Facts About Dining

More than two out of three adults agree that going out to a restaurant with family and friends gives them an opportunity to socialize and is a better way to make use of their leisure time than cooking and cleaning up. Virtually all restaurants allow customers to customize their meals, whether it is the food-preparation method or substitution of food items to meet their needs. Restaurants provide a variety of sizes including appetizers, half-portions, full portions, and even double portions. Over 70% of consumers are more interested in customizing their food choices today than they were two years ago. A restaurant doesn't create a niche, it taps into one. Any restaurant that fails to meet customer demands will not survive.

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The restaurant industry is an integral part of the U.S. economy. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, 4 percent of all employed men, 6 percent of all employed women and 20 percent of all employed teenagers worked in the restaurant industry in 1998. In addition, the BLS projects that the number of workers in the restaurant industry will reach 12.5 million by the year 2008 making it the largest employer outside the government.

In 2003 the restaurant industry logged the following statistics:

Sales...........…….426 Billion

Locations.......…..870,000

Employees.......…11.7 Million

Share of Food $...46.6%

Meals...........……54 Billion

Typical Person.....4.2 meals / wk

Some common restaurant terms are:

• Cafe
• Bistro
• Buffet
• Full Service Restaurant
• Gratuity
• Waiter