Interfacing management information systems with practical restaurants in UK hospitality degree programmes

The use of practical teaching restaurants as experiential learning resources is widely practised in UK institutions offering hospitality management programmes at undergraduate degree level. Surveys the extent to which students are permitted to make management decisions in such teaching restaurants. While some institutions give students considerable freedom to manage their restaurants, others give little opportunity to experience a realistic work environment. The use of computerized management information systems (MIS) to support decision making is widespread, but there are still many unpursued opportunities open to institutions. Concludes that unless students are given the opportunity to manage their teaching restaurants and also are provided with the information systems to help guide their decisions, teaching restaurants are not fulfilling their potential as an experiential learning resource.