History of the Hospitality Industry

Overview

The history of the hospitality industry dates all the way back to the Colonial Period in the late 1700s. Things have changed quite a bit since then; the hospitality industry has experienced significant development over the years as it has faced World Wars, The Depression and various social changes. The industry as we know it today began to take form in the early 1950s and 60s, leading the way for growth into the dynamic industry we know today.

Goal

To understand the factors that influenced the development of the hospitality industry.

Objectives

• At the end of this lesson students will be able to:
• Define hospitality and describe its characteristics
• Identify and describe the characteristics of various historical periods
• Identify the multiple factors influencing the hospitality industry
• Chronicle the developments in the hospitality industry (from early beginnings to present)

 Hospitality

• From the French word “hospice”
• to provide for the weary
• take care of those traveling

Early Hospitality

• Greek/Roman culture
• Noted as early as 40 BC 
• Social and religious purposes
• Roman businessmen traveled
• Romans were the first pleasure travelers
• After fall of roman empire, public hospitality fell to religious orders

Medieval Period

• English travelers
• Inns were actually private homes
• Nobility stayed in monasteries
• Stagecoach became favored transportation

Renaissance Period (16 th Century)

• High demand for inns and taverns
• 1st hotel - Hotel de Henry IV 1788
• built at cost of $17,500
• 60 beds
• Coffee houses

The New World (18th Century)

• New York / New England - taverns
• Pennsylvania - inns
• Southern colonies - ordinaries
• Eating and Sleeping Places

The French Revolution

Changed the course of culinary history

• Escoffier

brigade system

• M. Boulanger

“ father of modern restaurant”

called soup he sold “restorantes”

• Revolution caused some of the chefs to come to the New World

Nineteenth Century

• 1898 Savoy Hotel opened in London

General Manager was Cesar Ritz

Chef was Auguste Escoffier

• Delmonico’s in New York City

expensive

1827 - 1923

Bilingual menu

Twentieth Century Travel

• After WWII, travel began
• 1950’s - advent of cross-continental flights
• 1958 - Trans-Atlantic flights
• First motel in California
• Resurgence of inner city lodging properties
• Increased interest in cruises

Twentieth Century Restaurants

• 1921 White Castle
• 1927 Howard Johnsons
• 1927 Marriott Hot Shoppe
• 1965 TGI Friday’s
• 1982 Chili’s

1960 to Today

• Major growth in casual dining
• Increase in the number of hotel chains
• Mass tourism
• Package travel
• Baby Boomers
• Living longer
• Mergers and acquisitions

By Dr. Brian Miller

      University of Delaware