided there are no procedures for dealing with the issues. It should encourage the restaurant to take its time to develop procedures that take into account the health of the employees in the workplace.

The third occupational health case study is the place of occupational health in the construction sector.¹⁰ This sector is one with the highest safety risks, and normally requires the use of various safety measures.¹¹ The focus of construction on safety comes from the fact that the industry has many risks associated with the safety of the workers. Workers face risks from falling objects, machinery, heavy lifting, and related physical processes.

This greatly reduces attention to the health risks that come with construction. In addition, construction projects do not last long enough for the full impact of the health risks associated with the work to manifest. This situation illustrates the need to focus on responsive regulation for such conditions. The La-Camera Restaurant should be careful to take into consideration both safety and health concerns of the employees.

Conclusions and Evaluation

Summary of Findings

In conclusion, the practical application of the responsive regulation works better that the single application of classic deterrence model in occupational health. Using deterrence alone makes people develop resistance to the process, and it requires a constant input of pressure to make the process effective.

Responsive regulation is central to the effective implementation of occupational health measures because of its capacity to develop both deterrent and encouragement measures. Secondly, there is a necessity to make up a balance of health and safety measures that an organization puts in place to deal with its occupational health and safety concerns.

Overemphasizing one at the expense of the other can lead to unfavorable long-term consequences. Focus on health alone would cause casualties in the area of safety. Lack of safety can be fatal in a very short time. However, lack of measures to protect the health of employees can lead to long-term consequences threatening business continuity.

The third theory evaluated in the exercise, the behavior reasoning model, relies on reasons as the basis for action in occupational health. It assumes that everything people do comes from a reason or a combination of reasons. Therefore, it seeks to provide people with the reasons they need to practice effective occupational health and safety standards.

Its impact is not unique apart from the other theories. Therefore, its impacts fully lay within the purview of the responsive regulation framework. In this sense, it is useful as a supporting theory, but is not an essential theory in the development of an effective occupational safety and health framework.

In relation to the La_Camera Restaurant, there is an opportunity for it to improve its occupational health and safety operations by using the responsive regulation model. In particular, the restaurant needs to explore more ways of encouraging the staff to observe high health and safety standards without the undue fear of reprimand. This will create a positive working atmosphere and a less acrimonious place to work.

Evaluation of the Research Process

The process used in this research had two main thrusts. First, there was the development of a theoretical framework to examine the occupational health practices at the La_Camera, and then there was a process to determine the application of these theories to identify loopholes and opportunities for improving the current implementation platform.

The process relied on the theories to develop ideas to be used at the restaurant. The recommendations made from the theories make it clear that the use of theories can help develop useful models for planning the application of occupational health and safety strategies. This approach integrates theoretical development of concepts with their practical application in the field of occupational health and safety.

Reference List

Bluff,E, N Gunningham, & R Johnstone, OHS Regulation for a Changing World of Work. Sydney: Federation Press, 2004.

Bohle P, M Quinlan, Managing Occupational Health and Safety: A Multidisciplinary Approach. South Yarra: Macmillan Educational AU, 2000.

Burke RJ, CL Cooper, & S Clarke, Occupational Health and Safety. Surrey: Gower Publishing, 2011.

Hudson P, “Safety Management and Safety Culture: The Long, Hard and Winding Road,” in Proceedings of the National Conference on Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, Melbourne, 2001, pp. 3-32.

Lingard H, & SM Rowlinson, Occupational Health and Safety in Construction Project Management. Oxon: Taylor & Francis, 2005.

Markkanen P, D Kriebel, J Ticker, &M Jacobs, “Injuries are not Accidents,” Lessons Learned: Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health, pp. 78-88, January 2011.

Markkanen P, D Kriebel, J Tickner, & MJ Molly, “When my Job Breaks My Back: Shouldering the Burden of Work- Related Muscoloskeletal Disorders,” Lessons Learned: Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health, pp. 19-40, January 2011.

Molly J, D Kriebel, and Joel Ticker, “The Poison that Smells Like Butter: Diacetyl and Popcorn Workers’ Lung Disease,” Lessons Learned: Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health, pp. 41-57, January 2011.

Stellman JM, Encyclopeadia of Occupational Health and Safety. Geneva: International Labour Organnization, 1998.

Walters D, K Frick, & R Johnstone, Regulation Workplace Risks: A Comparative Study of Inspection Regimes in Times of Change. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011.

WHO, Declaration of Workers Health. Stresa: WHO Collaborating Centres of Occupational Health, 2006.

Footnotes

¹ E Bluff, N Gunningham, & R Johnstone, OHS Regulation for a Changing World of Work. Sydney: Federation Press, 2004.

² P Bohle, M Quinlan, Managing Occupational Health and Safety: A Multidisciplinary Approach. South Yarra: Macmillan Educational AU, 2000.

³ P Hudson, “Safety Management and Safety Culture: The Long, Hard and Winding Road,” in Proceedings of the National Conference on Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, Melbourne, 2001, pp. 3-32.

