CPCE flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Banquet Event Order (BEO)

Internal document specifying event date, room setup, menu, service times, staffing, audio-visual needs, and billing instructions; it is the operational blueprint every department uses to execute the event.

Guarantee count

The confirmed guest number a client must provide, commonly 72 business hours before the event; the caterer prepares for and bills the greater of the guarantee or actual attendance.

Butler-passed service

Hors d'oeuvres carried on trays by servers who circulate among standing guests; used at receptions where no seated courses are planned.

American plated service

A banquet style in which every course is portioned and plated in the kitchen, then served to seated guests, usually from the guest's right and cleared from the right.

Server-to-guest staffing ratio

A planning guideline of about one server per 10 to 15 guests for a plated dinner, with fewer servers but buffet attendants for a buffet.

Dance floor sizing rule

Allow roughly three square feet per dancing guest; because only about 40 to 50 percent of attendees dance, size the floor for that share of the headcount.

RevPAR

Revenue per available room, calculated as average daily rate multiplied by occupancy percentage, or total room revenue divided by total available rooms.

Average daily rate (ADR)

Room revenue divided by the number of rooms sold; used with occupancy to compute RevPAR and to benchmark pricing against competitors.

Cost per lead

Total marketing or sales campaign spending divided by the number of qualified inquiries generated; used to compare the efficiency of prospecting channels.

Marketing mix (four Ps)

Product, price, place, and promotion; the four controllable elements a catering or events business adjusts to reach its target market.

Upselling

Encouraging a client to add or upgrade items, such as premium bars or passed hors d'oeuvres, which raises the average check and revenue per event.

Food cost percentage

Cost of food sold divided by food sales, expressed as a percentage; a core menu-pricing and cost-control measure.

Prime cost

Food and beverage cost plus labor cost, usually expressed as a percentage of total sales; it captures the two largest controllable expenses.

Break-even point in units

Fixed costs divided by the difference between unit selling price and unit variable cost; the volume at which total revenue equals total cost.

Cost of goods sold

Beginning inventory plus purchases during the period minus ending inventory; it represents the cost of products actually sold.

Contribution margin

Unit selling price minus unit variable cost; the amount each sale contributes toward covering fixed costs and then generating profit.

Employee turnover rate

The number of employee separations in a period divided by average headcount for that period, multiplied by 100.

Full-time equivalent (FTE)

Total paid hours worked divided by the standard full-time hours in the same period, such as 40 hours per week.

Behavioral (STAR) interview

Structured questioning in which candidates describe a past Situation, Task, Action, and Result; the premise is that past behavior predicts future performance.

Exempt employees

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, salaried employees who meet salary and duties tests and are therefore not entitled to overtime pay.

Progressive discipline

A documented sequence of escalating responses to misconduct, typically verbal warning, written warning, suspension, and termination, giving the employee notice and a chance to improve.

Temperature danger zone

The range from 41F to 135F (5C to 57C) in which bacteria multiply fastest; time-temperature control for safety foods should be kept out of it.

Two-stage cooling

Cooked food must fall from 135F to 70F within two hours, then reach 41F or below within four more hours, six hours total.

Edible portion (EP) cost

The as-purchased cost divided by the yield percentage; it reflects what the usable portion actually costs after trim and waste.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point: seven principles covering hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification, and record keeping.

FIFO rotation

First in, first out: older stock is stored in front and used before newer deliveries, reducing spoilage and helping ensure food safety.

Dram shop liability

Statutes that can hold a server or business liable for injuries or damages caused by serving alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person or a minor.

Force majeure clause

Contract language excusing or delaying performance when unforeseeable events such as natural disasters, war, or government orders make performance impossible.

Certificate of insurance

A document from a vendor's insurer summarizing liability coverage limits and effective dates; contracts often require the client be named as additional insured.

Contract elements

Offer, acceptance, consideration, legality of purpose, and capacity of the parties; all are generally required for an enforceable agreement.

Negligence elements

Duty of care, breach of that duty, causation, and actual damages; a plaintiff must prove all four to recover on a negligence claim.

Indemnification clause

A contract provision in which one party agrees to compensate the other for specified losses or claims, often paired with a hold-harmless promise.