Chapter Eight

Answers to Chapter 9 Review Questions


1) Managed services operate on a non-profit-oriented basis. Foodservice operations that are classified as non-profit include airlines, military, elementary schools, universities, health care, and business.


2) There are several features that distinguish non-commercial and commercial foodservice operations. Managed services need to satisfy the guest as well as the client and usually produce food in large quantities. They deal with a volume of business that is more consistent and easier to cater to because the number of meals and portion sizes are pre-planned. As a result of this, hours and benefits are better than those of commercial restaurants, particularly since weekends tend to be quieter than weekdays.


3) School foodservice programs face the challenge of providing good nutrition, but at the same time maintaining sales. Another issue is whether or not to provide free meals to students. Proponents of the program maintain that better nourished children have a better span of attention and are less likely to be absent from school.


4) The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides federal funding for school foodservice. Under NSLP regulations, schools must meet dietary guidelines in order to receive funding. Under these regulations, students must select three to five meal components from a commonly called “Type A” menu, which has limited amounts of fat and saturated fat.

5) A recent trend in college foodservice management is the requirement of nutrition education. On-campus dining is a challenge for foodservice managers because the students eat all their meals on-campus and may quickly become bored with the menu. As an alternative, college food operations offer a variety of meal plans, such as offering students a prepaid credit card that allows them to use the card at various campus outlets and have the value deducted from their credit balance. Recently, many campuses have welcomed fast-food restaurants on campus and the opportunity for take-out foodservice. College foodservice managers need to balance rising costs with declining enrollment and a reduction in state funding. One solution is to fill positions with student employees and make more use of scratch cooking and convenience food, in addition to efficient labor scheduling.

6) With the modern trend of health and nutrition consciousness, fast-food chains on campus may attract more customers than the cafeteria, which offers more healthy choices. On the other hand, fast-food chains offer a win-win situation because they are more convenient in satisfying a fast-paced community. Although they may mean loss of students in the cafeteria, they pay a fee to the food-service company or university which evens out the business of the cafeteria. Overall, competition is good for everyone concerned.


7) Health care foodservices need to provide special meals with specific dietary requirements to the right people in a limited amount of time. With the stay and the number of patients declining, hospital foodservices need to find new ways of generating revenues. In an effort to reduce cost and labor, there has been an increase in “help-yourself” food stations including buffets, salad bars, and dessert bars. Also, entry into the delivery business, like pizza, helps keep costs down.