The hospitality and tourism industry in Virginia has gone through a considerable number of changes in the previous years. In spite of th growth and development experienced in the restaurant industry, the challenges faced by players in the industry are inclusive of the increasing labor costs as well as the complicated legislative and regulatory landscape of the state. The provisions identified an increase in the pressure on the performance of the businesses and their bottom lines. One of the safety regulations that the state is introducing is the idea of having a certified food protection manager in an establishment. This regulation requires restaurants to have at least an employee in a supervisory or management capacity to direct and control the preparation of food in restaurants (Roberts, 2001). The main challenge that comes up from this requirement is the idea that it is difficult to find a qualified employee that can fill such a position in an establishment.
A section of the food safety regulations demanding for an employee to fill the identified capacity should be an individual that can demonstrate proficiency of the required food safety information. The individual filling the position should share knowledge with other employees by passing a test that is in line with the state's accredited program. However, the section of the regulation on food safety does not apply to the establishments that serve non-temperature control for the safety of food (Berger & Parenteau, 2010). Such establishments are characterized by the idea that food handling should not exceed cold and hot holding, or reheating for the commercially processed ready-to-eat foods.
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The regulatory provision means that all the restaurants in the state of Virginia, including temporary restaurants, should have a supervisor of one member of staff in the management position to qualify as a certified food protection manager. The fundamental objective of the regulation relates to the idea that the state administration is not focused on imposing undue as well as complicated regulations on the restaurants in the state. Instead, the state administration wants to assist restaurants in understanding and implementing primary food safety measures. The measures are put in place by administrative bodies to ensure public safety. The reason for this consideration is based on the idea that a certified food protection manager can improve the safety ratings of a given establishment (Berger & Parenteau, 2010). In this case, the employee will be in a better position to ensure that a restaurant has few inspection violations, which is one of the provisions that can assist in reducing the foodborne illness outbreaks in the region.
For restaurants to ensure compliance with the regulation, the basic step would be to ensure that one of the supervisors or managers takes a food safety training course. The individual should also pass the accredited certificate program. There are a few options available for the training course. In spite of the limited options, the National Restaurant Association offers the ServSafe manager certification (National Restaurant Association, 2017). This certification is one of the top programs in the country. A restaurant supervisor or manager can take the course and complete the exam in presumably one day. The individual can use the established class dates at the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association, which is an establishment that constitutes several reliable instructors. For this reason, taking the classes will assist restaurants to ensure the safety of their guests.
The computerization of food service and lodging operations has brought about several benefits. One of the benefits attached to the adoption of computerization by a considerable number of establishments is the idea that the lodgings and foodservice operators can record their sales, their employee hours, and their inventory to ensure that the business needs of the different establishments are improved (Zainal et al ., 2012). Through the computer systems, it would be possible for employees in the establishments to record all the transactions easily as well as the reservations for the lodgings. However, setting up such a system can be costly. In spite of the attached costs, the computerization of establishments in the food services and lodging industries is recommended.
Concerning the aspect of the best way through which the relationships between food service, lodging, and meeting segments can be improved, it is essential to consider their interdependence. According to Zainal et al . (2012), the food service, lodging, as well as meeting segments can be combined to serve the needs of different people such as business travelers. Even though there are a considerable number of stand-alone restaurants or food trucks in the state, a combination of the three segments could be considered as one of the most suitable strategies that would factor in the needs of the business as well as leisure travelers. A combination of the three segments is also vital for ensuring that an establishment in the hospitality industry makes more profit since all the services being offered will be under a single unit. On the other hand, guest satisfaction one of the fundamental components of the hospitality industry (Lu, Berchoux, Marek & Chen, 2015). For this reason, combining the different segments will assist in ensuring a shared objective between the segments, which is one of the elements that can decrease expenses and increase the revenue of a particular establishment.
Several advantages are tied to the idea of introducing gaming entertainment. On the one hand, gaming entertainment is one avenue through which an establishment in the hospitality industry can increase its revenue. On the other hand, the economic benefits of introducing gaming entertainment relate to the idea that it opens up job opportunities for individuals in the state. For the identified reasons, the expansion of this segment on other segments in the industry would improve the industry through the creation of more revenue streams and provide people with the opportunity to make a living.
In conclusion, it is essential to take note of the idea that the hospitality and tourism industry in Virginia has the potential to grow further due to the opportunities in place. The independence, as well as a synergy of the different segments in the industry, provides opportunities for investors to improve service delivery in the entire industry. In spite of the challenges that individuals operating in the industry face, the entire industry can thrive when the players follow the regulations set by the government authorities, and by introducing other services such as gaming entertainment. On the other hand, adopting a computerized system is essential for deriving integrated solutions for ensuring the effective operations of the establishment from the front office to the back office arrangements. These provisions can improve the performance of a firm operating in the industry as well as the performance of the employees.
References
Berger, L. M., & Parenteau, C. L. (2010). Food safety for managers . Boston, MA: Berger Food Safety Consulting.
Lu, C., Berchoux, C., Marek, M., & Chen, B. (2015). Service quality and customer satisfaction: qualitative research implications for luxury hotels. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research , 9 (2), 168-182. doi: 10.1108/ijcthr-10-2014-0087
National Restaurant Association. (2017). ServSafe Coursebook . Prentice Hall.
Roberts, C. A. (2001). The food safety information handbook . Westport, CT: Oryx Press.
Zainal, A., Radzi, S. M., Hashim, R., Chik, C. T. & Abu, R. (2012). Current Issues in Hospitality and Tourism: Research and Innovations. CRC Press.
