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74 catering
example, loans may be repaid out of the proceeds
of selling fixed assets, or by reducing working
capital. However, there are clearly limits to the
extent to which fixed assets and working capital
can be reduced if the business is to be maintained,
so that in the longer run it is operating cash flow
and hence profitability which matter. The crucial
importance of cash flow means that the financial
controls of an organisation should include cash
flow planning and control.
casino see gambling
catering
SIMON ARCHER, UK
Catering, in the United States, is the provision of
food, supplies and services for specific functions on
particular dates and at given locations. Elsewhere,
the term `catering' may indicate the full spectrum
of what is termed in the US as food service, and
includes the provision of food and service in any
venue. Catering in the US has developed as a
distinct segment of the food service sector spanning
a broad spectrum of commercial operations
providing a variety of catering services. These
services include three primary types: banquet hall,
off-premise and mobile unit.
Banquet hall catering, termed function catering
in the UK, comprises independent units and those
attached to hotels, convention or conference
centres, and restaurants. This type of catering can
provide several million dollars in revenue for a
medium-size or large hotel. Generally, every major
hotel and convention centre has banquet hall space.
Off-premise catering involves the taking of all food,
supplies and services to a location designated by
the client. Off-premise events vary from the simple
picnic in the park for fifty to the formal dinner for
eight in the home, to the corporate entertainment
tent for 3,000 at the Olympics. Special event
catering is a type of off-premise catering which
requires a particularly high level of planning and
coordination due to the high volume. Events such as
the Super Bowl require 300 servers just for the VIP
boxes, but for only eight hours on one day. Mobile
unit catering utilises specially designed trucks for
provision of service to work sites. The units are
equipped to serve fast food items and snacks, and
are generally supplied by a commissary kitchen
facility.
Catering differs from other segments of the food
service sector by virtue of the diverse roles often
assumed by the caterer. Clients often expect the
caterer to provide more than the food and service.
A partial list of additional supplies and services
which may be requested include entertainment,
equipment, transportation of guests and valet
parking at site. The caterer provides quality food
and service in the comfort of their on-site banquet
hall today, and 100 miles from their property and
all other services the next day. Catering is a growth
area for the food service sector. The expansion of
the corporate business market and the home meal
replacement market will both continue to contribute
to the growth of the catering industry.
Further reading
Jones, P. �1996) `Outdoor catering', in P. Jones �ed.),
Introduction to Hospitality Operations, London:
Cassell. �Provides a overview of this sector of
the UK hospitality industry.)
catering, airline
JERALD W. CHESSER, USA
Airline catering is the provision of food service by
an airline for in-flight service and sometimes for
employee cafeteria service. An airline's flight
kitchen�s) prepare meals, snacks and other food
items, usually at the airline's main airport hub�s).
The catering may also be performed for other
airlines, thus serving as a revenue source. Some
airlines outsource their food service to either
another airline or a third-party provider.
causal model
FREDRICK M. COLLISON, USA
Causal models are mathematical representations of
relationships between two variables �X and Y)