What is Casual Dining? A Detailed Guide

What is Casual Dining?

Casual dining is when you visit an affordable restaurant that offers a comfortable experience in a relaxed atmosphere, including the food, ambiance, and service. A casual dining restaurant gives you an at-ease dining experience.

The Casual Dining Experience

 Let’s talk about the 3 components we mentioned at the beginning.

Ambiance 

You'll notice the atmosphere when you step foot in a casual dining restaurant. 

• Casual dining restaurants have lively lighting, which consists of a combination of warm yellow lights (to help you feel comfortable) and bright white lights (to illuminate the space)
• The internal decor is designed to be friendly to all age and family demographics. There can be a combination of seating options, including single-seat stools, table and chair seating for families, and sofa seating for older people.
• You’ll notice some sort of entertainment, like low background music or TV. Lively wall decor is also prominent in casual dining restaurants that reflect their brand image. 

Service

You should expect quality service in a casual dining restaurant. 

• On entering, guests go through a host desk that will let them know if there is seating available to accommodate you. Then they’ll direct you to the sitting area and you can move on to find yourself a seat.
• After finding yourself a seat, you can either go to the counter and order yourself or wait for a server to greet you and take your order.
• After confirming your order, you will have to wait at your seat and the food will be served at your table.

Cuisine

Different casual dining restaurants have different cuisine plans. Most restaurants serve one or two cuisines, while others can have a bunch of different options. Since the goal is not culinary perfection but good food in a comfortable and laid-back environment.. 

• Chefs in casual dining restaurants are experts in cuisine. 
• Expect your food to be made with good-quality ingredients. 
• No matter what cuisine you choose for your dining, menus are made to cater to a family, including full-service and kid-friendly meals. 

Casual Dining Etiquette

Dress code for guests

• The dress code for guests is casual and comfortable attire. Sweatpants and casual wear are allowed in most restaurants. 
• Avoid swimsuits, flip-flops, or beachwear simply because of public wear etiquette.

Behavioral etiquette

• Punctuality is a big factor in any restaurant you eat at. You can get a seat at a full-service casual restaurant the moment you arrive but there is also an option for getting your seats reserved. If that’s the case, make sure you are on time. In case you’re running late, call the restaurant to let them know, because most casual-dining restaurants have a high traffic of guests and they could cancel your reservation without the obligation of telling you in advance.
• When you get seated, don’t use your phone too often on the table. 
• Most casual-dining restaurants in the US are family-friendly which means you can talk and have fun at the table. You are allowed to talk casually on the table but for the sake of public etiquette, don’t shout or yell as to not disturb the working environment and the other guests.

How much to tip

• Most casual dining restaurants include a tip percentage in the bill when you checkout. If you are new to a restaurant and want to get an idea beforehand, check out the restaurant’s website or social media.
• If the tip is not mentioned, a 15-25% tip of the total bill before tax is considered polite in the US.
• Please note that it's rare to tip below 15% in casual dining settings in the US.

Casual Dining Restaurant Staff

The staff at the casual dining restaurant consists of a front of the house and a back of the house. The front of the house includes the management, that you can see serving you. The back-of-the-house management includes the staff that you don’t see, like the people working in the kitchen. 

• Back-of-House (BOH): Includes the Executive Chef, Sous Chefs, Line Cooks, Prep Cooks, and Dishwashers.
• Front-of-House (FOH): Comprises General Manager, Host/Hostess, Server, Bartender, and Busser.

Casual Dining Food

You'll find these types of menus in casual dining restaurants.

1. A la carte menu

À la carte" is a French phrase that translates to "according to the menu." When you choose each dish from a list of separately priced menu items, that means you order à la carte. It is the most common type of menu that you can see at almost every restaurant. 

For example, if you go to a Chinese restaurant, you can pick gravy as the main dish and then order rice, noodles, and salad separately to make your complete meal.

2. Prix Fixe menu

Prix fixe is also a French term meaning "fixed price." This menu type offers a multi-course meal at a set price. You can have a 3 or 4-course meal (an appetizer, main course, and dessert or sometimes soup ), and you get the option to choose from the given options.

For example, in the prix fixe menu, you can select one appetizer from the three listed and the main dish and dessert as you go on in the course. The entire set has a total fixed price, no matter what option you go for.

3. Children's Menu

The children's menu is specifically designed for children under a specific age. It typically features simple dishes that are appealing to kids. The portions are smaller to suit children's appetites and include popular items such as chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, mini burgers, pasta, and pizza. 

Additionally, some children's menus offer healthier options like fruit cups, vegetables, and grilled items. 

4. Dessert Menu

A dessert menu is exclusively for sweet treats, usually offered at the end of a meal. A lot of casual dining restaurants serve this after the meal. But you’ll also see the deserts being placed with the savory dishes on the a la carte menu . It displays a variety of desserts, such as cakes, pies, ice cream, etc. 

5. Beverage Menu

The beverage menu lists a wide range of drink options, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. It typically includes alcoholic beverages like wines, beers, cocktails, and sometimes signature drinks offered by the restaurant. 

For non-alcoholic choices, casual dining restaurants in the US feature soft drinks, juices, water, teas, and specialty coffees. Some beverage menus also offer a separate section for kids' beverages, such as smoothies or milkshakes.

Popular Casual Dining Restaurants in the US

POS Systems in Casual Dining Restaurants

Casual dining restaurants use POS systems to make the checkout process suitable for all customers.

• With handheld mobile POS systems, servers can take the bill to the customer’s table, providing convenience to the guests. 
• A lot of guests also prefer to pay at the counter on the way out so a countertop till is also needed for casual-dining restaurants.
• Kitchen display systems are also useful in casual dining restaurants. These screens display orders to the kitchen staff directly, efficiency is a must when dealing with high-traffic customers.
• A POS system for restaurants should be inclusive to accept transactions from more than one stream, cash, all types of card payments, digital wallets, and QR code payments.

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