Food service and drinking establishments typically maintain long dining hours and offer flexible and varied work opportunities. Many food and beverage serving and related workers work evenings, weekends, and holidays. The long business hours allow for more flexible schedules that appeal to many teenagers who can gain valuable work experience. More than one-fifth of all food and beverage serving and related workers were 16 to 19 years old in 2008—about six times the proportion for all workers.
Food and beverage serving workers assist diners at cafeterias.
Food and beverage serving workers assist diners at cafeterias.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement About this section
Most food and beverage service jobs are entry level and require a high school diploma or less. Generally, training is received on the job; however, those who wish to work at more upscale restaurants, where income from tips is greater and service standards are higher, may need previous experience or vocational training.
Education and training. There are no specific educational requirements for most food and beverage service jobs. Many employers prefer to hire high school graduates for waiter and waitress, bartender, and host and hostess positions, but completion of high school usually is not required for fast-food workers, counter attendants, dishwashers, and dining room attendants and bartender helpers. Many entrants to these jobs are in their late teens or early twenties and have a high school education or less. Usually, they have little or no work experience. Food and beverage service jobs are a major source of part-time employment for high school and college students, multiple job holders, and those seeking supplemental incomes.
All new employees receive some training from their employer. They learn safe food handling procedures and sanitation practices, for example. Some employers, particularly those in fast-food restaurants, teach new workers using self-study programs, on-line programs, audiovisual presentations, and instructional booklets that explain food preparation and service skills. But most food and beverage serving and related workers pick up their skills by observing and working with more experienced workers. Some full-service restaurants also provide new dining room employees with some form of classroom training that alternates with periods of on-the-job work experience. These training programs communicate the operating philosophy of the restaurant, help establish a personal rapport with other staff, teach formal serving techniques, and instill a desire to work as a team. They also provide an opportunity to discuss customer service situations and the proper ways to handle unpleasant circumstances or unruly patrons.
Some food serving workers can acquire more skills by attending relevant classes offered by public or private vocational schools, restaurant associations, or large restaurant chains. Some bartenders acquire their skills through formal vocational training either by attending a school for bartending or a vocational and technical school where bartending classes are taught. These programs often include instruction on State and local laws and regulations, cocktail recipes, proper attire and conduct, and stocking a bar. Some of these schools help their graduates find jobs. Although few employers require any minimum level of educational attainment, some specialized training is usually needed in food handling and legal issues surrounding serving alcoholic beverages. Employers are more likely to hire and promote employees based on people skills and personal qualities than education.
Other qualifications. Restaurants rely on good food and customer service to retain loyal customers and succeed in a competitive industry. Food and beverage serving and related workers who exhibit excellent personal qualities—such as a neat appearance, an ability to work as part of a team, and a natural rapport with customers—will be highly sought after. Most States require workers who serve alcoholic beverages to be at least 18 years of age, but some States require servers to be older. For bartender jobs, many employers prefer to hire people who are 25 or older. All servers that serve alcohol need to be familiar with State and local laws concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages.
Waiters and waitresses need a good memory to avoid confusing customers' orders and to recall faces, names, and preferences of frequent patrons. Knowledge of a foreign language can be helpful to communicate with a diverse clientele and staff. Restaurants and hotels that have rigid table service standards often offer higher wages and have greater income potential from tips, but they may also have stiffer employment requirements, such as prior table service experience or higher education attainment than other establishments.
Advancement. Due to the relatively small size of most food-serving establishments, opportunities for promotion are limited. After gaining experience, some dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers advance to waiter, waitress, or bartender jobs. For waiters, waitresses, and bartenders, advancement usually is limited to finding a job in a busier or more expensive restaurant or bar where prospects for tip earnings are better. Some bartenders, hosts and hostesses, and waiters and waitresses advance to supervisory jobs, such as dining room supervisor, maitre d', assistant manager, or restaurant general manager. A few bartenders open their own businesses. In larger restaurant chains, food and beverage service workers who excel often are invited to enter the company's formal management training program.