⁴ JM Stellman, Encyclopeadia of Occupational Health and Safety. Geneva: International Labour Organnization, 1998.

⁵ D Walters, K Frick, & R Johnstone, Regulation Workplace Risks: A Comparative Study of Inspection Regimes in Times of Change. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011.

⁶ WHO, Declaration of Workers Health. Stresa: WHO Collaborating Centres of Occupational Health, 2006.

⁷ P Markkanen, D Kriebel, J Tickner, & MJ Molly, “When my Job Breaks My Back: Shouldering the Burden of Work- Related Muscoloskeletal Disorders,” Lessons Learned: Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health, pp. 19-40, January 2011.

⁸ RJ Burke, CL Cooper, & S Clarke, Occupational Health and Safety. Surrey: Gower Publishing, 2011.

⁹ Molly J, D Kriebel, and J Ticker, “The Poison that Smells Like Butter: Diacetyl and Popcorn Workers’ Lung Disease,” Lessons Learned: Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health, pp. 41-57, January 2011.

¹⁰ P Markkanen, D Kriebel, J Ticker, &M Jacobs, “Injuries are not Accidents,” Lessons Learned: Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health, pp. 78-88, January 2011.

¹¹ H, Lingard, & SM Rowlinson, Occupational Health and Safety in Construction Project Management. Oxon: Taylor & Francis, 2005.

The stereotypical behavior, which stems from the social life of multiple communities, is a peculiarity of organizational management. The restaurant business is acquainted with many gender-related biases, which influence the quality of service delivery and determine the marketing results for the establishment. Thus, for instance, it is often claimed that one can divide food types into “female” and “male,” which has to be taken into consideration by the menu compilers and the waiters, who offer the dishes to men and women (Wiseman par. 2). Besides, in diverse cultures, the tradition of paying the bills, which comes from a man, is a stable rule (Fottrell par, 7).

The experiment, which is described in this paper, targets the issue of check paying that stems from the feminist concern. The acting parts of the investigation are a couple, which dines in a restaurant, a professional waiter, and two observers, who have to observe the customer-waiter communication. Their primary tasks include data collection. Specifically, they are oriented on the influence of dressing on the general impression about the couple, the strategic behavior of a waiter, who considers the gender-related orientation of two people, the style of communication between the sides as well as the efficiency of marketing.

First, the observers notice that a couple looks quite young: the boy and the girl, who take their places in a restaurant, are, apparently, students in their early twentieth. It is concluded that two people do not have any romantic relationships for they are not trying to produce an impression on each other. Moreover, the boy does not help the girl with taking off her coat. Furthermore, the couple is dressed in a rather casual style, which predicts that both people do not haunt expensive dishes.

The behavior of the waiter, who approaches the table, may seem odd at once. Thus, the young worker places his hand on the table and, naturally, starts a non-official conversation with the students since people are laughing and behaving like the old friends. At first, it may seem inappropriate. However, the proficient marketer will point out that table-reading abilities of a worker are stunning since it is a duty of the waiter to enter a comfort zone of the clients if they are willing to be on the friendly terms with him. It enhances trust between the collocutors and contributes to efficient marketing (Nassauer par. 5).

It is evident that the employee has instantly predicted the relationships between the young students. Therefore, he did not address only a man, who is usually choosing the dishes for his wife or girlfriend but talked to both in a friendly manner. The waiter also managed to figure out that the couple is not going to order expensive food. However, he tried to sell as many dishes as possible and even recommended the cheaper issues, for he was pointing out to the price tags on the menu. Consequently, both clients ordered dinners, which consisted of two dishes, drinks, and deserts. The marketing results reveal the professionalism of the worker as well as his abilities to read the tables (Ho par. 7).

Finally, the principle of bills paying was monitored by the observers. It was quite easy to predict that both youngsters paid separately for the dishes, which were ordered by them. Despite the fact that the old tradition approves a man providing the full cost of the dinner, the modern tendencies are highly modernized, especially in the youth. Moreover, separate paying is encouraged by multiple marketers, for the economic theory of restaurant businesses traces that if a person pays only for himself, he is more likely to be comfortable with ordering more food than in the case of paying for someone else (Gneezy, Haruvy, and Yafe 265). Furthermore, the issue is lately considered to be feminism-related since multiple progressive women express a desire to be self-efficient and to pay for their expenses individually (“Feminism Is not about Who Pays the Bill” par. 1).

Works Cited

Feminism Is not about Who Pays the Bill 2014. Web.

Fottrell, Quentin. Should the Man Always Pick up the Check? 2014. Web.

Gneezy, Uri, Ernan Haruvy, and Hadas Yafe. “The Inefficiency of Splitting the Bill.” The Economic Journal 11.4 (2004): 265-280. Print.

Ho, Erica. How Waiters Secretly Predict Your Every Need. 2012. Web.

Nassauer, Sarah. How Waiters Read Your Table. 2012. Web.

Wiseman, Eva. The Truth about Men, Women, and Food. 2000. Web.