SERVING

Key Terms Serving Glassware Over-the-Counter Service Plateware Condiment Drive-Through Service Bussing Sidework Cafeteria Service Buffet Service Seated Service Flatware

Serving In the food and beverage industry, serving is delivering food to guest Serving consist of four parts: Setup Serving food Bussing Sidework

Style of Service There are five basic styles of service: Over-the-Counter Drive-Through Cafeteria Buffet Seated

Style of Service: Over-the-Counter Over-the-Counter service is a style that is used mainly in quick-service and fast-food restaurants Customers place their orders at a long counter that has cash registers Meals are paid for and received at this counter Customers either take their food with them, or carry them to a table

Style of Service: Drive-Through Drive-through service is a style of service that many quick-service restaurants offer Customers stay seated in their car for the whole process of ordering, paying, and being served There is typically: An order window/ speaker A payment window A pick-up window

Style of Service: Cafeteria Cafeterias are very popular in institutional foodservice In the cafeteria style of service customers are given a tray with silverware and a napkin Food items are displayed along a counter called a serving line Customers carry their trays along the serving line, as they request the items they see and want At the end of the serving line, the customer pays and carries their tray to the table

Style of Service: Buffet In buffet service, food is arranged on tables throughout the dining area The presentation of the food on the buffet tables is important Servers keep the displays of food stocked, so that the customers can serve themselves Some stations have servers there to serve you, such as a meat-carving station, or an omelet station The customers take their food selections to the table

Style of Service: Seated Seated service is service in which the customers are seated at a table A server comes to the table to take the order The server then brings the food to the table There are three popular styles of seated service: American French Russian

Style of Service: American Seated Many restaurants use American service The food is plated in the kitchen This type of service is also called plate service It is the fastest of all types of service American service requires the least amount of skill to wait on the customers

Style of Service: French Seated Some fine-dining restaurants use French service In French service the meal is partially prepared in the kitchen Then the server finishes the cooking, carving, or flaming of the food in front of the customer

Style of Service: French Seated The partially prepared food is bought to the table on a cart called a gueridon The gueridon has a small heating utensil on it called a rechaud The rechaud is used to complete the cooking in front of the customer Gueridon Rechaud

Style of Service: Russian Seated In Russian service, the food is cooked and divided into portions in the kitchen The portions of food are placed on silver trays The server carries the tray of food to the table The server uses a special serving spoon and fork to place a portion on each guest’s plate This style of service is often used at banquets, when a large number of people are served similar food items

Setup Setup involves preparing the table for service The steps involved in setting up include: Make sure the table is stable (no wobbling) Cover the table with linen or placemats (if that’s the style) Set the table (each guest gets a place setting) Add any additional accessories or condiments to the table

Setup Items included in a place setting depends on the style of service, restaurant concept and theme, an meal being served General categories of items included in a place setting are: Napkins Flatware Glassware Plateware

Setup Flatware consists of the knives, forks, and spoons that guest will use during a meal It is also called silverware or cutlery Glassware includes all the drinking glasses There may be as many as three glassware items per setting: Water glass Juice glass Wine glass

Setup Plateware includes all dishes, such as plates and soup bowls It also includes coffee cups and saucers Plateware is also called china

Setup Accessories being added to the table can include: Flowers Ashtrays Candles Napkin dispensers Menu or advertisement holder A condiment is something that is added to food to make it taste better Condiments often placed on the table include: Salt Pepper Syrup Sugar Soy Sauce Hot Sauce Ketchup Mustard Cream

Serving Food Regardless of service style, service should be excellent The most important thing in a restaurant is the comfort and safety of the customer Recommended serving techniques include: Sequence Direction Timing

Sequence Female customers should be served before male customers If age can be determined, oldest to youngest If children are in the party, they should be served before anyone Serving children first will help keep them occupied and happy The host or hostess of the party should be served last

Direction Food is served from the customer’s left side with the server’s left hand A good way to remember this is by saying, “leave (the food) with the left” or “lead with the left” The left hand is used to serve the food to avoid the possibility of bumping into the customers with your elbow

Direction Beverages are served from the customer’s right side with the server’s right hand Because the majority of people are right- handed, the glasses and cups for beverages are placed on the right side of the place setting

Timing All guests at the same table should be served at the same time It is courteous for customers to wait to begin eating until everyone at the table is served Customers often get annoyed or impatient if everyone is served but one, or if one person is served ahead of everyone else Customers’ food will get cold while they wait for others to be served

Timing Some restaurants remove used dishes as soon as possible, with the consent of the customer Others do not remove any plates from the table until the customers have finished eating their meals You never want to rush people who have not finished eating Sometimes customers may suggest the removal of their plates Take that plate away even if the other customers have not finished their meals

Place Setting The items included in a place setting depend on the menu and the style of service Keep in mind the style of service American French Russian This will determine the dishes needed

Place Setting Formal Setting Informal Setting

Clearing Dishes Dirty dishes are cleared from the customer’s right side with the server’s right hand A good way to remember this is by saying, “Remove with the right” The right hand is used to remove dishes gracefully and to avoid the possibility of bumping into the customer

Clearing Dishes Dishes should be removed in a counterclockwise pattern It is unappetizing to see food being scrapped off a plate The server should “crumb the table” before dessert is served A side towel or a crumbing device can be used to brush crumbs from the table into a small plate

Clearing Dishes Dishes are removed in a counterclockwise pattern 2 3 4 1 4

Bussing Bussing is an essential part of excellent service Bussing consist of: Setting the place setting Clearing dirty dishes from the table Taking the dirty dishes to the kitchen Sometimes the servers also do the bussing However, often a separate person, the busser, performs these tasks

Sidework Sidework consists of duties that servers must perform other than serving guest These duties include: Preparing the dining room Learning the menu Folding napkins Replenishing condiments Leaving the work area in good order when the shift is completed

THE END SERVING