Restaurant Jargon / Restaurant Terminology
86’d: When an item on the menu is unavailable for sale, it is referred to as 86’d. A drunk customer or even an exhausted colleague is also deemed to be 86’d.
À la, Au/Aux: French terms referring to the style or manner of cooking, or what the dish is served with. For example, café au lait meaning coffee with milk or tarte aux pommes meaning apple tart.
À la Carte: A type of menu where each item is separately listed, described, and priced.
À la Minut: Referring to a dish cooked to order.
Al Dente: Literally means ‘to the teeth/to the bite’. The term is used when evaluating the correct degree of doneness of dishes, particularly vegetables and pasta. It is considered just right when biting into an item offers a slight resistance without being hard.
Al Fresco: Literally translated ‘in the fresh air’, this term in the restaurant industry refers to outdoor dining spaces.
American Service: American style food service involves serving restaurant guests food that is pre-plated in the kitchen itself. Table sauces, Bread and Butter, Salads, etc., are usually placed at the table. Possibly the only style of food service wherein service is from the right side of the guest.
Amortise: When a business gradually writes off the initial costs of its assets or repays its loan regularly over a period of time, it is said to be amortising the capital costs or loan.
Angel Investor: An investor who provides capital and sometimes even guidance to start-up businesses in return for a shareholding or equity in the company. Considering the risk they take in first-time entrepreneurial ventures, they usually expect high returns. Referring to them as ‘angels’, might just stem from the fact that they invest at a stage prior to proof of concept.
Apéritif: An alcoholic drink taken as an appetizer before a meal.
Appetizer: A small portion of food or beverage taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite.
Asset Register: A register that lists the restaurant’s assets, including land, building, machinery, and equipment, their purchase date, purchase price and a few details necessary to compute the depreciation and tax on these items. It also helps keep track of smaller items such as furniture, computers, etc., and their physical condition during internal audits conducted usually by the Finance and Accounts department.
ATL: ‘Above the Line’ refers to sales and marketing techniques that promote the awareness of a brand through media channels, including television, radio, print, cinema, the internet, and even out-of-home mediums like billboards. Since the agencies involved used to charge a commission when the phrase was created, accountants back then categorized them as ‘operating expenses’ and therefore called them ‘above the line’ costs.
Audit: An examination of stocks, systems, or processes such as inventory management, financial transactions, customer experiences, etc., to check for theft, or, the need to improve systems.
Average bill per head: The total sales per day divided by the total number of visitors that day.
B&B plate: Bread and Butter plate is a six-inch side plate placed to the left of the dinner plate. In a fine dining restaurant, it would be used to place bread to be buttered and consumed. It is also known as a quarter plate and in many cases side dishes or starters are placed in it for consumption.
Back burner: As putting a pot on the back burner implies that it isn’t actively being attended to, just simmering, so also tasks put on the back burner would be the ones that are low priority for the moment.
Back of the house: Usually consists of the office, kitchen, stores, and dish washing area.
Bain-Marie: A water bath or double boiler that comprises two utensils: a smaller one placed inside a larger one with a liquid (usually water) in between. A warm bain-marie (with hot water) may be used for cooking custards, melting chocolate, etc., or for keeping food warm as with chaffing dishes on buffet counters. A cold bain-marie (with cold water) may be used for whipping cream, mousses, etc., or for keeping food cold as in the case of a salad counter.
Barista: Italian for bartender, a Barista is a person proficient in the art of preparing and pulling espresso-based and other beverages at a coffee shop or any other type of restaurant.
BCG Matrix: A four-quadrant tool for restaurant menu engineering, named after a business consulting firm called the Boston Consulting Group where it was first created. Each item on the menu is mapped to two parameters: profitability and popularity.
The standardized recipe card provides us with details on profitability (selling price minus recipe cost) while the POS data provides us with the number of units sold per dish, indicating its popularity.
The standardized recipe card provides us with details on profitability (selling price minus recipe cost) while the POS data provides us with the number of units sold per dish, indicating its popularity.
- Stars (High Popularity and High Profitability) are the best menu items, usually signature dishes to be up-sold.
- Plowhorses (High Popularity but Low Profitability) with their selling price slightly increased could become stars, thus bettering business.
- Puzzles (Low Popularity but High Profitability) are difficult to sell, sometimes even if their selling price is reduced. It may be worth considering altering the taste, presentation or name of the dish, with a view to enhancing its popularity. If unsuccessful, treat as a dog.
- Dogs (Low Popularity and Low Profitability) are difficult to sell, and if sold, offer little profit. Thus these are best eliminated from the menu.
Bev Nap: A ‘beverage napkin’ which collects the condensed droplets on a beverage glass. A small square napkin is either placed on the table below the glass as a coaster or a long rectangular one is wrapped around the glass when offering it to a guest.
Bill/Check: Item-wise total of purchases along with service charge and taxes.
Biometrics: Verifying the identity of individuals using features like fingerprints to allow limited access to confidential data and at a more basic level to authenticate the presence of a staff member on duty, which is then linked to his salary disbursement, leave, etc.
Birth purpose: The reason why an employee has been hired, usually his core competence for the job.
Bistro: A small informal restaurant serving slow-cooked food at moderate prices; meals along with wine.
Blast chiller/freezer: A blast chiller is a commercial appliance usually used by restaurants and catering companies to rapidly cool down food from 70°C to 3°C or lower in around 90 minutes, thereby, rendering it safe for storage and future consumption, for instance, when chilling wine. A blast freezer is similar, but takes the temperature down even further to –18°C in around 240 minutes, for instance for freezing ice cream.
BLT: Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich made with mayonnaise, is a popular sandwich in the US and UK.
BOGO: ‘Buy one get one free’ is a promotional offer at restaurants and other retail businesses. For instance, during lean hours at a restaurant, you may offer a free pint of beer for every pint bought.
BOQ: The Bill of Quantities is an itemized statement of the cost components, including materials and labour, of a project during construction. It serves as the basis of comparison for competitive bids between potential contractors and also a frame of reference to measure actual itemized costs and quantities versus those budgeted.
Bottom Line: Profit or Loss, which is the bottom item of a profit and loss statement and the final outcome of importance to a business.
Boulangerie: A French-style bakery that specialises in baking and selling bread.
Bouquet Garni: An assortment of either fresh or dried herbs used to enhance the flavour of stocks, stews, soups, casseroles and broths. They may either be wrapped inside a cheesecloth or muslin sachet and then placed in the stock, or simply tied together and placed in it directly. For example, in French cuisine, it may include parsley, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns.
Breakeven: The point where the business expenses equal the income generated, with neither profit nor loss.
Broth: A thin soup made from meat or fish stock.
Busboy/Busser: An assistant waiter who helps lay out tables, clear dirty dishes, and supports the service experience, usually with less direct guest contact than the waiter.
BTL: ‘Below the Line’ refers to those sales and marketing techniques that are more focused and measurable, using mediums such as direct mailers, flyers, telemarketing, stickers, point of sale brochures, exhibitions, etc. Since no commission was involved when the phrase was created, accountants back then categorized them as ‘capital expenditure’ and, therefore, called them ‘below the line’ costs.
