Food Service Management Courses: What Will I Learn?

When Current Employment Statistics Highlights was released in November 2017, no one was surprised to learn food services accounted for the greatest increase in the hospitality and services industry.The hospitality industry is trending, especially in food service management. “This trend is very tied to the overall economy,” said Phil Gardner of Michigan State’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute. “Consumers feel they can take more vacations, dine out more.”

Food Service Industry Trends in 2018

Business-shaping predictions for 2018 can affect your future in food service management. Some of these trends include:

• Asian island cuisine
• Data-driven restaurant operations
• Easier carryout processes, more delivery, and grocery-store-meal concepts
• Greater 65-and-older employment in food-service industry
• Increased focus on minimum wage and immigrant-workers issues
• More on-the-job training programs
• Probiotic, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory food selections

What You Will Learn and Why It’s Important

If you’re an avowed foodie and you love to cook, that’s a great foundation for a life in the food services industry. But food service management takes your passion to a business level. You need skills that not only cover the basics of food creation and serving, but also customer management and hospitality knowledge involved with overseeing any size food-related operation.

Your classes could help you better understand:

Financial Management

You may be handling other people’s money more than ever, so employers want to feel confident in your ability to “do the math.” Most businesses are driven by profit and loss; even charitable organizations work toward cutting expenses wherever and whenever possible. You need to understand financial reports and you may need to create them. Courses may include:

• Accounting
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Cost controls
• Facility management and design
• Financial management
• Revenue management

Leadership

Management skills are certainly required as a food service professional, but leadership involves inspiring others to want a superior quality of deliverables, and to be excited about working with you, not for you. Leadership qualities include honesty and respect for others. Coursework may include:

• Business ethics
• Exposure to industry leaders
• Motivating diverse workforces
• Strategic planning and implementation

Operations Management

Few customers contemplate the behind-the-scenes processes that lead to their restaurant lunch or nutritionally balanced meal. But behind the scenes is exactly where a Bachelor of Science in Food Service Management may often take you, as you keep beverages flowing smoothly and events occurring on time and within budget. Courses may include:

• Beverage program design
• Creating outstanding customer service systems
• Project management
• Restaurant Simulation
• Traditional and social media marketing

Learning is a Lifestyle Choice

Financial freedom is important, but spending your life doing something you enjoy is more valuable than money. When you want to live better and when you want a job that gives you pleasure and fulfillment, you should do all you can to make it happen.

Are you interested in becoming a food service manager? If your dream includes earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Service Management, you can turn to ECPI University’s Culinary Institute of Virginia for the education you need. For more information on this exciting program, connect with a friendly admissions counselor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.