ABSTRACT
This chapter in the original edition of the book acted as an introduction to the text. Some of the comments it contained have been re-formed in the Preface to this new version and new sources and some new perspectives have been added to the discussion here while retaining several of the key arguments encountered previously. The earlier chapter posed the question ‘Is food and beverage management in a rut?’ and contrasted operational approaches to food and beverage with – loosely defined – strategic approaches. The question here – is food and beverage still in a rut? – receives a somewhat different treatment in the form of an argument for widening the scope of the subject to more actively incorporate knowledge from the social sciences. It invites readers to consider what, in the early twenty-first century, hospitality and food and beverage managers should usefully know if they are going to add value to both the dining experience of customers and their company’s bottom line.