Business model: The way in which an organization creates and delivers value to its customers and attracts them to pay for that value in a manner that results in a profit.
BYOB: ‘Bring Your Own Bottle’ is a restaurant policy that allows guests to bring their own liquor. It is often subject to a fee known as ‘corkage’.
CAC: Customer Acquisition Cost is the cost of acquiring a new customer. It is a metric that every business owner or leader should know. Convincing each additional customer about the value of your product involves initiatives in research as well as sales and marketing. So, for instance, if all these costs add up to say `30,000/- for a certain period and you have acquired say 100 new customers in that period, then your cost of acquiring each new customer, i.e., CAC will be 30,000/100 = `300/-.
Café: Synonymous with coffee shop, a café usually refers to a small restaurant where snacks or light meals are served with drinks which may also include alcoholic beverages.
CAGR: Compounded Annual Growth Rate is a term representing the year-on-year growth of a business investment over a specified period of time.
Cambro: A US-based restaurant-ware company renowned for its food and beverage storage containers which keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Nowadays, the word Cambro is often used synonymously with any brand of plastic storage containers.
Cannibalization: It refers to the loss of a restaurant’s market share in a particular catchment on account of a similar offer coming up in that catchment, either by another outlet of the same brand or by a competitor.
Capex: Capital expenditure is the amount spent towards the procurement of assets that increase the capacity or efficiency of a business for more than one accounting year. Assets include building, equipment, vehicles, etc.
Cash flow: The movement of money into and out of a business that affects its liquidity. It is a measure of financial efficiency.
Casual dining: A restaurant which offers a casual ambience and food at moderate prices where formal dressing is unnecessary. Table service usually involves food being served either pre-plated or on platters, with or without a buffet option.
CCG: Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware is easy to refer to in one cluster as CCG in the Restaurant Business.
CDP / DCDP: Chef de Partie / Demi Chef de Partie is a chef in charge of a particular section in the kitchen such as grills, sauces, etc. In standalone restaurants, he may have a wider responsibility than handling just one section. He is the third in-charge of the kitchen, the first being the head/executive chef and the second being the sous/under chef.
Chaffing dish: A dish of stainless steel or silver with a heating device fitted below it to keep food warm over an extended period of time, such as on a buffet.
Charcuterie: A charcuterie is a specialized store or a space within a hotel dedicated to the cooking, curing and smoking of meats, mainly pork as well as others, including game meats, game birds, poultry, veal and seafood. Products on offer are essentially served cold and usually include sausages, pâtés, terrines, galantines, roulades, etc.
Chaser: A drink that immediately follows another drink. For instance, a beer after a straight shot of hard liquor.
Chef’s table: A table at a restaurant that offers an exclusive meal experience to discerning guests, usually for a premium price. The table is located either in the kitchen itself or right next to it, while the chef prepares his culinary creations.
COD: Cash On Delivery. Referring to payment terms agreed upon between vendor and client.
COGs: Cost of Goods sold. In the case of food and beverage, for instance, it would include not just the materials used to produce that particular category of food and beverage, but also materials ‘consumed’ through wastage, spoilage, theft, or complementaries, thereby allowing one to keep a tab on actual versus budgeted COGs.
Combi-oven: A combination oven which offers three cooking modes for a versatile range of cooking processes:
- Convection mode – using dry air for baking cookies, frying potato wedges, or roasting chicken.
- Steam mode – using moist air for steaming vegetables or poaching fish.
- Combination mode – using both moist and dry air for stewing fruit or braising meat.
Commis: A junior kitchen assistant or apprentice who performs the more basic tasks of food production in each section of the kitchen, getting promoted from Commis III to Commis II and finally to Commis I, before reaching a DCDP level.
Commissary: A kitchen facility where food is prepared for distribution to multiple locations. It could be a centralized space where food is partly prepared for a chain of restaurants where the final cooking is completed. It may also be a place where food is entirely prepared and then delivered, either to other eateries where it is sold, or directly to customers as in a catering service.
Comp off: A compensatory off given to a restaurant employee for having worked on his holiday.
Comping: Comping a meal or dish means giving it free or complimentary to a guest who may either be a regular patron, one of some commercial importance to the establishment, or even one whose experience at our restaurant has not been up to the mark.
Controlling interest: A shareholder who owns over 50% of a company’s voting shares, may be deemed to have ‘controlling interest’ in the company. At times, when the shareholding may be even less than 50%, but the remaining shares are not actively voted, the shareholder may also have effective control of the company.
Corkage: Restaurants that allow guests to bring their own alcohol, may levy a charge called corkage for consuming liquor (originally drawing the cork of each bottle of wine, now other liquor as well) bought ‘off the restaurant premises’.
Cost of capital: If the capital is your own, then how much interest would it have earned in another investment? If you are taking a loan, then how much interest are you paying?
Cost-centre: A department within an organization which does not contribute to its profits, but instead only adds to its costs, is called a cost-centre. In a restaurant for instance, departments like human resources, marketing, accounts, IT and admin are examples of cost-centres since they come with a cost attached, but don’t bring in any profit directly. Their presence, however, is pivotal to improving the efficiency of the organization at large and boosting its produ ctivity. Such ‘cost-centres’ are therefore a necessary part of the business.
Cover/Covers: Refers to (a) the table setting laid out for a single guest or (b) the number of guests that can be seated in the restaurant.
Cover charge: A fixed charge levied for a place at a table, in addition to the charge for food and beverage.
Creditor days: A ratio that tells us how many days on average it takes a company to pay for the goods or services it buys. In the restaurant industry, depending on the terms we have finalized with each of our vendors, we must make our payments. If a certain vendor allows us a 30-day credit period and we pay him late, say in 45 days, it will strain the relationship. At the same time, paying up too early doesn’t allow us the use of good cash flow for our working capital.
If in a certain period the restaurant owes its vendors `9,00,000/- and our cost of sales for that period is `150,00,000/-, then the creditor days of the restaurant will be = `9,00,000 / `150,00,000 × 365 days = 21.9 days. Creditor Days = Trade Credit / Cost of Sales × 365 days.
If in a certain period the restaurant owes its vendors `9,00,000/- and our cost of sales for that period is `150,00,000/-, then the creditor days of the restaurant will be = `9,00,000 / `150,00,000 × 365 days = 21.9 days. Creditor Days = Trade Credit / Cost of Sales × 365 days.
Cross-contamination: The unintentional transfer of bacteria or other microorganisms through hands, clothes, or kitchen tools from a food or non-food source with harmful human effect.
Crumbing: In the kitchen, the term ‘crumbing’ or ‘breading’ refers to coating a piece of wet food with a bread-like mixture such as bread crumbs before cooking. In the restaurant, the term ‘crumbing’ refers to clearing the table of food crumbs between courses, with the help of a small brush.