Chai tea has become very popular in the west and our customers are becoming exposed to it through our coffee service. One of the reasons it’s so compelling is because of the health benefits of tea. You can choose from many different types of teas, Tazo tea, Chai Latte, and even Organic Chai. It has been said that green and black teas have 10 times the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. India has savored this rich and complex beverage (Chai tea) for centuries, along with many others in other parts of the world. Brewed strong with a combination of spices and then diluted with milk and sugar, to enjoy black chai tea. The spices vary depending on the recipe you use, but usually consist of, ginger, pepper cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Usually tea drinkers enjoy Chai tea while it’s hot and sweet. The sweetness brings out the wonderful flavors of the spices. Enjoy experimenting with the spices, try adding dried sliced ginger, ground instead of stick cinnamon, or use pumpkin pie spice. We’d like to make sure you get it, whichever way you like it. Office Supplies USA also does home delivery.
We must act now before the Beverages and More! chain is allowed to open its 82nd store here in our local area, thus moving us one giant step closer to the faceless, cookie-cutter type of community we all want to avoid.
We, the undersigned, urge the City Council to appeal the Planning Commission’s recent decision to allow a Beverages and More! store at 1820 41st Avenue in Capitola. The people of Capitola must have an opportunity to speak out about this threat to the unique character of our community. We and many others like us treasure the fact that the City of Capitola has a number of independently owned and operated wine and spirits retailers, who maintain an important relationship with local wineries. We prefer to give our business to our many local independent merchants, knowing this in turn supports our local wineries and beverage salespeople, which ultimately benefits the entire community.
Capitola has a long tradition of “keeping it local,” supporting the businesses who personally and proudly contribute to the quality of life we all enjoy here. We need your help in our campaign to “keep it local” please SIGN THIS PETITION! and then forward it to any and all people who care about preserving the unique character of our community and protecting our local economy.
Many rural Alaska Natives are drinking more soda and drinks high in sugar, increasing their risk for diabetes, obesity and cavities, Anchorage Daily News reports.
According to a 2006 Alaska Health Department and Social Services survey, about one-third of rural toddlers in Northern and Southwest Alaska on an average day drink two or more cups of a high-sugar beverage, compared with 3% of toddlers in the rest of the state. Rural adults drink about three times as much soda daily as adults living in Anchorage and Fairbanks, another state survey found.
In addition, a recent Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium survey found that 30% of 200 households surveyed in three Yukon-Kuskokwim-area villages reported that they drink local treated water. Most said they did not like the taste, Daily News reports.
The consortium also reports that in about one out of five rural villages, fewer than 10% of the households have running water. State Rep. Mary Nelson (D) said, "Many of the villages that have highest soda pop consumption -- probably the majority -- don't have running water. Or if they do have running water, it's not drinkable." Nelson added that at some rural village stores, soda costs less than water.
Rex Wilhelm, president of rural retailer Alaska Commercial, said there has been a drop in soda sales as more people are choosing to buy energy drinks and flavored water -- which also are high in sugar. "People are trying to make more healthy choices," but the change is not coming quickly enough, he said.
Health officials have tried to encourage residents to drink more water and fewer sugary beverages to prevent the onset of certain diseases. In addition, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the Alaska Native Health Board have asked schools to help reduce the sale of sodas and sugary drinks on campus. The consortium also launched a dental heath campaign, Daily News reports (Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News, 7/20).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
While sports and energy drinks help athletes re-hydrate after a long workout, if consumed on a regular basis they can damage teeth. These beverages may cause irreversible damage to dental enamel, potentially resulting in severe tooth decay according to a study reported in the January/February issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's clinical journal. Dental enamel is the thin, outer layer of hard tissue that helps maintain the tooth structure and shape, while protecting it from decay.
