Selecting a food service system: a review

Purpose – The selection of a food service system (cook‐chill, cook‐freeze and cook‐hot‐hold) is a major strategic initiative, which involves a large capital investment. Each system has specific advantages and disadvantages and each is most suited to a particular set of operational conditions. The paper provides an inventory of data on the efficiency of the systems, identifies deficiencies as well as future needs and tools in the research in this field. Design/methodology/approach – An overview of the studies supporting the decision‐making process – the identification of the need for a system, evaluation of different systems, system selection, implementation and analysis of outcomes. Findings – The paper demonstrates the lack of up‐to‐date objective data substantiating the benefits of the systems in the commercial and institutional hospitality sectors. It suggests a conceptual framework linking food preparation technologies with the elements of strategic marketing as well as statistical techniques, which can be used in the development of a model describing these relationships. Total productivity can be used as an indicator of the overall performance of a system. Research limitations/implications – Future studies should address the need for quantitative assessment of the aggregate effect of operational and financial factors including those related to construction, menu design, productivity and food quality. Originality/value – The analysis of inputs/outputs and the possible research methodologies would be of interest to researches and educators, industry practitioners and other stakeholders in the efficient food provision in the tourism/hospitality/institutional sectors.