CTC: Cost To Company is the total annual cost that a company incurs towards retaining a particular employee. It includes all expenses which are a part of the salary as well as perks and other hidden expenses which may not be a part of the remuneration package. Ideally it should include the cost of items which directly or indirectly go towards an employee’s gain such as training programs for instance but not the cost of business-related expenses such as mobile phone bills incurred to conduct the company’s business. This interpretation of CTC varies from organization to organization.
Culinarian: A person who cooks or is associated with culinary arts.
Damask: A reversible fabric used for table covers or even curtains made of linen or silk with a pattern woven into it.
Dashboard report: A management tool that measures and presents critical data on the key business performance areas in a summarized manner much like a car dashboard so management can quickly respond.
Debtor days: A ratio that tells us how many days on average it takes a company to get paid for what it sells. In the restaurant industry, though we get paid for dine-in sales by cash/credit card immediately, delayed payments sometimes occur in party catering. For example, if a customer owes the restaurant ` 3,00,000/- and our sales for that period is ` 150,00,000/-, then the debtor days of the restaurant at that time will be = ` 3,00,000 / ` 150,00,000 × 365 days = 7.3 days. Debtor Days = Trade Debt / Sales × 365 days. In a restaurant business, since we don’t really need to offer credit to anyone, zero debtor days would be ideal.
Delicatessen: Sometimes abbreviated to ‘deli’, a delicatessen is a store that sells fine foods like cured meats, pickled vegetables, artisanal cheeses and ice creams, ethnic dips, etc., to the luxury market. Some delis also have a sit-down restaurant section where sandwiches, salads, cold pressed juices, rotisserie chicken, gourmet coffees, etc., may be served.
Depreciation: Writing off the value of an asset over the period of its useful life.
Designated driver: To ensure a safe drive home for his companions from a social event, one person elects to abstain from alcohol himself. Some bars offer an incentive of free non-alcoholic beverages to these ‘designated drivers’ thereby encouraging social responsibility as well as their own sales of liquor. These days, for everyone in the group to have fun, designated drivers maybe simply be outsourced to a paid-for agency.
Due diligence: The detailed investigation of a business or person before transacting with them. For instance, you may conduct legal, financial, and operational due diligence of a business before you consider buying that business, or verifying facts about a certain individual before entering into a contract with him.
EBITDA: Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization.
EMI: Equated Monthly Instalment is the method by which one can pay back a loan in terms of both the principal as well as the interest amount.
English Service: A formal sort of food service in which the host or hostess flamboyantly carves or portions out meat or vegetable dishes on the platters in which they are served. Then, the waiter takes these platters around to first serve the guest of honour, followed by the remaining guests.
Entrées: The course following the fish course in a French classical menu. Generally, well-garnished and served with a gravy or sauce.
Equity: Net worth of an organization comprising of paid up equity capital plus reserves and surplus.
ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning is a business management system which integrates various activities of the business. In a restaurant, activities include Food Production, Inventory Management, HR, Marketing, Finance and Accounts, Customer Database, etc.
ESOP: An Employee Stock Option Plan is a method of compensating employees with shares of the company rather than only a cash salary for their work. It encourages a culture of loyalty and reduces the outgoing cash burden on the business. The company typically buys back stocks from the employee only when he leaves or retires. ESOPs also bring the advantage of reduced tax burdens.
EV: Enterprise Value is a measure of a company’s value—often the theoretical price in the event of a buyout. It considers not just the equity of the company but also its debt (since the buyer will have to assume it) and its cash (which the buyer will receive). Debt increases the buying cost of the company, while cash reduces it. It is usually expressed as a multiple of either the Last Twelve Months (LTM) Revenue or its EBITDA.
In highly mature markets like the US, restaurants may see a Median EV of say 0.9 to 2.1 times LTM Revenue or say 7.7 to 9.9 times LTM EBITDA, depending on the type of restaurant: Fine Dining / Casual Dining / Quick Service, etc., (“Restaurant Industry Insights” – Duff and Phelps). In less mature markets like India, which have much more room for growth, EVs are often higher.
In highly mature markets like the US, restaurants may see a Median EV of say 0.9 to 2.1 times LTM Revenue or say 7.7 to 9.9 times LTM EBITDA, depending on the type of restaurant: Fine Dining / Casual Dining / Quick Service, etc., (“Restaurant Industry Insights” – Duff and Phelps). In less mature markets like India, which have much more room for growth, EVs are often higher.
Exhaust: The ventilation system comprising of ducting and exhaust fans that facilitate the inflow of fresh air and the outflow of hot/stale air.
Eyeballs: In a marketing context, eyeballs refer to the number of people that will see the promotional material of your company brand.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions.
Feasibility study: A tool that helps evaluate the positive and negative aspects of a business opportunity, study the risks, and identify ways to mitigate them, before committing an investment and taking an informed decision on its technical, social and financial viability.
FF&E: Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment. Movable furniture and heavy equipment, including tables, chairs, sideboards, computers, refrigerators, cooking ranges, coffee machines, microwave ovens, food processors, worktables, storage racks, etc.
FIFO: First-In, First-Out is a method of inventory management based on the premise that goods bought first (first-in) are the goods sold first (first-out). This is logical from the stores perspective in the case of perishable goods as well as from the accounts perspective since during inflation it yields the best value of closing inventory (the cost of goods bought first, thus cheapest, correspond best with cost of goods sold first).
Financial performance: A representation of the monetary health of a company.
Fire It: Firing a certain dish or the entire order at a particular table is a call for action to actually begin cooking those items immediately. A server estimates the time within which a guest must be served his food as well as the time it would take the kitchen to execute the order and gives a “fire it” request accordingly.
Fit-out: An architectural term in regard to the act of filling the raw shell of a space with a restaurant’s interiors, including its ducting, utilities, treatment of walls, floor and ceiling, ventilation, lighting, plumbing, etc.
Float: A small sum of money set aside at the beginning of a period for petty cash expenses.
Focus group discussions: A form of market research where a small group of 8 to 10 people may be brought together and led by a moderator to discuss their opinions, preferences, beliefs and attitudes towards certain products or services, with a view to have a qualitative insight into a small section of the brand’s target market.
Food contamination: The unintended presence of harmful substances (physical/chemical/biological) that can cause illnesses such as food poisoning. In some cases, people intentionally use adulterants in food to reduce costs and make a profit.
Food poisoning: An acute illness caused by the consumption of contaminated food usually accompanied by vomiting, fever, aches and even diarrhoea.
Footfall: The number of people frequenting a restaurant or a specific locality, during a particular period of time. Visible footfall at a particular location is often a key consideration in guesstimating possible sales of a business when selecting that location for a start-up.
FQ1, FQ2, FQ3, FQ4: An accounting period of 12 months is broken down into 4 Fiscal Quarters with the business performance measured for each quarter. The fiscal year maybe Jan-Dec, Apr-Mar or otherwise.
Franchise: A business scaling-up technique where the learnings from one unit can successfully be used to grow the brand to multiple units. The concept owner is the franchisor, while the entity investing in the brand is the franchisee. The franchisor earns a one-time fee or royalty from the franchisee for use of the brand name and guidance on the business. The franchisor also earns an ongoing percentage of sales and profit for on-going training and support given to the franchisee.
