Restaurant definition.
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Discussion

Getragdogleg

Original Poster:

10,168 posts

211 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
While perusing the NP&E section earlier I happened across the phrase "McDonalds is the official restaurant of the 2012 olympic Games".

What the greasy fk ? Seriously, I mean I know I tend to live under a rock and let these faddy current affairs pass me by and apart from watching a golden flaming torch of the Gods pass through my freshly cleaned town centre a few weeks ago I have tried to ignore the limpics and it's fanatical celebration of brands and image but this one has caught my eye and made me think, "restaurant", really ? .

I thought that to be a restaurant you had to do table service and offer crockery, cloth napkins and metal cutlery and the last time I had to go into one these were neither on show or available upon request.
So, is a McDonalds a restaurant, cafe, or some other undefined title ? I really need to know for some inexpicable reason.

Zwolf

25,867 posts

234 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
confused

Googling the words "restaurant definition" reveals that:

Wiki said:
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money, either paid before the meal, after the meal, or with a running tab. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of the main chef's cuisines and service models.
So yes, McDonald's is one of those.

Other definitions:

  • A place where people pay to eat meals.
  • A place where meals are served to the public.

Genelec

525 posts

175 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Zwolf said:
confused

Googling the words "restaurant definition" reveals that:

Wiki said:
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money, either paid before the meal, after the meal, or with a running tab. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of the main chef's cuisines and service models.
So yes, McDonald's is one of those.

Other definitions:

  • A place where people pay to eat meals.
  • A place where meals are served to the public.
Suppose that depends on the definition of 'meals'!

MercuryRises

516 posts

191 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Genelec said:
Zwolf said:
confused

Googling the words "restaurant definition" reveals that:

Wiki said:
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money, either paid before the meal, after the meal, or with a running tab. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of the main chef's cuisines and service models.
So yes, McDonald's is one of those.

Other definitions:

  • A place where people pay to eat meals.
  • A place where meals are served to the public.
Suppose that depends on the definition of 'meals'!
meal (ml)
n.
1. The food served and eaten in one sitting.
2. A customary time or occasion of eating food.
[Middle English mele, from Old English ml; see m-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

meal
n
1. (Cookery)
a. any of the regular occasions, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc., when food is served and eaten
b. (in combination) mealtime Related adj prandial
2. (Cookery) the food served and eaten
make a meal of Informal to perform (a task) with unnecessarily great effort
[Old English mǣl measure, set time, meal; related to Old High German māl mealtime]

Johnnytheboy

24,499 posts

214 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
What is a MacDonalds (with seating) if it isn't a restaurant?

FreeLitres

6,128 posts

205 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Anyone else feeling the fail in this thread? confused

McHaggis

59,030 posts

183 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
I wouldnt give it a Michelin star, but I would say it was a restaurant.

The quality is consistent and they are fanatical about quality control and cleaning, much better than most establishments.

Personally I choose not to eat there, but I would be confident of a consistent restaurant experience if I did.

marshalla

15,902 posts

229 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Johnnytheboy said:
What is a MacDonalds (with seating) if it isn't a restaurant?
The last resort - the absolute last resort.

HBFS

803 posts

219 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
I have nothing to say other than Nando's is not a restaurant..

Zwolf

25,867 posts

234 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
marshalla said:
The last resort - the absolute last resort.
Don't be silly.

"Chillisaus boss?"

Getragdogleg

Original Poster:

10,168 posts

211 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
FreeLitres said:
Anyone else feeling the fail in this thread? confused
I don't dispute the "give money, sit, eat" part but what factors define a restaurant over a Cafe ?

I always held the assumed belief that a restaurant had a chef or was a bit higher up the food chain in terms of menu. At the very least plates and cutlery ought to be a prerequisite for the title Restaurant.


obob

4,193 posts

222 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
HBFS said:
I have nothing to say other than Nando's is not a restaurant..
Well you're a spacker then.

obob

4,193 posts

222 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Getragdogleg said:
I don't dispute the "give money, sit, eat" part but what factors define a restaurant over a Cafe ?

I always held the assumed belief that a restaurant had a chef or was a bit higher up the food chain in terms of menu. At the very least plates and cutlery ought to be a prerequisite for the title Restaurant.
A cafe is a small restaurant usually serving hot drinks and snacks.

wormburner

33,787 posts

281 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
obob said:
Getragdogleg said:
I don't dispute the "give money, sit, eat" part but what factors define a restaurant over a Cafe ?

I always held the assumed belief that a restaurant had a chef or was a bit higher up the food chain in terms of menu. At the very least plates and cutlery ought to be a prerequisite for the title Restaurant.
A cafe is a small restaurant usually serving hot drinks and snacks.
A cafe is a low-formality, low-cost, and often but not necessarily low-quality sub-category of restaurant. More often open in the day. Less often open in the evening.

Jonboy_t

5,038 posts

211 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
obob said:
Well you're a spacker then.
rofl

Don't know why but that really made me laugh!!

jjones

4,488 posts

221 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
snobbery thread fail

Digger

16,769 posts

219 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Johnnytheboy said:
What is a MacDonalds (with seating) if it isn't a restaurant?
Oh come on, food?! It is a fast-food, junk-food outlet dotted with sit-down points as most customers are so unfit as to be unable to get from the door to the counter & vice-versa without collapsing!

wink

Getragdogleg

Original Poster:

10,168 posts

211 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
jjones said:
snobbery thread fail
No, not snobbery, curiosity, I don't think a McDonalds is a bloody restaurant because you fetch the food yourself, eat with fingers from cardboard boxes and drink from plastic cups.

It's closer to cafe in my mind.




Driller

8,310 posts

306 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
I can completely see where the OP is coming from.

For me the word Restaurant doesn't have that production-line connotation that is MacDonalds. I would call it a "fast food shop" not a restaurant in-spite of the official definition smile

davepoth

29,395 posts

227 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Getragdogleg said:
I don't dispute the "give money, sit, eat" part but what factors define a restaurant over a Cafe ?

I always held the assumed belief that a restaurant had a chef or was a bit higher up the food chain in terms of menu. At the very least plates and cutlery ought to be a prerequisite for the title Restaurant.
There is a distinction in the UK between café and cafe (kaff) which is helpful in this context. A café will sell coffee, and perhaps a slice of cake to go with it, a cafe will sell a full English breakfast and a mug of builders' tea.