Free «Restaurant Service» Essay Sample
Nutrition is one of the most important elements of the human life. In spite of its triviality, the process of eating is of sacramental significance. This statement is easy to prove by giving answers to the following questions. Would you like to have a dinner in a company of people around whom you do not feel comfortable? Most likely, not. What comes to your mind when you hear the good news? Obviously, you would want to celebrate it with the dearest people in a festive atmosphere. After all, what unites family in everyday life, on holidays or important events such as birthday, anniversary or wedding? Certainly, it is dining together in a setting that is different from daily family routine. However, besides the restaurant itself, or the occasion of gathering, the atmosphere that is prevailing during the feast is equally important. Therefore, atmosphere is one of the main arguments in evaluating restaurant service, which will be analyzed in this paper.
At the first sight, the term of the atmosphere in a restaurant may seem a bit amorphous as it cannot be measured or evaluated. Moreover, one always can argue that mood is brought to the restaurant with the customers. In some sense, this is true. However, the restaurant itself has a major role to play, and its choice is determined by clients’ needs. When we are planning to have a business meeting, family dinner or romantic date, we pay great attention to the atmosphere that is associated with a restaurant. It has to comply with our expectations. In order to evaluate restaurant service in terms of its atmosphere, we must find the answer to the question, “Does restaurant adhere to the conception that it declares?”
In this regard, it is noteworthy to specify the term of the atmosphere while analyzing the main criteria which make major impact on its formation. The concept of the restaurant’s atmosphere starts with an interior. This criterion may be evaluated from the first time one enters a catering facility. Each worthy restaurant must abide by primary list of quality indicators such as tidiness, compliance with hygiene regulations, and good condition of furniture, utensil and accessories. However, there is more to it, namely coherence between interior and the atmosphere as per our expectations. The brightest example of dissonance can be marked in a restaurant with stylized setting. For example, we can hardly identify Chinese, French or Greek restaurant if the authentic medium or attributes of the respective culture that they represent are missing.
However, even in a regular restaurant one can notice similar dissonance, especially in the case of major nonconformity between the interior and the atmosphere that the restaurant offers. It is impossible to enjoy a romantic atmosphere in a place that has aggressive pictures, coarse elements in interior and depressive textiles and colors all over the place. Similar problem will prevail during business lunch when people expect to enjoy the respective atmosphere while the restaurant is equipped and decorated for a romantic date.
Music is an important part of the atmosphere in a restaurant because it enhances mood as appropriate to its setting. It can make us meditate, enjoy the moment, give us a break from our hectic routine, or fill us with positive emotions. Hence, music can serve to either intensify the necessary entourage or break it down.
Menu is one of the decisive criteria as to why people go to a restaurant. This element also blends with atmosphere since mood determines the choice of dishes and the preference in the choice of the restaurant. Food recipes and cuisine presentation in the menu, on the plate and during serving are essential elements of the atmosphere. Furthermore, it is necessary to remember that dining out must serve to improve one’s mood, and not to spoil it. It is the taste of dishes and pursuit to satisfy customers with special needs (such as vegetarians or diabetics) that determine the quality standards of the restaurant. When people cannot satisfy their aspirations for food, all others issues, including the atmosphere, become irrelevant by definition.
Air-conditioning is yet another vital criterion in terms of evaluation of restaurant’s services. Although cooking process is invisible to restaurant’s guests, it might happen that guests feel smells coming from the kitchen, and their mixture does not always infuse pleasant odors. Moreover, such smells tend to accumulate and persist for a long time, staying on visitors’ clothes and hair. This negligence may be a reason for customer’s changing preferences in favor of another restaurant the following time.
Human factor is one of the most decisive criteria in creating the appropriate atmosphere. Skillful, benevolent staff will endeavor not only to serve dishes but also help customers in making a good choice. Waiters must be tolerant and polite: they need to apologize for all possible delays or misunderstanding and prevent conflict situations. Smiling waiters create the atmosphere of comfort and hospitality and can even alleviate the disadvantages of the catering facility. The friendly atmosphere is one of the decisive factors when visitors consider returning to the restaurant next time.
In this regard, I would like to mention my experience of visiting “Italiano Homemade Company” that made me and my friend feel extremely welcome in contrast to the chilly night outdoors. When we arrived, there was not a single table free, but within 5 minutes the waiter has managed to make us seated, and in the meantime we enjoyed some hot tea. Prices on the menu were surprisingly moderate while the variety of choice and the quality of food exceeded all our expectations. Moreover, the benevolent waiter went out of his way to make us feel comfortable by taking continuous care of us while we were dining. I should say, people like to return to places where they feel themselves welcome, comfortable, or where they are surrounded with the atmosphere of love that can be spurred through every small detail. This is the universal language because people come to the catering facility not only for food, but also for “spiritual nutrition”.
In conclusion, the atmosphere in the restaurant service comprises of multiple criteria. This paper reviewed just a couple of them, but it should be admitted that only a harmonious combination of versatile factors creates the unique atmosphere, which visitors can feel in a particular restaurant setting and which has a decisive power in making them want to return to the restaurant again.