Commercial self-service restaurants have arisen as a fast-food option well adapted to the new necessities of the Brazilian population. They constitute an industry in growth all over the country, and have evolved in terms of both supply and service. This paper analyses the phenomenon of "eating out" and presents the competitive and operational strategy of the "per kilo" self-service restaurants. From a study conducted in a branch enterprise, it identifies and analyses the process characteristics present in the "per kilo" system, suggesting internal changes in the form of management directions.
self-service restaurant; competitive and operational strategy of self-service restaurant; "per kilo" self-service restaurant management