1/21/2025 4:18:11 AM	CUL 258.4 Course Outline as of Fall 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  CUL 258.4	Title:  INTRO TO FRONT HOUSE OPS
Full Title:  Introduction to Front House Operations
Last Reviewed:1/13/2025

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	1.00	Lecture Scheduled	1.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	17.50
Minimum	1.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	1.00			Contact Total	17.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  35.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 52.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade Only
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  CUL 256.3

Catalog Description:

Students will be introduced to the management of front house operations in a variety of environments, including hotels, restaurants, wineries, and catering businesses. Introduces principles of revenue, profit and cost controls, employee recruiting and training, menu planning and food production, and sales and marketing.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL C1000 or EMLS 10 or equivalent or appropriate placement based on AB705 mandates.

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

Students will be introduced to the management of front house operations in a variety of environments, including hotels, restaurants, wineries, and catering businesses. Introduces principles of revenue, profit and cost controls, employee recruiting and training, menu planning and food production, and sales and marketing.

(Grade Only)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL C1000 or EMLS 10 or equivalent or appropriate placement based on AB705 mandates.
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify and describe a food and beverage business's concept/theme.

2. Identify and describe a food and beverage business's operations including revenue, costs, controls, purchasing, and pricing.

3. Identify and describe a food and beverage business's customer service philosophy and practices.

4. Identify and describe a food and beverage business's employee recruitment and training.

5. Identify and describe a food and beverage business's sales and marketing strategies.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Summarize the types of income and expense found in a food and beverage business's budget.

2. Describe factors affecting the costs of food and beverages.

3. Describe the responsibilities of the management personnel of a variety of food and beverage businesses.

4. Describe the key employee positions of a variety of food and beverage businesses and describe how each is recruited and trained.

5. Describe how a food and beverage business's menu reflects its concept and customer demographics.

6. Discuss sales and marketing options for increasing a food and beverage business's visibility and sales.

Topics and Scope

I. Revenue, Expense, and Profit

    A. Projecting sales and the factors that affect sales

    B. Budget: income and expense items

    C. Determining cost as a percentage of sales

    D. Factors that affect cost of food and labor

II. Manager's Duties and Responsibilities

    A. Employee recruiting and training

    B. Supervision and leadership

    C. Customer relations

    D. Interface with owner or supervisor

III. Key Culinary and Service Employee Positions

    A. Duties

    B. Responsibilities

    C. Recruiting, training, and employee retention

IV. Product Selection and Food Production

    A. Planning a menu according to demographics and market demand

    B. Menu creation process

    C. Concept and theme

V. Sales and Marketing Strategies

    A. Creating sales in-house

    B. Marketing the business

Assignments:

1. Field trips to food and beverage businesses (4 - 6), which occur during regular class hours

2. Browse and research the websites of the businesses scheduled for field trips prior to the visit (ungraded)

3. Maintain a field notebook of field trip visits (ungraded)

4. Write a 2-3 page synopsis of each of the businesses visited on field trips, addressing the topics of focus

5. Final exam

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 30 - 50%
Field trip synopses
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 30 - 50%
Final exam
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 10 - 20%
Attendance and participation

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Instructor prepared materials

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