The Field

Success in the restaurant and foodservice management field requires a strong background in the food and beverage area, a strong business background, and leadership ability. Demand for restaurant managers is unprecedented, according to the National Restaurant Association. The primary reason for the booming market is that customers are eating more and more of their meals away from home, resulting in many new independent and chain-operated restaurant concepts.

The Instructional Program

Delhi's curriculum provides an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Restaurant and Foodservice Management that provides students an opportunity to become part of this exciting and growing management field.

The program offers food preparation courses with extensive hands-on experience coupled with management courses in menu planning, purchasing, marketing, human resources, and financial management that prepare students for entry-level management positions in this dynamic field.

What makes Delhi's Restaurant and Foodservice Management program unique is the six-credit Restaurant Management and Operations course, which requires students to apply the knowledge they have gained in the courses mentioned above in a student-operated restaurant ( Signatures) within the Alumni Hall Hospitality Center. Students take part in everything from menu development to producing financial statements, as well as the day-to-day operations. While rotating through the various positions, students gain valuable practical experience and confidence.

The Delhi chapter of the International Food Service Executives Association is the student organization for Restaurant and Foodservice Management majors. This international organization takes part in seminars and workshops and plans student tours to hospitality centers throughout the Northeast.

Delhi also offers a bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management with a concentration in Restaurant and Foodservice Management. For information on this program, see the Hospitality Management section of this catalog.

Work Requirement

Each student must complete a minimum of 320 hours of work experience in a position related to the hospitality industry during the summer between the first and second years of study. This professional work experience enhances and complements classroom learning. Upon completion, students are evaluated by their employer and submit a comprehensive report. Faculty assist in finding job opportunities, but the student assumes responsibility for securing a position.

Professional Dress

For all hospitality students, professional dress is required for field trips, interviews, and other special occasions. Professional dress consists of jackets and ties for men; suits, skirts and blouses, or dresses for women. Jeans, sneakers, or work boots are not acceptable.

Restaurant and Foodservice Management

A.A.S. Degree

SUNY Curriculum Code: 1003

First Semester

Second Semester

Third Semester

Fourth Semester

Degree Requirement: 65 credit hours

Admission Requirements : Applicants must have satisfactorily completed a year of science, preferably biology, and mathematics.

*Note: This one-credit course requires 320 hours of professional work experience.

Restricted Electives

Program Objectives

A graduate of the Restaurant and Foodservice Management A.A.S. program should be able to:

1. Discuss the scope of the hospitality industry.
2. Apply a comprehensive understanding of basic food cookery and baking, industry terminology, product identification, and the use and care of foodservice equipment.
3. Exhibit knowledge of food purchasing, receiving, and issuing; the elements of proper table service and wine service; and front-of-the-house management controls.
4. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the menu as a major management tool for food service operations, including its role as a merchandising mechanism and vehicle for the presentation of food and beverage products.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of basic sanitation principles, ways to apply them in practical situations, and methods of training and motivating employees to follow good sanitation practices.
6. Understand and apply knowledge of commercial kitchen layout and equipment including equipment selection, sequence of work, and commercial flow.
7. Demonstrate a realistic understanding of how to operate a restaurant, including the ability to cook food to order, service, purchasing food products, and managerial skills.
8. Exhibit knowledge of traditional management theory, leadership and management roles, organizational structure and change, service, quality, decision-making, empowerment, and ethics.
9. Understand how fundamental information, approaches, functions, and forms of human resource management are applied to the foodservice industry.
10. Understand and apply basic marketing and sales principles to the hospitality industry.
11. Apply the principles of accounting to sales, food, beverage, and labor costs, including preparation of financial statements.
12. Display a thorough understanding of the restaurant industry acquired through a required eight-week summer internship.