Barrrio Fiesta Practicum Report

Restaurant Practicum Report

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RESTAURANT
2nd Floor Main Building, SM City North Edsa

TRAINING PERIOD: May 21, 2012 to June 17, 2012

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course
Restaurant Practicum

For a Degree in
Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management

St. Louis College of Valenzuela
Maysan Road, Valenzuela City

SUBMITTED TO:

Professor

SUBMITTED BY:

IV - BSHRM

INTRODUCTION

As a requirement in our school, I had applied for an OJT and I have to finished the 200 hours requirement in the curriculum but the restaurant I applied required to finished the 300 hours of training so I finished a 300 hours of training instead of 200 hours only but it is just fine cause the experience that I had during the training was worth of my time. I have learned a lot from it. I guess it somehow boost my morale as well. I know in my heart that I can use this experience for a much higher job in the future.

Barrio Fiesta Restaurant is where I had my On-the-Job Training. The Barrio Fiesta is part of Filipino culture. Through good times and bad times, the Filipino fiesta must go on because fiesta means birthday of our Barrio and the Patron of our Church. Each fiesta have the same way of celebration except in the other country. Barrio Fiesta was, for a whole generation of Filipinos, a place for festivities, celebrations and the gathering of families and friends. Many milestones were marked by a visit to Barrio Fiesta Restaurant.

Barrio Fiesta continues to be the venue of choice for events and occasions people hoped to remember for a long, long time, if not forever. Weddings, graduations, christenings, birthdays – celebrations were not true celebrations unless they were held at Barrio Fiesta. They enhances bonding among kith and kin by serving food in typical Filipino fashion. Everything is placed in the middle of the table to be shared by everyone, the way it is done in homes, instead of being served portioned out on individual plates.

My training has taught me many things that can effectively help me in the future. Every detail of the events in a fine dining will be well stored in my mind. Starting from greeting and escorting the guests to their table as they come until were set another table set up for the new guests. This restaurant instilled in my mind the things that the people in this industry must know and enrich. The work itself is fun and exciting, you wouldn't mind at all whether you are getting allowance from them or not, the things and experiences that you learn from it is incomparable where it shows me the realities of working.
WHY DO WE NEED ON THE JOB TRAINING

We need to undergo On-the-Job Training because it is important process in which we can practice what we have learned at school and through which the skills and the experience at work are increased. It includes all of the best training methods which are planned, organized and then conducted at work places. Only memorizing theoretical concept cannot enhance your skills and your productivity on jobs and to sharpen your skills such training programs are beneficial.

Training develop and improve certain phases of an individual's attitudes, discipline, behavior or knowledge to make him either more effective on his job or better qualified for his future job which the training endeavors develop. It is also a way to improve individuals' attitude towards his job, his fellow workers, his supervisor and the firm as a whole.

HISTORY

Sixta Evangelista Ongpauco was a food lover, a great cook and a woman of sound business sense. Mama Chit, as she was affectionately called, loved to cook for her friends at her home on Highway 54 in Caloocan. In 1958, Mama Chit officially opened her home as Barrio Fiesta, one of the country's first fine dining restaurants.

Mama Chit's special way of preparing pork knuckles or pata, coupled with her son Rodolfo's innovation of frying the pork until perfectly crisp, was how the Crispy Pata was invented. Paired with the Filipino specialty Kare-Kare, Barrio Fiesta's specialty drew crowds to the first of many restaurants Mama Chit and her family would establish.

With the help of her eight children, Mama Chit expanded Barrio Fiesta to numerous branches nation-wide and in other countries. Corazon Ongpauco Tamayo heads the Barrio Fiesta Greenhills Group which currently owns and manages Barrio Fiesta on EDSA (Greenhills) and in Dela Rosa Carpark 2 in Makati. It also owns and manages Good Mixes by Barrio Fiesta in Valero Carpark 2 in Makati, serving a spin on Filipino favorites at more affordable prices.

Barrio Fiesta Greenhills also owns and manages Fiesta International Catering Services, a full-service catering company that offers an array of international cuisines, elegant dining set-ups and good value for money.

REFLECTION

I can say that my learning and experience that I had earned in my training at Barrio Fiesta was priceless. I had learned on how to get along with different kinds of people and how to deal with customer complaints. In my chosen industry it is important that you have a lot of patience because in this industry you might meet people that are really difficult to deal with so you must know how to handle it. And even though you were really tired because of long hours of work, you must not show it to the customer, they must see you as energetic and ready to serve them. There are some that can treat you harsh but you should know how to manage it and do not take it from the heart or else your whole day will be destroyed.

I will really treasured all that I have learned in this training, from the very first day of my duty in this establishment it was so unforgettable because right after the orientation, we already been exposed to serve the customer at the dining. I thought that we will first observe the waiters on how they do the operations but our supervisor put us already into the act. Working at this famous Filipino restaurant is quite really tiring because there were a lot of people coming here especially when there is a occasion such as birthday or anniversary, they go here and eat with their family or friends. It is not that easy at first to serve a huge of customers but day by day I get use to it and it doesn't feel that tiring anymore especially when you see that the customers are happy because of your good service.

Not only the staffs at the restaurant had taught me things that I must know but also the customers helped me enrich my skills and my way of thinking. There are times that I am having a really hard time when the restaurant is overloaded and there are some aggressive guest especially when I am always the one who is in the reception that I have to entertain those customers on the waiting area, some are always complaining about long hours of waiting while some wants to take their order even if they don't already have a table, some wants to be seated already even if they are not on the next list etc. There are times that there were so many customers asking me all at the same time while at the waiting area and I don't know who to answer first and at this situation, one must not lose his patience and must know how to handle pressure, my physical and mental aspects at this time were truly sharpened. I also learned that even if the customers throw many complaints, you must stay positive and never get affected same with our supervisor when he compliment you when you're doing a great job it was really flattering but when he criticize you do not get hurt because it does not means that he wants to hurt you but for you to know what the right thing to do, it is for your own good and not to depress you.

During my training I also meet new friends with different sets of character and this also helped me trained myself on how to work with people at the workplace that are really different from your personality. I never experience a dull moment during my stay at Barrio Fiesta because even if there is a lot of work to do, we never forget to enjoy and the people at the workplace are always on good vibes, they are easy to get along with and we've become friends to the staff but my respect to them is always there, I never learned to forget that they are superior from us. I will always remember this persons because they are also one of the reason why I enjoyed the days of my training and I am very thankful to them for sharing their knowledge to me. They are the one who taught me everything that I must know. All of these people have created a strong bond in me that I will keep as a good memory.

When I got finished my training, our supervisor Sir Arieta (known as Sir Jhun) told me that if I can duty during Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. And of course I accept his offer and I was so happy that I can still duty at the restaurant because the fact is I really enjoy being here even if it was really tiring I am just happy maybe because of the people and the bonding that we had and being always on a good vibes whatever happens. It was also a advantage to me because it become my part time job, it gives me additional allowance plus the tip that customers give. I go to school Monday to Friday and work at the restaurant every Saturday and Sunday. But at the second semester when I enrolled, I've got a Saturday subject so my duty will going to be every Sunday only and on December I told Sir Jhun that I can no longer duty anymore because of being fully loaded of subjects at school, it is really hard for me but I have to because my study is still my priority and every Sunday I also have many things to do that's why I can't duty anymore. But even if this happen, I am happy and thankful that I work at this restaurant, it's a privilege for me that I didn't work only as a trainee but also as a part time worker. I will forever treasure the learning and the friends I gain at Barrio Fiesta. I have learn that it is also important that you are happy in your workplace because you would not feel tired when you're always on a good vibes.