The study continuously exposed enamel from cavity-free molars and premolars to a variety of popular sports beverages, including energy drinks, fitness water and sports drinks, as well as non-cola beverages such as lemonade and ice tea for a period of 14 days (336 hours). The exposure time was comparable to approximately 13 years of normal beverage consumption.
The study findings revealed that there was significant enamel damage associated with all beverages tested. Cola-based drinks may contain one or more acids, commonly phosphoric and citric acids; however, sports beverages contain other additives and organic acids that can advance dental erosion. These organic acids are potentially very erosive to dental enamel because of their ability to break down calcium, which is needed to strengthen teeth and prevent gum disease.
"These findings are important and suggest that caution should be exercised when sipping popular sports beverages over long periods of time," said AGD spokesperson and president-elect Bruce DeGinder, DDS, MAGD. "We recommend altering or limiting the intake of soda and sports drinks and choosing water or milk instead, to preserve tooth enamel and ultimately protect teeth from decay."
his is pretty much the only store in Fresno with a good beer selection so good or bad it must suffice. They have about three 30 foot rows of beer. One domestic only row, one import only row and one row that is half and half. They only get about 8 or 9 of the beers on BA's to 100 list but when they get a sought after beer, like the Abyss, it will usually sit on the shelf for a long time. They have a decent selection of Belgians and a pretty good selection of German beers as well. I am pretty disapointed in their domestic selection though. Famous beer like Dogfish Head 90 and 60 minute, Pliny the Elder and many more are simply never there. In their place are a bunch of mediocre beers that nobody had ever heard of. If you live in Fresno this is all that you have so it will have to do.
This is pretty much the only store in Fresno with a good beer selection so good or bad it must suffice. They have about three 30 foot rows of beer. One domestic only row, one import only row and one row that is half and half. They only get about 8 or 9 of the beers on BA's to 100 list but when they get a sought after beer, like the Abyss, it will usually sit on the shelf for a long time. They have a decent selection of Belgians and a pretty good selection of German beers as well. I am pretty disapointed in their domestic selection though. Famous beer like Dogfish Head 90 and 60 minute, Pliny the Elder and many more are simply never there. In their place are a bunch of mediocre beers that nobody had ever heard of. If you live in Fresno this is all that you have so it will have to do.
Sorry to say Jim, but $15 for a 6pk of Ruination is the same thing I pay here at the SLO BevMo. It is what it is.
According to the cashier at Old Doc's, Fresno is "a no-man's land in terms of craft beer distribution." It sucks, however BevMo is somewhat of an oasis. Pretty good selection of English and California craft brews. Better than the BevMo I visited in Gilroy, but not quite as good as the BevMo in San Luis Obispo.
I must say that the Fresno location has a pretty good selection of Rogue ales. I've seen Chocolate Stout, Shakespeare Stout, Old Crustacean, IIPA, Oatmeal Stout, Kell's Irish Style Lager, and others. The Fresno BevMo is improving their selection as well. Just went in yesterday (12/17/08) and noticed a rather large offering from Avery, Lagunitas (just got in Imperial Red), Coastal Fog, and Deschutes (they had Hop Trip, which I've never seen before). While the selection is still smaller than the SLO BevMo, the quality of the selection is definitely improving.
In terms of quality, I definitely saw several dusty six packs and bombers sitting out. One of which was 2007 Alaskan Smoked Porter (check the date on this review). It's the only place I've seen the stuff, but the lighting and lack of refrigeration make me wonder. I bought a six pack of Nimbus Pale Ale from here and the head erupted when I poured it (read our review if you wish). Hopefully this was just a result of the car ride back to SLO, but the six pack was incredibly dusty when i bought it. EDIT: I've learned that Nimbus has had problems with infected yeast. It seems to fit my description of 'exploding head'.
