Gastronomy Metaphors According to Restaurant Employees

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal hotel restaurant employees' perceptions of the term "gastronomy" through metaphors. In 2015, a survey was applied to 101 employees (executive chefs, food and beverage managers, waiting staff, etc.) working at 14 different hotels located in the Cappadocia province of Turkey. Blank forms were distributed to employees to reveal their perceptions, thoughts, and views about "gastronomy," and participants were asked to write a text about the term. Document analysis was used as a means of data collection; descriptive and content analyses were used for data analysis. Employees developed 76 metaphors regarding the term "gastronomy" and these metaphors were grouped under seven dimensions: the production dimension of gastronomy; consumption dimension of gastronomy; science dimension of gastronomy; art dimension of gastronomy; health dimension of gastronomy; culture dimension of gastronomy; and occupation dimension of gastronomy. A main conclusion is that staff was most likely to address issues close to the operational world of the kitchen, including not the least food safety issues. Metaphors about the customers' experience were nonfrequent, which suggests that staff members work without much physical and cognitive contact with customers. The study discusses the potential strategic and managerial implications.