Service industries, such as food and beverage operations, differ from manufacturing in several ways. The customer is present at the time of both production and service, in manufacturing the customer is not present during the production process. In food and beverage operations, the customer is involved in the creation of the service that is consumed at the point of production with little or no time delay between production and service. The customer is not involved in the creation of manufactured products and there may be a considerable time lag between production and service.
Size and scope of food and beverage operations
If the hospitality industry is considered to cover all undertakings concerned with the provision of food, drink and accommodation away from home, this will naturally include all food and beverage outlets. In other words, food and beverage provision is simply one element of a broader hospitality industry.
In conceptual terms, this raises few problems except possibly with take-away food establishments where in some cases the food may be taken home for consumption even though it is prepared and provided away from home.
In practice, however, there are a number of difficulties in considering the hospitality industry as embracing all food and beverage establishments and outlets.