French Press: Also known as a ‘plunger pot’, this coffee brewing device may occasionally be used as a tea infuser as well. Coarsely ground coffee is left to steep with water for a few minutes after which it is pushed to the bottom of the device using the plunger. A French Press brings out great flavour in a beverage, but the water needs to be exceedingly hot for the drink to be perfectly satisfying. French pressed coffee or tea left to stand for beyond a few minutes turns bitter and is best consumed soon after pressing the plunger.
French Service: Food salvers are first placed on the guest table. The finishing of the partly cooked food may be done by the waiter on a cart near the dining table itself right before the guest. Then the salvers are returned to the table and the guests help themselves.
Front of the house: Guest visible areas, including the lobby, dining room, and show kitchen if any.
Garde Manger: In French, it translates ‘keep to eat’. Essentially a part of the cold kitchen, this section covers pantry items such as soups, salads, sandwiches, sauces, condiments, cheeses, sausages, pâtés, terrines, pickled foods and even ice carvings.
GN pan: Gastronorm Pans are food storage containers used in the food service industry. They are made from food grade stainless steel, polycarbonate or polypropylene.
Goodwill: Often used synonymously with reputation of a business, from an accounting perspective, the goodwill of a business refers to the value of its intangible assets. Typically, the future economic benefits of a business are computed using its present popularity and existing profits as an indicator of its valuation.
Gourmand: A person whose love for food and beverage edges into over-indulgence or gluttony.
Gourmet: A person who cultivates a discerning palate for the appreciation of good food and beverage. At times, an “excessive refinement” borders on elitism.
Grease trap: A plumbing device that intercepts grease such as waste oil and fat present in sinks, dishwashers and cooking equipment and traps it before it blocks the municipal sewer system.
Griddle: A flat metal surface on top of a stove on which food is cooked.
GST: Goods and services tax is a tax levied by the central and state governments, on the suppliers of goods and services. Restaurants in India are categorized based on certain criteria to determine the tax rate. For instance, currently those in certain locations and below a certain turnover, fall under the 5% GST rate, with no option to claim input tax credit (ITC) while others come under the 18% GST rate, with ITC claims.
Gueridon service: An interactive and flamboyant form of restaurant service where food is prepared on a well-equipped trolley or small table in full view of the guest, right next to his table and served to him directly.
HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point is a system that monitors the production, storage and distribution of food with a view to identify and control contamination that could lead to health hazards.
High street: The commercial centre of a city where shops and institutions are located. In the restaurant context, it refers to an independent location where potential guests conducting their business just outside the restaurant doors are likely to step in and patronize the restaurant. Since it is positioned directly on the street, it is less influenced by the success or failure of another business (as may be the case in a mall). Many consider it more desirable than a store-in-store location, particularly for a start-up wishing to start their brand with a clean slate.
Holding time (food): The amount of time you can hold a dish after it is prepared, until the time it may be served without compromising on the quality and safety of the food. It also applies to the holding of raw food. Whether you are holding raw food or cooked food, ideal hold temperature plays a crucial role in food safety of the dish.
Holding time (table): The amount of time you can hold a booked table for a late guest, from his reservation time till the time you need to release that table to another guest.
House brand: An item of merchandise declared by an establishment as preferred for its guests and usually offered at a bargain price. For instance, a house brand of wine at a restaurant is one either chosen from those available in the market, or one specially made in-house for them.
HR: Human Resources. Either used to refer to a company’s workforce or with regards to the HR department which manages their concerns.
HVAC: Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning are crucial to the environmental comfort and operational ease of the restaurant and its kitchen.
In-depth interviews: A qualitative market research interview with a single respondent, to detect her motivations, attitudes, and thoughts on the subject of study.
In-house restaurant: A restaurant situated within a larger establishment such as a hotel or corporate office. Unlike a stand-alone restaurant, support functions are shared with the parent organization.
In the weeds: A restaurant team member’s plea of being snowed over with so much work, that it’s hard to keep up.
Ingress/Egress: The right to enter a property such as a restaurant, is referred to as ingress. A guest who has created an issue in the past for instance, may be denied ingress to the restaurant. The right to leave a property such as a restaurant, is referred to as egress. A guest who is creating an issue in the present may be denied egress from the restaurant.
Inorganic growth: A business plan that involves accelerated growth by merging with or acquiring other businesses is referred to as inorganic growth. Such growth can bring new ideas into the business and also allow quick access to new markets.
IRR: Internal Rate of Return is a budgeting tool to evaluate the attractiveness of return on capital investment in a certain project. It is the annualized effective compounded return rate that makes the Net Present Value of all cash flows from that investment, equal to zero. If the IRR of a project is higher than the return any other investment opportunities offer, then it is desirable to go ahead with the undertaking.
Intellectual Property (IP): An intangible asset of human knowledge that is patented or copyrighted as property of the person or organization who has commissioned or funded the research of such an endeavour. Examples may include the creation of a particular brand-name, a certain formula, a process design innovation, a newly invented piece of equipment, a fresh body of work, etc. On account of the value attached to the creation of this distinctive information, it is considered ethical for parties exposed to such information, to keep it a secret. They are often asked to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the IP owner as protection from plagiarism.
Julienne: A knife technique which involves cutting vegetables into thin, even-sized matchsticks. Salads, fries, and garnishes often call for a Julienne cut.
JV: A Joint Venture is a contractual arrangement between two or more parties agreeing to create a new business entity by contributing equity, exercising control over the enterprise, and sharing profits or losses over a finite period of time.
Key money: In parts of a city where the rent act restricts escalation in rentals, landlords protect themselves by collecting additional money from prospective tenants who would like to secure, modify or renew their tenancy. It is usually paid by way of a deposit of some months’ rent, often in cash. While in some instances, it is refundable and stated to cover non-payment of rent or damage to property, it is often taken as non-refundable to cover cleaning and repairs. Key Money is illegal in many countries and so though some refer to it as ‘goodwill’ to protect landlords from below market rentals, others say it is simply a bribe that landlords extract from tenants.
Kill it: Cooking a dish extra-well to the point of almost being burnt. For instance, a guest who emphatically insists that his steak not be the slightest bit pink and wants it really well-done, might be a candidate for his server telling the kitchen that the dish be cremated.
Kitchen steward: One who supports the kitchen staff by keeping all kitchen areas, equipment, and utensils clean and sanitised. Apart from cleaning pots and pans, a kitchen steward would also be responsible for clearing the debris from serviceware, including cutlery, crockery and glasses, and washing them thereafter.
Lead time: The time it takes a vendor/supplier to execute and deliver an order from the time the order is placed. Knowing the lead time helps plan ordering and stocking of supplies.
LCV/CLV: Lifetime Customer Value/Customer Lifetime Value is an assessment of the financial value of a customer to an organization through the entire period of their association.
