Various types of food service operations exist in Nigeria, catering to diverse preferences and economic levels. The food service industry is vast, encompassing more than just restaurants.
Individuals can find operations that align with their tastes and financial capacity, ranging from roadside table stands to fine dining establishments. This article explores the different types of food service operations in Nigeria, highlighting their characteristics and significance.
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Overview of Restaurant Operations
1. Restaurants
Restaurants range from full-service, sit-down establishments to walk-up, self-service, or limited-menu operations. They differ in the type of service, food served, décor, and prices.
Numerous full-service and walk-up restaurants operate across Nigeria, some as part of national chains, family businesses, partnerships, or sole proprietorships. The majority of full-service restaurants are independently operated.
Self-service restaurants are typically found in large hotels such as Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Federal Palace Hotel, and Transcorp Hilton. The buffet service in these hotels allows customers to select their desired food for a single price and serve themselves quickly.
An example of a walk-up restaurant is Mama Cass, where customers approach the counter, receive their food, pay, and either sit to eat or take the food away. Walk-up restaurants are prevalent in cities across Nigeria.
In all these restaurants, a significant portion of the food is produced from raw ingredients, usually on the premises, requiring skilled preparation and personnel.
Characteristics of Fast Food Operations
A key feature of fast food restaurants is their ability to provide food quickly to customers, with menus offering multiple variations of a few types of items priced separately.
Quick service is possible due to reduced production requirements for the food served. Another notable feature is the low labor requirement, as kitchens are more automated than those in full-service operations, and most kitchen utensils are disposable. These factors help keep operating costs low.
Role of Social Catering Services
The majority of food service operators in Nigeria fall into the category of social caterers, as the startup cost is relatively low. This sector is labor-intensive rather than capital-intensive, allowing individuals to operate from their own kitchens.
In this type of food service operation, food is prepared in one location and transported to another for serving. Services range from simple food and beverage preparation to complete party planning.
Social caterers deliver and serve at offices, schools, and various social gatherings, relieving individuals and corporate bodies of the stress of planning and managing events.
Function of Commercial Cafeterias
Commercial cafeterias are set up similarly to school cafeterias. In school cafeterias, particularly in universities and some offices, food is prepared and served from steam tables to customers who walk through a line to pay for each item individually.
Commercial cafeterias differ from school cafeterias by offering more menu choices and being open to the public. Customers have control over the composition of their meals and the price.
Food Service in Guest Houses or Hotels
The role of food service in guest houses and hotels is significant, as travelers require comfort after a long journey. Whether through a full-service restaurant, catering department, or room service, these operations provide essential services to hotel guests.
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Operations of Bars and Club Houses
This segment of the food service industry is less reliable. Bars and nightclubs frequently open but often experience a decline in sales and close down shortly after. Despite their popularity, insecurity in the country and social pressures from figures like pastors have led to reduced patronage of club houses.
Catering and Banquet Services
Catering and banquet services serve both hotel guests and local residents who wish to dine out. Banquet rooms are designed to accommodate various group sizes with ease of movement. This is evident in hotels like Sheraton and Federal Palace Hotel. These banquets and catered functions generate a significant portion of revenue for the hotel’s food and beverage department.
Food Service in Grocery and Convenience Stores
Grocery and convenience stores now include fully stocked delicacies packaged and stored in freezers. Some provide microwave ovens for customers to heat their food and offer spaces for dining in or packaging food for takeout.
Certain stores lease spaces to fast food companies to expand food offerings. This segment is the fastest-growing in the food service industry.
A visit to Shoprite in the Lekki or Ikeja areas of Lagos, Nigeria, confirms this, with large numbers of people queuing to buy food from the fast food section 24/7.
Many grocery and convenience stores across major cities in Nigeria, such as UTC and Park & Shop, lease spaces to fast food companies for small operations within their stores.
Popularity of Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt
The popularity of ice cream and frozen yogurt continues to grow, especially in tropical regions during periods of high temperature. Ice cream and yogurt hawkers are a common sight along streets and near school premises, selling products packed in insulated containers attached to bicycles.
Ice cream and yogurt shops are emerging across the country to meet the demand of the population. Operators such as Fan Milk PLC and Supreme Ice Cream are already addressing this need.
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