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There are many reasons why people decide to eat out. The locals may want to meet friends, they want to socialize or they are just hungry and want to eat something. Travelers want to experience food, drinks, local cuisine and customs that make each country unique. There are various types of restaurants, which cater for these different needs and tastes of people. In order to meet the individual needs of the customers, all big hotels operate different types of restaurants, ranging from traditional or formal ones to informal restaurants such as coffee shops or snack bars with counter service. The Food and Beverage Manager is responsible for the whole food and beverage division in a hotel. The Maitre d'hotel is in charge of a restaurant. Room service and mini-bars are also in competence of the F& B Manager.

While fast food service is more or less the same all over the world, formal restaurants usually let the customer breathe in the local atmosphere. Service in a formal dining room should be as elegant as possible and must take full advantage of the trained skills of the Maitre d'hotel. In a formal restaurant people usually eat a la carte, which means that they choose dishes listed in the printed menu. However, in case of a tourist group, a set menu is often arranged before the arrival of the group in order to save time. Today, some restaurants offer set lunch menus for individual walk-in guests. In a specialty restaurant, particular dishes have to be emphasized, merchandised and presented in an unusual and sophisticated manner. Customers in formal restaurants receive individualized care; they are received at the door and courteously shown to their tables where they are presented menus. Many dishes are finished in front of guests.

Besides food and beverage facilities in hotels, there are lots of independent food service establishments, which rely on tourists as well as on local business. These establishments are either individually owned and operated or they are a part of a chain or franchise. Most franchises are fast-food outlets, which profit from low costs and world-wide popularity. They are mostly self-service restaurants offering simple dishes at a counter. Different types of burgers, pizzas or fried chicken are most common. They are usually situated in urban areas or along motorways, where they often provide round-the-clock service. Take-away counters enable drivers to buy the refreshment without getting off their cars. These counters are called " Drive-in" at McDonald's or " Drive Thru" at the KFC.

Some hotels also offer catering service which means that they provide food and beverage service out-of-the-doors, for example in castles, in gardens, at some company's premises in case of private company parties, or at embassies. There are also independent catering agencies specializing in these services.