BevMo is a must stop if you're in Fresno. Sorry, but it doesn't get any better. I look for new stops around Fresno every time I go back. (Tried out Full Circle Brewing Company this past trip, which was definitely interesting...)
this place isn't great, but it's all we have here save for a couple of pubs and microbreweries scattered through town and the rest of our county/valley.
i guess in terms of quality everything is just fine. i've never bought any bogus products here.
service is okay in terms of them being nice while you're checking out but the staff knows absolutely nothing about beer for the most part, a couple of them will look at your selections and tell you they liked something you've tried but that's about it.
selection is average even by bevmo standards from what i understand. there's not very much of a rotation of products, the staples are always there but it seems they just reorder the stuff no one really buys after it finally sells after months of sitting there.
as with all good beer, you're going to pay for it. i rate this a 3 on the price because i can go across the street to world market and get some of the same products for a significaly cheaper price (chimay grand reserve is 12 at bevmo, 9 at world market)
As with every BevMo I have been to, the quality is good. The beer is not usually past its prime. They dont cary too many beers that sit on the shelf for too long, so quality is not usually an issue.
Also as with every BevMo I have ever been to, the service is decent. The employees are courtious, and have some knowledge in beer. I have never been to a BevMo and been overly inpressed with the staffs beer knowledge. I mention certain beers from San Diego, from pretty popular Southern California breweries, and the staff looks at me like I am speaking a different language.
The selection at this BevMo might be the worst one I have ever seen. There was one short row with imports on both sides. The usual German and Belgian selection. Nothing outstanding. The local craft section is only one side plus a short row of coolers. Everything I saw that I was interested in was out, but that may not be the norm, I dont know since it was my first time to this store.
Overall: Moving to Lemoore from San Diego sucks. The beer selection at bars, and stores is awfull. I hoped that this BevMo would be a place to buy the stuff I like. I can say that it has one of the best selections I have found so far, but I am upset with how little beer is available here.
What does it mean to have a Conscious Kitchen? It's a little different for every person, but at its heart, it means knowing where your food comes from, what it is, and how good it is (or isn't) for you and for the environment. It also encompasses the energy it takes to cook, what you're cooking on and storing food in, and even how you clean up and handle waste.
We all know we need to be eating better foods – local, organic, local and organic, humanely raised meat, wild and well-caught fish, packaged foods containing five pronounceable ingredients or less – but they're not always so easy to find. Or it's not always so easy to motivate to find them. Think of this like you think of New Year's resolutions. Choose your own personal goal – make it attainable for better success – and then together we'll methodically get you there. Keep in mind that any conscious steps are better than no conscious steps – 10 percent is better than no percent.
1. We are water. Literally. So we need to be drinking a fair amount of it daily. I say in The Conscious Kitchen what many in the environmental movement – including writers on this website – say: drink tap water in reusable bottles. Unless there is something very wrong with your municipal water or you know your well water is contaminated, there is no reason to drink bottled water. Bottled water is a farce. It usually is the very municipal water you think you're avoiding by buying tap. So you're spending several dollars on something that is free – and less regulated than municipal water, I might add. A total rip off. And then there are all of the eco-implications and repercussions of the actual bottles. Think of the energy used to make those bottles, fill them with water, and then transport them all around. Sure, most places recycle the plastic most water bottles come in (PET #1) but many of those bottles wind up in the trash or in the gutter, not in the recycling bin. And they take 1,000 years to break down in a landfill. Spending money on something that is free and then drinking out of virgin plastic for maybe an hour that will then sit in a landfill for 1,000 years doesn't sound like good common conscious sense to me. So I don't do it.
I drink filtered NYC tap water (the water itself is good, but there could be lead coming out of my ancient building pipes so I choose to run it through an activated carbon filter) out of glass at home, and from a stainless steel bottle on the go. I avoid paying for what is free, and I avoid plastic altogether. For more information on choosing water filters and more on what's wrong with bottled water, see Chapter 6 of The Conscious Kitchen.