Example 1: A customer spends `100 on each visit, visits once a month and is transferred to another city after 2 years. This customer’s lifetime spend will be = `100 × 1 time × 24 months = `2,400.
Example 2: A customer spends `100 on each visit twice a month and continues being a customer for 5 years. This customer’s lifetime spend will be = `100 × 2 times × 60 months = `12,000.
Clearly, all customers are not built equal. (Some customers may even refer you to new ones, without you spending any money in acquiring them). We must also consider the customers that leave. Let’s say that out 100 new customers you acquire in a particular month, 5 leave. So the churn rate is 5% per month. This means that the ‘lifetime’ of your customer will be 1/0.05 = 20 months.
LCV = (Average spend per month × Gross Margin %) / Churn Rate. So if the average spend per month is 150/-, the gross margin 70% and the churn rate 5%, the LCV = (150 × 70%) / 5% = `2,100 over 20 months.
Example 1: A customer spends `100 on each visit, visits once a month and is transferred to another city after 2 years. This customer’s lifetime spend will be = `100 × 1 time × 24 months = `2,400.
Example 2: A customer spends `100 on each visit twice a month and continues being a customer for 5 years. This customer’s lifetime spend will be = `100 × 2 times × 60 months = `12,000.
Clearly, all customers are not built equal. (Some customers may even refer you to new ones, without you spending any money in acquiring them). We must also consider the customers that leave. Let’s say that out 100 new customers you acquire in a particular month, 5 leave. So the churn rate is 5% per month. This means that the ‘lifetime’ of your customer will be 1/0.05 = 20 months.
LCV = (Average spend per month × Gross Margin %) / Churn Rate. So if the average spend per month is 150/-, the gross margin 70% and the churn rate 5%, the LCV = (150 × 70%) / 5% = `2,100 over 20 months.
LCV to CAC Ratio: When the cost of acquiring a customer exceeds the ability to monetise that customer, the business model is a failure. This ratio helps keep track of just that. If the LCV equals the CAC, it’s not worth it. When the LCV is 3 or 4 times the CAC its considered to be a good and sustainable model. If it’s two times or less, the business should explore the possibility of spending more on its research as well as sales and marketing initiatives to acquire new customers.
LDA: Legal Drinking Age is the minimum age at which a person is legally permitted to consume alcoholic beverages. Some European countries permit drinking of alcohol from childhood within their home, while some Islamic countries and a few Indian states do not permit it at all. Broadly, across most countries, legal drinking age ranges between 18 and 21 years.
LIFO: While Last-In, First-Out has accounting connotations, in the restaurant business this method of human resource management may be used in the event of a staff lay-off where the employee last hired (Last-In) would be the first to be relieved (First-Out).
Line cook: A line cook is one responsible for looking after a particular line or section of responsibilities in the kitchen. He may be assigned the task of stacking plates at the pick-up counter, cleaning the cooking surfaces of his station, prepping sauces at the snack counter, or cooking food at the grill section on a particular day. Some cooks stay in this position through their career, while for others it is something they may choose at the start of their career as a path to become all-rounders by working each section of the kitchen.
LOI/MOU: Letter of Intent/Memorandum of Understanding is a document that outlines a broad agreement between two or more parties. The extent to which this is legally binding depends on the wording as well as the intention of the parties concerned. It serves as an interim ‘in principle’ arrangement before a final agreement or contract is signed.
Loss leader: A pricing strategy where a certain dish on the menu is deliberately priced equal to or lower than its actual cost, thereby ‘losing’ money for the organization. This is done with the intent of ‘leading’ customers to make other purchases within the business that will bring in the profit; thus the name. For instance, a restaurant may offer a soft serve ice cream at a throw away price, only to encourage its customers to spend more on other items like burgers, which are profitable.
Loyalty program: With a view to retain valuable existing customers and encourage new ones to make frequent purchases, a business creates a reward program through which it awards its guests bonus points, gifts or special services for their patronage to encourage them to continue spending more. The company running the program gains access to their customers’ habits and preferences, and other information useful for marketing.
M&A: Mergers and Acquisitions is a phrase used in the context of business strategy where a business intending to grow, either combines with or buys out another firm with a view to create a new entity that can better leverage the joint strengths of both companies in the marketplace.
Maitre d’hôtel/Maitre d’: Meaning ‘Master of the House’ in French, is in charge of allocating guests their tables and servers their dining areas each day. Being responsible for the overall dining experience and complaints if any, this person often plays the role of a de-facto restaurant manager and is thus considered to be key to a restaurant’s success.
Mark up: An amount added to the cost price of a particular item to arrive at its selling price. This amount includes overheads and profit.
Menu: A menu is a statement of food and beverage items on offer, designed on the basis of guest needs and organizational objectives. This French word implies ‘particulars’. Anecdotally, it originated in 1541 when Duke Henry of Brunswick was seen referring to a long slip of paper that reflected the list of dishes to be served. This enabled him to reserve his appetite accordingly.
Menu engineering: Identifying the most and the least popular and profitable dishes on the menu, with a view to eliminating or altering existing dishes and adding new ones, while considering their price and portion sizes.
Menu mix: The ratio of each item on the menu in relation to the rest of the items on the menu in terms of its sales, popularity and profit.
MEP: Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing designs that the architectural team develop, such as air-conditioning, ventilation, plumbing, fire protection systems, telecommunication systems, power and lighting, etc.
Michelin Star restaurant: Michelin, a French tire company launched its first guide book in 1900 to encourage road tripping, by anonymously reviewing restaurants for their culinary excellence. Inspectors across the world rate food at restaurants based on quality of products, mastery of technique, mastery of flavours, personality of cuisine and level of creativity, value for money, and consistency of food throughout the menu and through the year.
One Star: A very good restaurant in its category, offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard. A good place to stop on your journey.
Two Star: Excellent cuisine in its category, skilfully crafted dishes with specialities and wines of first class quality. Worth a detour.
Three Star: Exceptional cuisine, distinctive dishes, precisely executed using superlative ingredients. Often extremely expensive with outstanding wines. Worth a special journey.
A Bib Gourmand Award signifies quality food at a value price. Most other Michelin Star restaurants tend to be expensive.
One Star: A very good restaurant in its category, offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard. A good place to stop on your journey.
Two Star: Excellent cuisine in its category, skilfully crafted dishes with specialities and wines of first class quality. Worth a detour.
Three Star: Exceptional cuisine, distinctive dishes, precisely executed using superlative ingredients. Often extremely expensive with outstanding wines. Worth a special journey.
A Bib Gourmand Award signifies quality food at a value price. Most other Michelin Star restaurants tend to be expensive.
Microbrewery: A space sometimes attached to a restaurant, where high quality flavoured craft beer is produced in small batches and sold fresh, usually without the addition of preservatives.
Minimum guaranteed: May refer to (a) Minimum Guaranteed Guests (Party Catering) – The minimum number of guests assured by the host as chargeable by the restaurant for a particular event, or (b) Minimum Guaranteed Rent – The minimum amount of rent assured to the landlord payable by the restaurant as a base figure, over and above which the landlord may be entitled to a percentage of the restaurant’s sale (usually net of taxes).
