Answer to Question 1
Consumers increasingly enjoy products that are locally grown or produced. This includes wine products. Managers must carefully monitor the desires of their wine drinking guests to determine how much demand exists for locally produced wine products. When such demand is sufficient to justify the addition of locally produced wines to an operation's wine list, it is most often in the best interest of an operation to add such wines and to satisfy that guest demand.
Answer to Question 2
A banquet is a dining event that typically honors a special guest(s), such as a business awards lunch, or in celebration of a special occasion, such as a school graduation banquet. Many foodservice operators have fixed banquet menus that are limited to the choices offered on the menu. This is a very important feature of banquet-style service because it helps the establishment accommodate a diverse clientele. Another important feature which sets banquet style service apart from restaurant service is that all elements of the event are predetermined: the date, number of guests, the type of tables used, start and end time, and style of service used. This helps the establishment order the correct amount and type of food in addition to accurately scheduling employees.
A catered event is where the menu is created for the specific occasion. The nature of the catered event typically influences that menu, such as a wedding reception, birthday party, anniversary party, Christmas or New Year's Eve party, bar or bah mitzvah, or any other special occasion. The menu is always predetermined. Occasionally a second choice may be offered to guests or to guests who may have dietary restrictions. A catered event could
be on or off premise. An on-premise catered event takes place at a restaurant or hotel. An off-premise catering event can take place away from a restaurant or hotel in a natural environment such as a botanical garden, near a scenic waterway, or at a historical landmark.
A buffet allows guests to select the food and serve themselves. The buffet may be formal or informal and is appropriate with either a simple or an elaborate menu. The advantages of a buffet are, a restaurant establishment can service a large group of guests in a short amount of time and they can provide a wide variety of food to accommodate many likes and dislikes. Guests like buffets because they can choose what suits their personal portion size and taste.