Foodservice Operations Flashcards

What does the term 'seat turnover rate' measure in a restaurant?

Answer: The number of times a seat is occupied by different guests during a meal period

Seat turnover rate measures how many times each seat is used during a service period, directly impacting revenue potential.

Which receiving practice helps ensure that invoice prices match what was actually agreed upon with the supplier?

Answer: Checking against the purchase order

Comparing incoming invoices against the original purchase order verifies that prices, quantities, and items match what was ordered.

In a school foodservice program, what is the primary goal of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)?

Answer: To provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children

The NSLP is a federally assisted meal program that provides nutritious lunches to children at low or no cost, supporting child health and learning.

What is a 'contribution margin' in foodservice financial analysis?

Answer: The selling price of a menu item minus its food cost

Contribution margin is the amount each menu item contributes to covering overhead and profit after subtracting its direct food cost from its selling price.

Which scheduling approach assigns employees to fixed shifts that remain the same week to week?

Answer: Fixed scheduling

A fixed schedule gives employees the same days and hours consistently, promoting routine and simplifying personal planning.

What is the primary purpose of conducting a menu engineering analysis?

Answer: To identify high-profit, high-popularity items versus low performers

Menu engineering analyzes each item's profitability and popularity to guide pricing, promotion, and menu design decisions.

In a foodservice operation, what is 'shrinkage' most commonly associated with?

Answer: Loss of inventory due to theft, spoilage, or waste

Shrinkage refers to inventory loss resulting from employee theft, spoilage, over-portioning, or improper handling.