Minimum wage: The lowest wage that an entrepreneur is permitted to pay by law, as per the employee’s specific category (un-skilled, semi-skilled, skilled worker). The government defines minimum wage amounts to ensure that a basic standard of living by way of good health, comfort, dignity, education and contingencies are provided for its citizens.
MIS: Management Information Systems. Systems that capture the essence of management controls through concise formats.
Mise en place: Literally translated ‘put in place’. In the cooking area, it refers to preparation of the kitchen for cooking by processing ingredients as well as keeping utensils and service-ware ready. In the dining area, it refers to preparation of the restaurant for service by table setting, serviceware cleaning, as well as sideboard stacking.
Mise en scene: Literally translated ‘put in scene’. This refers to the broader picture in area preparation. It includes mise en place as well as general layout readiness.
Mixer (appliance): A device used to mix foods or beverages in a kitchen or bar. Mixers may be either manual or electrical.
Mixer (drink): Non-alcoholic beverages such as juices, sodas, etc., that are mixed with alcoholic beverages to create cocktails.
Mixology: The science and art of preparing mixed drinks.
Molecular gastronomy: A discipline of food science where chefs utilise their culinary knowledge with an understanding of physics and chemistry to innovatively and artistically transform the tastes and textures of foods. This experimental style of cooking uses some specialized ingredients, tools and techniques, including pressure, temperature and food chemical mixtures to create some extraordinary results, which include spheres, vapours, foams, and seemingly limitless other possibilities. Some refer to it as ‘deconstructivist’ or modernist cuisine.
Mood board: A collection of images, texts, and object samples that represents the proposed mood or feeling of a particular brand of restaurant or other retail space. Designers use it to visually illustrate the style they intend treating a certain space with, gathering feedback of others in the team, and gaining their concurrence.
MTD: Month to Date is the period starting at the beginning of the current month and ending at the current day. It is often used to see how the business is actually faring up to the current day versus its budget for that period in terms of sales, profits, etc.
Mystery dining: An exercise in which a restaurateur hires the services of a professional to visit the restaurant secretly and report on the delivery of the restaurant’s brand experience in relation to its brand promise.
Napery: In a collective reference to restaurant linen fabric, including table cloths, runners, skirting of banquet-tables, napkins, aprons, etc.
NCNS: A ‘No Call No Show’ by an employee who goes on an unauthorized absence from work without notifying his employer. When this happens often or for a significant duration, a legal notice usually needs to be given and disciplinary action taken.
NDA: A Non-Disclosure Agreement is a legal contract between two or more parties restricting them from sharing confidential or proprietary information shared between them with any other party.
Neighbourhood considerations: Refers to sensitivity towards the residents of the neighbourhood in terms of disturbances such as sound, light, smoke, parking, religious and other sentiments.
(Net) Working Capital: Short-term assets (Cash + Accounts receivable + Inventory) less short-term liabilities (Accounts payable + Wages payable + Taxes payable).
No show: Either a guest who doesn’t show up after making a table reservation or an employee who doesn’t show up at work.
Nuke it: Microwave a dish, or an item required to prepare a dish.
ODC/OPC: Outdoor Catering/Outdoor Party Catering includes various social events from weddings to seminars, anniversaries to picnics that are catered to outdoors. While outdoor usually indicates open air spaces, it may also include enclosed spaces such as banquet halls where the caterer creates a temporary kitchen at the venue where he serves his guests.
Opex: Operating Expenditure is the ongoing cost of running a business, including the cost of materials, labour, and overheads.
Organic growth: Core internal growth of a company by increasing its output through expansion of its existing customer base and also by introducing new products or services.
Organoleptic tests: A sensory evaluation of food and beverages in areas, including product colour, appearance, hand-feel, mouth-feel, pliability, aroma, taste, etc., usually conducted by a trained professional or panel of judges.
OS&E: Operating Supplies and Equipment. Smallwares, including cutlery, crockery, glassware, linen, silverware, bar tools, kitchen tools, disposables, etc.
Outlay: The expenditure proposed to be incurred on a particular project or part thereof.
Outsourcing: Contracting some products or services to a third party so as to focus on its core competency, improve efficiency, save costs, etc. In the restaurant context for instance, services such as valet, housekeeping, dessert preparation, etc., are sometimes outsourced.
PAT: Profit After Tax
Pathogen: Bacteria, virus, fungi, etc., that may be disease causing or toxic.
Pax: A hospitality industry term used interchangeably with ‘people’. So, number of pax is typically in reference to the number of guests at a restaurant, number of customers at a party, number of occupants in a hotel, number of passengers in an aircraft, etc.
PBT: Profit Before Tax
PDR: A Private Dining Room is a space separate from the main dining area of a restaurant where exclusive small gatherings may be hosted.
Performance appraisal: A systematic and periodic review and evaluation of an employee’s work performance as against the goals outlined for him in his existing role by his superiors. The criteria of assessment may include job knowledge, productivity, initiative, adaptability, leadership ability, etc.
Pest: A creature capable of directly or indirectly contaminating food, that is therefore detrimental to human health.
Pick-up counter: A counter in the kitchen from which servers pick-up food items to be served to guests. One member of the kitchen staff barks out the order for each table and as each item is prepared, the kitchen staff deposit it on this table in readiness for a ‘pick-up’ by the servers.
Plating: Presenting food attractively on a plate, platter, or bowl to increase its appeal to restaurant guests is an art called plating. It involves highlighting the key ingredient with support ingredients while maintaining a balance of colours, textures, shapes, temperatures, and nutritional aspects. A white plate is considered by most as the best background to present their food’s natural colours. Some find it aesthetically better to plate an odd number of pieces rather than even on their plate. Many chefs visualize a clock and have their favourite placement locations for each aspect of the meal corresponding to the hour, for example: protein between nine and eleven o’clock, starch between four and eight o’clock, vegetables between one and three o’clock.
Points/Point system: Refers to the allocation of predefined units for various levels of staff with an intention of equitable distribution of tips.
POP: Point of Purchase is a type of marketing material placed at locations where purchase decisions are made. For instance, a tall menu tent card displayed at a restaurant entrance or danglers hung above a food deli display counter.
Pop-up restaurant: A temporary restaurant where a chef can test-launch his food or a restaurateur can test-launch his concept in a brick and mortar format for just a few days or weeks with a live audience. Also called supper clubs, these restaurants can operate from a home, an existing restaurant during its non-peak hours, an event centre, a gallery, a factory, or even a vehicle, thereby limiting the capital expenditure and the licensing requirements. Patrons are usually informed of pop-up restaurants through social media, and often appreciate their creativity, variety, and affordability.
Portion control: The establishment of standards in a restaurant for the weight, size, and number of items in each dish that the organization will serve consistently regardless of when or by whom.
POS: Point of Sale is the location at which sales transactions occur. While in a restaurant this happens between the guest and the server at the table, the computer terminals referred to as POS terminals, capture sales transactions and print receipts at sideboards nearby.
