Generally speaking, fast-food outlets refer to places that serve quickly prepared meals with little table service or culinary flair – meaning meals that can be served by counter order-takers or self-serve stations. Some common characteristics of fast-food establishments include a drive-thru window/service, discounts for combo-meals, standardized menu items served in abundant portions intended for easy take-out services.
What Is a Food Outlet?
A food outlet is a small building, tent or kiosk that sells food. The enterprise is motivated to please its guests regardless of convenience, quality, or other factors. An outlet is a point of sale of Food and Beverage item. Food and Beverage outlets vary depending on the size of the hotel, the number of rooms, types of the menu offered, and the standard of customers’ expectations. Coffee Shop is the main dining room of lodging properties. The coffee shop provides an A la Carte menu as well as an elaborate buffet for breakfast, lunch and diner. Room service is the food and beverage service outlet in hotels, which provides the facility of serving the guest food and beverage in his room. Service is done on trays or trolleys.
The fast-food concept was first introduced in the USA and has now become popular around the world. It is characterized by the speed of service and the affordable price of the menu items. Commercial foodservice establishments accounted for the bulk of food-away-from-home expenditures.
Distinction Between Restaurants and Outlets
What is the difference between a restaurant and an outlet? A restaurant usually has waiters that serve you food to your table. At a fast-food outlet, you need to order at the counter and pay before you get your food.
Fast casual dining outlets are similar to fast food outlets except the quality and prices of the menu are somewhat higher. Typically, these outlets:
- Operate in chains or as franchises
- Are heavily advertised
- Offer limited menus
- Offer speed, convenience, and familiarity to diners
- Do not generally employ chefs
- Prepare food according to a standardized format
- Serve food in a packaged form
A ‘restaurant’ implies a place where you can sit down at tables to eat the food, whereas an ‘outlet’ is anywhere that sells fast food. It is a Food and Beverage outlet that mainly serves snacks and beverages 24 hours a day.
How is a Mall different from an Outlet? The main difference between a mall and an outlet is in scale. Malls are larger structures that contain several stores, and consequently, offer much more to customers. Outlets are smaller and more specialized buildings that sell a particular brand of merchandise – often at a discount. There are almost 500 outlet malls in the U.S.
What’s the difference between outlets and malls? Outlet malls look like normal retail malls but are not quite as upscale. They have fewer amenities and rarely offer movies or standalone restaurants. Outlet malls offer many stores and even new merchandise.