CHP - Certified Hospitality Professional Food and Beverage Operations Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A restaurant manager is calculating the food cost for the previous month. They began with a starting inventory valued at $15,000, made purchases totaling $10,000, and ended with an inventory of $12,000. What is the actual food cost for the month?
- $13,000
- $17,000 (Correct answer)
- $37,000
- $7,000
Correct answer: $17,000
The formula to calculate actual food cost is: Starting Inventory + Purchases - Ending Inventory. In this scenario, it is $15,000 + $10,000 - $12,000 = $17,000.
Question 2: In menu engineering, a 'Plow Horse' is an item with which of the following characteristics?
- High Popularity, High Profitability
- Low Popularity, Low Profitability
- High Popularity, Low Profitability (Correct answer)
- Low Popularity, High Profitability
Correct answer: High Popularity, Low Profitability
A 'Plow Horse' is an item that is very popular with customers but has a low contribution margin (profitability). While they are crowd-pleasers, managers should consider strategies to increase their profitability, such as by slightly increasing the price or reducing portion size.
Question 3: Which inventory valuation method assumes that the first products purchased are the first ones to be sold or used, making it particularly suitable for perishable goods?
- LIFO (Last-In, First-Out)
- Weighted Average Cost
- JIT (Just-in-Time)
- FIFO (First-In, First-Out) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: FIFO (First-In, First-Out)
The FIFO (First-In, First-Out) method ensures that older inventory is used before newer stock. This is crucial in food and beverage operations to minimize spoilage and waste of perishable items like produce and dairy.
Question 4: A catering manager is implementing a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. During the process, the team identifies that the internal temperature of cooked chicken must reach 165°F (74°C) to be safe. This temperature requirement is an example of which HACCP principle?
- Conducting a hazard analysis
- Establishing a critical limit (Correct answer)
- Determining a critical control point (CCP)
- Establishing corrective actions
Correct answer: Establishing a critical limit
Establishing a critical limit is the third principle of HACCP. It involves setting a maximum or minimum value to which a biological, chemical, or physical parameter must be controlled at a Critical Control Point (CCP) to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level. The specific temperature of 165°F for chicken is a classic example of a critical limit.
Question 5: Which of the following is the PRIMARY responsibility of the receiving clerk in a food and beverage operation?
- Negotiating prices with suppliers.
- Authorizing the purchase orders.
- Verifying that the quantity and quality of delivered items match the purchase order. (Correct answer)
- Stocking the items in the storeroom immediately upon delivery.
Correct answer: Verifying that the quantity and quality of delivered items match the purchase order.
The primary role of the receiving clerk is to conduct a thorough inspection of all incoming goods to ensure they match the specifications on the purchase order in terms of quantity, quality, and price. This is a critical control point for managing costs and maintaining standards.
Question 6: A hotel's bar manager notices that beverage costs are increasing despite consistent sales volume. To gain better control, the manager implements a system where bartenders must return an empty liquor bottle to the storeroom before they can receive a new, full bottle. This practice is known as:
- Par stock control
- Perpetual inventory system
- Requisitioning
- Bottle-for-bottle exchange (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Bottle-for-bottle exchange
The bottle-for-bottle exchange system is a common beverage control procedure used to prevent theft and unauthorized consumption. It ensures that for every bottle issued, a corresponding empty one is accounted for, providing a simple yet effective control mechanism.
A restaurant manager is calculating the food cost for the previous month.
They began with a starting inventory valued at $15,000, made purchases totaling $10,000, and ended with an inventory of $12,000.
What is the actual food cost for the month?