PR: Public Relations. Endeavours made by the entrepreneur to give a social image to his establishment.
Prepping: The act of preparing the kitchen and dining area of the restaurant for guests in the upcoming shift.
Private equity: Money invested in companies that haven’t gone public, i.e., those that are not listed on the stock exchange.
Product Mix: The full range of products on offer (on the menu).
Proof of concept: Evidence that demonstrates the feasibility of a particular business model or concept, wins the confidence of its investors. For instance, an entrepreneur who with his existing restaurant can show proof of success in terms of consumer demand, return on investment, profitability, operational efficiency, solidity in team, etc., is more likely to be funded to scale up his brand to multiple locations.
Push it: Sell it. A dish may need to be hard-sold at times when it is nearing the end of its shelf life or when money might be lost by not selling the dish immediately.
QSR: Restaurants that were earlier referred to as Fast Food Restaurants are now called Quick Service Restaurants.
Quick and dirty: A task where speed and convenience are more important than quality.
R&D: Research and Development of new products, services or processes that can better fulfil market needs.
Ramekin: Fireproof dishes in which individual portions of savoury or dessert items are both baked and served. A Ramekin is also the name of a food made of cheese, egg, and breadcrumbs prepared within a Ramekin dish.
Ramen profitable: A business that is making just about enough money for its promoters to make ends meet. This buys some time for the business to continue surviving in the marketplace. Being Ramen Profitable is not just good for the morale of the entrepreneur, but also improves the promoter’s relationship with his investors.
Regulars: Guests who patronize a business frequently enough to be rewarded, or at least more personally acknowledged than other guests. Repeat patrons are a critical factor in the success of a restaurant businesses.
Reserves: A company’s assets kept readily available as cash or investments.
Rest room/Area: Space allocated for staff relaxation, changing of attire, and grooming.
Restaurateur: The manager or owner of a restaurant.
RevPAR: Revenue Per Available Room is a measure of the financial performance or health of a hotel. It is a function of room rates (per night) and occupancy.
RevPAR = Total Net Room Revenue † /Number of available rooms in the same period
† net of discounts and taxes, and not including revenue from meals.
RevPAR = Total Net Room Revenue † /Number of available rooms in the same period
† net of discounts and taxes, and not including revenue from meals.
RevPASH: Revenue Per Available Seat Hour is a measure of the financial performance or health of a restaurant. It is a function of seat revenue (per hour) and occupancy.
RevPASH = Total Net Food and Beverage Revenue † / Number of available seats in the same period
† net of discounts and taxes.
RevPASH = Total Net Food and Beverage Revenue † / Number of available seats in the same period
† net of discounts and taxes.
Right of first refusal: A contractual right within a business agreement, that allows one party the privilege of first exercising or rejecting an option granted by the other party. For instance, a landlord may grant his tenant the first right of refusal in extending their agreement beyond the initially proposed period. Only if the tenant declines, can the landlord put his property up for rent to an alternate tenant.
Robot-coupe: A commercial food preparation equipment manufacturer head-quartered in France. It is most renowned for its reliable, heavy duty food processors through industry kitchens across the world.
ROI: Return on Investment, is a measure of business performance that evaluates the efficiency of gains from a particular investment.
Roll-up: Silverware wrapped in a napkin which may be either linen or paper.
Roux: Pronounced ‘Roo’, this is a mixture of equal parts of melted fat (butter or vegetable oil or lard) and flour, cooked together as the base for the three mother sauces of French classical cooking (béchamel, velouté, and espagnole). Roux is also used as a thickener for soups, stews, and gravies. The extent to which the roux is cooked contributes to the flavour and colour of the final dish.
Runner: A food runner is a busboy/busser. A table runner is a table accessory made of narrow fabric or paper used to drape a table at a restaurant.
Running order/On the fly: Refers to an order that needs to be served right away. This is either because the guest is getting late, the rest of the guests at the table have been served, a guest needs to leave urgently, a dish is inedible, or because the waiter has delayed or made a mistake with an order that needs to be replaced or served urgently.
Russian Service: Food pre-cooked and pre-portioned in the kitchen is brought to the table on platters and served quickly and with formality from the left of a guest, usually at banquet functions.
Salamander: An electric or gas powered oven with high temperature overhead heating elements used to grill sandwiches, melt cheese, brown baked dishes, etc.
Same-store sales: A metric that measures growth in restaurants or retail stores that have been doing business for more than 12 months. From the 13th month onwards, the revenue and growth of the restaurant can be compared to its own performance in the same period the previous year. This can be done for a particular week, month or financial quarter the previous year, and once the second year of being in business is complete, you could compare the entire year’s sales to the previous year’s sales.
Sangria: Spanish drink made from sweet red wine, pieces of fresh fruit like orange, lemon, etc., and spices like cinnamon, cloves, etc.
Sanitizing: Cleaning or disinfecting surfaces that are prone to harbouring bacteria and compromising the health or safety of restaurant guests.
SBU: Strategic Business Units are autonomous operational divisions within large companies that have independent missions and objectives. They are small enough to respond quickly to market situations, but large enough to control most factors influencing their long term performance.
SCM: Supply Chain Management covers the management of inventory (either stored or in transit) — right from the raw material stage at the vendor’s premises until the point of consumption and includes all the various work-in-progress stages in between. In the case of food, it involves the management of inventory from farm to plate.
SEC: Socio Economic Classification is the way marketers categorize their potential customers on the basis of occupation and education of the chief wage earner of a household in India. This is based on a flawed assumption that higher education always leads to higher income and therefore higher consumption potential. For instance, a post graduate executive may be likely to have a higher income and therefore higher consumption potential, but a trader or retailer with almost no education may be earning and consuming more.
Server (computer): Main computer that stores consolidated data accessed by other computers or POS units on the network.
Server (person): A waiter or waitress serving the guest.
Service charge: An additional charge for a service for which there is already a basic fee. At a restaurant, it may involve adding an additional percentage of the bill to the total bill, often in lieu of tipping.
Sharking/Poaching (employees): When an entrepreneur or a business head from one restaurant, persuades an employee from a competing restaurant, to join them instead. Fellow restaurateurs often-times call for a truce on poaching so as not to hurt one another’s businesses.
Sharking/Poaching (tables): When a server intercepts guests being led to other tables and redirects them to his own tables for his own benefit.
Shelf life: The amount of time for which a food or other perishable item may be kept on the shelf or served to a guest, without becoming unsuitable for consumption or unsuitable for cooking. A fresh-cream cake for example, may have a “best consumed by” number of hours on the label, after which its freshness may begin to deteriorate.
Shorting: Like short-changing, a cashier may be shorting a restaurant of money, a vendor may be shorting a restaurant of wares, or a guest shorting a restaurant of money due to the restaurant by way of the check.
Sideboard/Station: A pre-service setup area in the dining room containing extra cutlery, crockery, glassware, linen, accompaniments, water jugs, hot plates, POS system, etc.
