Exploring Different Types of Dining Establishments – Part 1

Greetings everyone! We often hear about various types of dining establishments such as Vietnamese restaurants, Japanese restaurants, Fine Dining venues, family-owned eateries, fast food joints,... These names sound familiar, don't they?

So what is the most accurate concept of a dining establishment, and what are the differences between these types of restaurants? Let's delve into that with the PasGo BTV team in this article below.

Dining Establishments – Origins and Historical Background

In Sweden, various types of eateries are referred to as 'restauranger”, but those accompanied by a bar or café are sometimes called 'kök', literally meaning 'kitchen', and occasionally a restaurant combined with a bar is referred to as a 'krog', akin to a tavern. (Translated to Vietnamese as a pub).

In the book 'Dishing It Out: An Exploration of the Restaurant Experience', Robert Appelbaum argues that all restaurants can be classified according to a set of socially defined polar parameters: high or low, cheap or upscale, familiar or exotic, formal or casual,... Any restaurant will have varying degrees of style and pricing, offering familiar or novel cuisines to different clientele, etc. Context is as important as style and form: Tacos may be familiar in Guadalajara, Mexico, but exotic in Albania.

Classifying Restaurant Concepts Worldwide

Across the globe, the concept of a restaurant is divided into 7 main types as listed below.

1. Cultural Eateries - Folk Cuisine Establishments

Folk cuisine establishments specialize in traditional or regional culinary delights. For instance, a Chinese restaurant focuses on authentic Chinese cuisine.

2. Rapid Dining Spots - Quick Bites Hub

Rapid dining spots emphasize speedy service. They range from small-scale street vendors with food carts to billion-dollar conglomerates like McDonald's and Burger King. Orders are placed not at tables, but at a front counter (or in some cases, via a vending machine). Customers then carry their food from the counter to their chosen dining area and tidy up after finishing their meal.
Additionally, there may be Drive-through services (allowing customers to purchase food without leaving their cars) or take-out services (food to be consumed elsewhere, also known as takeout, carry-out, to-go, take-away, or parcel in other parts of the world).

Fast food establishments, commonly known in the restaurant industry as QSRs (quick-service restaurants), are recognized for their swift service.

1. Budget-friendly Quick Eateries - Fast Casual Dining

Fast casual dining spots are predominantly chain restaurants, such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread. The variety of food offered at these fast casual restaurants is more extensive compared to fast food chains. They do not provide full table service, with many offering disposable plates and utensils. The quality of food and prices tend to be higher than fast food restaurants but lower than casual dining establishments.

2. Popular Budget Dining - Casual Dining Spots

A popular affordable dining establishment, also known as a casual dining restaurant or sit-down eatery, serves reasonably priced meals in a laid-back, unpretentious atmosphere. Except for buffet-style restaurants, these casual dining establishments typically offer table service. Examples include Harvester in the United Kingdom and TGI Friday's in the United States.

These restaurants occupy the market segment between Fast Food and Fine Dining establishments. Casual dining spots usually feature a bar area with service staff, a full beer menu, and a limited wine menu.

In the United States, casual dining establishments are often (though not necessarily) part of larger restaurant chains. In Italy, such casual dining restaurants are often referred to as 'trattoria' - they are typically independently owned and operated.

3. Upscale Casual Dining - Premium Casual Spots

Popular upscale dining venues (Premium casual restaurants) originated from Western Canada and include chains like Cactus Club Cafe, Earl's, and JOEY. Premium Casual is often understood as a step up from Fast Casual dining.
Similar to Casual Dining restaurants, Premium Casual establishments typically have a dining room section and an additional lounge section with multiple screens. These restaurants are often located in city centers or shopping districts, attracting trendy urbanites. Premium casual restaurants offer diverse menus including sandwiches, steaks, seafood, pizza, pasta, and Asian cuisine (burgers, steaks, seafood, pizza, pasta, and Asian foods).

4. Family Style Dining - Homely Dining Experience

A family style restaurant is a type of casual dining establishment where meals are often served on platters and guests serve themselves. Family style restaurants are also often understood as family-friendly diners or typical casual restaurants.

5. High-end Dining - Fine Dining Experience

Fine dining restaurants offer full-service dining, meticulously catering to each stage of a meal. Decor in these fine dining establishments often utilizes higher-quality materials, with certain dining etiquette rules that guests typically adhere to, sometimes including dress codes.

Fine dining restaurants are sometimes referred to as “white-tablecloth restaurants”, as traditionally, tables are often covered with white tablecloths. The tablecloth has become emblematic of the experience. While the use of white tablecloths is less fashionable today, the upscale service environment still prevails.

3. Understanding the Term “Casual”

In English, “Casual” originally means “Normal, informal”.
In the Hospitality Industry, Casual is a term referring to part-time service staff for weddings, conferences, or kitchen departments. In hotels or restaurants offering event or wedding services, they often opt for the most cost-effective solution for staffing these occasions, ensuring both cost-efficiency and adequate service staff quantities by hiring Casual employees.

In the fashion or lifestyle realm: Casual style or Casual fashion, Casual attire, these are all terms referring to a simple and practical fashion style, easy to apply.

4. Comparative Summary Table - 7 Types of Restaurant Formats

5. Reality in Vietnam

In Vietnam, there isn't a specific definition for each type of restaurant, they are mostly referred to using their English names like Fast Food restaurants, Fine Dining restaurants, etc. The Vietnamese names provided in the content above are explanations translated by our editorial team for better understanding.

The concept of the 7 main types of restaurants mentioned above, as defined globally, is merely for reference. In reality, in Vietnam, we often find it easiest to distinguish 3 types of restaurants:

• Ethnic - Restaurants with cultural or national characteristics.
• Fast Food - Quick eateries
• Fine dining - Luxury, 5-star restaurants

The other types of restaurants: Fast Casual, Casual Dining, Premium Casual, Family Style - in Vietnam, there isn't much differentiation, and they often blend styles. The concept of 'restaurants' that we commonly refer to in Vietnam daily usually falls into the Casual Dining (budget-friendly eateries) and Premium Casual (high-end restaurants with lounge areas) categories.

According to information from the Vietnam Restaurant Association, as of 2020, there are over 540,000 restaurants, bars, eateries... operating nationwide. Among them, there are over 400,000 small eateries, 80,000 independent restaurants, as well as restaurants in hotels, invested systematically, and other types. The bar and café segment accounts for over 13% and shows the most robust growth rate.

Here lies the intriguing history and essence of various restaurant types. May this article provide invaluable insights to all diners, especially those immersed in the F&B industry, aiding them in their endeavors.

>> Explore further in Part 2: Understanding Various Restaurant Types – Variations and Terminology

Wishing all entrepreneurs boundless success!
Warm regards,

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References: wikipedia, travelaway, webrestaurantstore

Image sources: Internet

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