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 FOOD SERVICE GUIDELINES AND RESOURCES

FOOD SERVICE OVERVIEW

According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the restaurant industry is fast becoming more influential and important in the U.S. economy, as it spans almost 40 industry segments including commercial dining and non-commercial dining like school cafeterias and military restaurant services. According to the NRA, the restaurant industry has nearly $476 billion in sales and 12.2 million employees, making it the largest private sector employer in the United States in 2005.

Restaurant industry sales are predicted to rise almost 5 percent in the year 2005. The NRA states that about half of every food dollar in America is spent on food away from home.

The NRA reports that the driving factor in the industry's growth continues to be unyielding consumer demand and rising consumer incomes.

Three major trends in the industry are: eating out in a healthy manner, growing number of choices for types of meals when dining outside the home, and the diversification of the food service workforce.

Dr. Hayden Stewart, an agricultural economist for USDA's Economic Research Service and co-author of the report "The Demand for Food Away from Home: Full-Service or Fast Food?" notes that as American incomes grow, Americans tend to spend more on goods and services which includes leisure. Food away from home is a form of leisure as it frees households from having to buy, clean, cook, and prepare their own meals.

In addition, Dr. Stewart said that family size plays a considerable role in the decision of American families to eat out. "Larger families have lower cost per person for at home food because the cost of the ingredients per person diminishes when there are more people," said Dr. Stewart. Smaller families, including single parent families, may find it more costly to prepare meals at home considering the higher costs per person.

Dr. Stewart noted that as many Americans become more "convenience oriented" many full-service restaurants are starting to look for ways meet the demands of their customer's timetables. He also noted that many fast food restaurants are trying to attract more customers by offering more "full-service restaurant qualities" like a wider menu variety and better service.

Food Service Associations
National Restaurant Association | Society for Foodservice Management |
American Culinary Federation | More Food Service Associations

Food Service Books
Restaurant News.com | University of Nevada Las Vegas |
NRN Bookstore

Food Service Magazines
Chef | Food Arts | Food Management | Foodservice Director | Foodservice Equipment
and Supplies | La Cocina Mexicana | More Food Service Magazines

Food Service Colleges/Universities
Culinary Arts Schools Worldwide | CookingSchools.com | Cooking & Culinary Schools