HOTELS.) Simultaneously the character of the food served underwent con siderable change. About 6o% of the patrons of these group estab lishments in the United States are women—who are light eaters. Even many American men eat relatively little heavy foods. There fore, with this consideration and the institution of prohibition, most old-fashioned steak and chop houses have closed their doors. There are sandwich, coffee shops, soda fountains and tea rooms instead. The following table, compiled after interviewing the managers of about 2,000 hotel and restaurant establishments in the United States, indicates this tendency. This covers changes since Decrease.—Meat, for main dishes, 45% ; pastry, 26% ; white bread (table service), 29%; coffee, 12%; potatoes, 15%; tea, 7%; soup, 5%.
Increase.—Sandwiches, 2 I 5 % ; salads, I I o % ; ice cream, 7o%; milk (malted), 63%; milk (whole), 62%; ginger ale, 47%; fruit (fresh), 39%; whole wheat (bread, rolls, etc.), 35%; vegetables (fresh), 35%; vegetables (canned), 3o%; fruit (canned), 33%; fruit (dried), 12 % ; cereals (breakfast), 34%; cheese, 4o%; fish, 33%; grape juice, 32%; gelatine desserts, 26%; poultry, 25%; spring water, 20%; coffee substitutes, 15%; eggs, I I%; pie, 5%.
The tremendous increase in the restaurant and hotel business created a demand for labour-saving machines. This need was met and machines now prepare and sell more food at less cost, con sidering comparative prices of raw materials than was possible under pre-World War conditions. Seven kitchen and eight dining room workers can serve 185 persons thrice daily by the aid of machinery. A recent study by Kitchen Management, gives 4o labour savers used in most quantity kitchens. The figure after each group is the minimum of meals per day that must be served to justify the machines' expenses: dish-washer, food-mixer, butter cutter, can-opener, scales, mop wringer, sink pumps, automatic refrigerator, meat grinder, coffee mill, automatic toaster, knife cleaner, knife-sharpener, urns, mopping trucks, 25 meals per day; vegetable-slicer, fruit-juice extractor, French-fry cutter, pressure cookers, 5o; spice mill, egg-timer, potato-peeler, time clock, potato masher, bread-slicer, food chopper, cream-dispenser, soap-feeder, incinerator, steam kettles, steam tables, ioo; meat slicer, silver washer, water-softener, fruit-corer, potato-cutter, electric ice cream freezer, ice-cream machine, food or dish conveyor, ice cuber, apple-peeler, cherry-stoner, bread-crusher, cheese-grater, trucks, cake-filler, ice-breaker, paper baler, 200; dough dividers, 500.
Great Britain is using labour-saving equipment for food service in greater quantities each year and Germany, France and Switzer land are also adopting these devices. However, the greatest prog ress made in this regard thus far is in America.
Chain organizations in the United States prepare much of the food in a central commissary and transport it in trucks containing heated containers. Individual units seldom prepare more than coffee and salads on the premises. Generally the ingredients come mixed, ready to be assembled and served. Many chain organiza tions prepare and wrap sandwiches for resale by drug stores, soda fountains and street carts. Most hotels and the better restaurants however cook and bake the food they serve with the exception of bread and ice cream. Most kitchens 'use gas, but the use of electricity has increased greatly since 1923. Specialty cooking equipment, such as electric automatic toasters, waffle irons, bacon fryers, steak grills and egg cookers, sells readily and is widely used. In larger hotels and restaurants steam cooking is general. A dozen 3o gal. steam kettles in one kitchen is not unusual. The quantity kitchens of 1928 are factories where the assembling, the preparing and the serving of food is accomplished within a few hours. Steam tables, electrically heated carts and boxes, keep food well conditioned until ready to be served as far as 20 m. away.
In Great Britain chain restaurant organizations are superior to those in the United States or any other country in the world. They are expensively furnished, fully equipped with the latest machines and staffed with highly trained personnel. France, Ger many and Switzerland have a limited number of chain hotel and restaurant companies but they do not compare in size with those of the United States. The European hotel chains are often asso ciations, such as the "Uniti." Members agree to assist each other in advertising and financing, and, at times, have a plan for the exchange of employees.
Manufacturing plants, supplying equipment to the food service industry, sell their products direct to users or, more generally, through kitchen supply houses or equipment jobbers. A number of architects and engineers are engaged in planning kitchen equip ment.
The adoption of large kitchens has necessitated an extensive study of food and preparation costs. Specialists are employed to plan the most efficient and economical service. Many people are required to purchase, store, prepare, control and serve food. Some design and construct buildings, manufacture equipment, sell, in stall, collect and serve it ; other groups write advertisements, books and magazines. Finally, there are schools and colleges teach ing quantity cooking, hotel, restaurant, soda fountain and kitchen management, institutional dietetics, kitchen management. No accurate figures are available but it is estimated that in the United States alone 2,000,000 people devote their entire time to the quantity food service business, including only those actually en gaged in the manufacture and sale of equipment and supplies, the building and furnishing of quantity kitchens and food service departments. At least 5,000,000 people are engaged in food serv ice units in other parts of the world. This number does not include hundreds of thousands raising food products served from quantity kitchens, for those canning, packing or transporting such food products. Mass food preparation and service in the United States is growing five times faster than the rate of population increase. In America it is one of the leading businesses and it bids fair to rank second only to agriculture. In other civilized countries of the world it is growing steadily in importance. (See also RESTAURANT; CAFETERIA.) (J.' 0. D.)