Signature dish: A recipe that epitomises the distinctive style of cooking of a particular restaurant or a particular chef by which that restaurant or chef may be identified.
Silver service: A formal style of service wherein food is transferred from a service dish to the guest’s plate from his left using a service spoon and fork. Clearing of plates and serving of beverages is done from the guest’s right. Further, guests seated at the table are served clockwise, ladies first followed by the gentlemen and lastly the host.
SLA: Service Level Agreement is a contract between two parties that represents the minimum performance criteria that a service provider promises to deliver to its customer. It usually comprises of service provider deliverables, including basic measurable service level scheduled, problem handling, response time, warranties, penalties payable against gaps in delivery, etc., as well as customer responsibilities.
Smorgasbord: Swedish for Open-faced Sandwich table, this term refers loosely to a buffet of hors d’oeuvres, smoked and pickled fish, hot and cold meats, cheeses, salads, and relishes.
Soft launch: A method of announcing the opening of a restaurant to a limited audience with little fanfare. The intent is to first get their buy-in, before making it available to the general public.
Sommelier: A French term for a wine steward who has expertise in wine varieties, their procurement, storage, and service. In high-end restaurants that offer such wine, a sommelier will help the restaurant select its wines, work in conjunction with the chef to plan the pairing of wines with food, and accordingly recommend suitable options to guests, as per their tastes and budgets.
SOP: Standard Operating Procedures are a set of operational instructions (usually in the form of a manual) with a view to ensure uniformity in the maintenance of predetermined standards of performance and delivery of guest experience.
Sous chef: Literally meaning Under Chef, the number two person after the executive chef or head chef, in charge of the kitchen.
Speed pourer: A device fitted at the mouth of a bottle (usually liquor) to facilitate a speedy flow and accurate quantity of the drink without spillage. Particularly useful during peak hours at a bar, the bartender’s practised hand times each pour to perfection sometimes sliding his thumb or finger over the air-hole to control the pour.
Speed rail: A bottle holder usually made of stainless steel in easy reach of the bartender to facilitate speedy service to guests. Based on the bar menu, the bartender keeps within it the most often used bottles of spirits, other liquors, and mixers.
Stand-alone restaurant: One that is independent of supporting infrastructure such as may be available within a hotel. For example: stores, administrative offices, housekeeping, etc.
Store-in-Store: The location of a restaurant situated within another business such as a mall, theatre, casino, airport, railway station, etc., where the existing patrons of the larger business are tapped as potential patrons of the restaurant. The success or failure of the larger business often influences the destiny of the restaurant and so restaurateurs sometimes try and sign up for such a location with an entrance independent of the mall.
Succession planning: The identification and development of internal talent to meet the future goals of the company. It prepares people for leadership roles in readiness to take charge when the need arises.
Sunny side up: A style of fried egg with only one side cooked, thereby leaving the yolk on top intact like a sun.
Sweat equity: A shareholding in a company earned by an individual’s effort rather than money invested by him in a partnership. In a start-up, apart from co-founding partners who may hold shares by virtue of their “sweat”, some employees may also be offered stock equity alongside a basic salary which is usually lower than a salary that equals their market value.
TA/TM: Target Audience/Target Market are specific groups of customers that are targeted as your ideal guests in a start-up or your preferred guests in an existing restaurant business based on characteristics such as age, gender, income, education, buying habits, etc.
Table d’hôte: A fixed menu prepared in advance, offering limited options at a set price and time.
Table turns: The number of sittings per meal at each table through the opening hours of the restaurant are known as table turns. To ensure and improve profit in the restaurant business, table turns need to be done, though without the guests feeling rushed. For instance, a fine dining restaurant can have two table turns at dinner while a casual dining restaurant with a shorter guest dining time may do three or more table turns.
Tableware: All table appointments in a restaurant, including cutlery, crockery, glassware, linen, cruet set, bud-vase, ashtray, etc.
Tasting menu: An array of dishes served in small portions, specially chosen by the chef as a showcase of the restaurants best offerings.
The floor: Getting on to the floor means getting out of a place of low activity like an office for instance, to an area where the action is! While this mostly refers to areas where the customers are, it is also used in context with back of the house areas of action like the kitchen.
Tips/Gratuity: Money left by the guest in exchange for a service performed.
Top line: The top item of a profit and loss statement, which could variously be the Revenue, Sales, Turnover or Income.
TTL: ‘Through the line’ refers to those sales and marketing techniques which integrate both the ATL and the BTL promotional methods.
Udupi: A little town in Karnataka, India, whose local cuisine was originally cooked at the Krishna Matt Temple in Udupi. Their quick, clean, and economical vegetarian meals, slowly made their way into the hearts of many people in different parts of the country. Starting with their own cuisine including idlis and dosas, they went on to create and offer their own versions of Chinese food and also pizza which are quite popular amongst Indians the world over. In the restaurant business, Udupi restaurants are admired for their resourcefulness and innovation.
Upselling: A sales technique that involves the server exposing the customer to options that are more expensive or more profitable for the establishment.
UPS: Uninterruptible Power Supply is a device that provides energy backup to the IT system during electricity fluctuation or failure, thereby enabling the user to save valuable data.
Upside sharing: Sharing the ‘upside’ with the landlord of a restaurant would mean that in a situation where sales exceeds expectations projected by the restaurateur, he would be willing to share a percentage of those increased sales with his landlord thereby putting both sides in a win-win situation.
USP: Unique Selling Proposition. The distinctive factor that differentiates a product or service from competitors.
Valuation: Determining the worth of a company by analyzing the market value of its assets, its future prospective earnings, the composition of its capital structure, and the quality of the company’s management. Valuation of a company is required during a merger or acquisition, tax assessments, business analysis, etc.
VAT: Value Added Tax is a consumption tax levied at each stage of the production or distribution of a product based on the value added to the product at that stage.
Venture Capital: Money provided to a company in its early stages in return for a share in equity. Though such investment may be considered high risk, high reward, investors with sound business acumen are usually able to identify high-potential businesses that are scalable. Usually, venture capitalists invest after the proof of concept stage.
VFM: Value for Money. The fair amount a consumer perceives a particular product or service to be worth.
Volume discount: When purchasing a large quantity of some supplies, a vendor may be willing to give you a better price.
Waitlist: A list of guests waiting to be seated at a restaurant while it is full. The restaurant representative handling the seating writes down the name of the host of each group in the order they arrive along with the number of their guests. Then as the occupied tables clear up, she allocates a table based on a first-come first-served basis and a match between table size and group size based on the policy of the restaurant. While a celebrity skipping this line rarely goes down well with other waiting guests, a handicapped person skipping it is often more acceptable.
Walk-in (cooler/freezer): A refrigerated storage room for food and beverage within which a person can actual walk-in and collect his requirements.
Walk-in (guest): A guest who directly walks into the restaurant without a prior reservation.
YTD: Year-to-date is the period starting at the beginning of the current year and ending at the current day. It is often used to see how the business is actually faring up to the current day versus its budget for that period in terms of sales, profits, etc.