While modern variations continue to evolve, common restaurant service types can be grouped into four primary categories:

• Full-Service Restaurants (FSR): Traditional sit-down establishments where payment is tendered after the meal.
• Quick-Service Restaurants or Limited-Service Restaurants (QSR / LSR): Customers order and pay before receiving their food.
• Cafeterias and Buffets: Self-service or assisted-service models with upfront payment or per-plate pricing.
• Food Carts and Trucks: Mobile or temporary foodservice with upfront payment.

How service type is determined

When assigning a service type, Restaurantology applies two primary considerations:

1. When was the food prepared?
2. When was payment tendered?

*Note: Fast Casual concepts often fall within the LSR category despite offering freshly prepared food after the order is placed.

Relationship to industry standards

While some organizations distinguish additional categories like Fast Casual or hybrid models, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) recognizes only two overarching categories:

• Full-Service Restaurants (FSR)
• Limited-Service Restaurants (LSR)

Restaurantology aligns primarily with this structure while allowing for practical distinctions in reporting and analysis.

Adjacent and tangent markets

Some markets overlap with foodservice and hospitality but are not always classified strictly as restaurants. These adjacent markets include movie theaters, arcades, and other eatertainment venues offering food and beverages.

[!NOTE]
Restaurantology includes eatertainment locations where the food and beverage component is significant and relevant to customer analysis.

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