Chapter 45 Table Service

Objectives Recall the roles of the front-of-the-house staff © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Table Service Every restaurant consists of the back-of-the-house and the front-of-the-house staff In great restaurants, these two staffs work together seamlessly to provide service to the customer © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Front-of-the-House Positions The back-of-the-house must understand the role of each front-of-the-house worker so the restaurant functions efficiently Not all restaurants divide their front-of-the-house staff into the same positions © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Front-of-the-House Positions © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objectives Summarize the skills that contribute to quality front-of-the-house service © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Keys to Quality Service The job of the front-of-the-house staff is mainly about interacting with the customer Strong interpersonal skills and welcoming demeanors are the keys to providing customers with a favorable dining experience © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Hospitable Successful staff are able to convey a sense of welcome and hospitality by greeting diners with generous smiles and a friendly reception maintaining eye contact being personable and sincere addressing the customer by name © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Poised Experienced servers know how to stay calm and confident even if the restaurant is busy or if problems arise The customer should never feel as if the servers are too busy or distracted © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Knowledgeable The front-of-the-house staff should know as much as possible about the food that is being served If the server does not know the answer to a guest’s question, he or she should never try to bluff always ask the appropriate chef or manager © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Sense of Timing It is up to the server to ensure that the kitchen is serving the food when the customer is ready for it © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Sense of Timing Servers must stay focused on what is happening at all times anticipate customer needs know how to prioritize tasks © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Communication Skills No matter what position you work in foodservice, you must be able to communicate effectively Front-of-the house communicates with customers and the kitchen Back-of-the-house communicates with coworkers and vendors © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Communication Skills When listening, successful servers give the customer full attention use nonverbal cues to let the customer know they are listening restate what the customer has said to be certain they understand the message ask questions if they are unclear about the message allow the customer to finish what he or she has to say before responding © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Communication Skills When speaking, thoughts should be organized and presented in a clear, logical manner Posture and tone of voice also impact the message being communicated © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Ability to “Read” the Customer The ability to “read” the customer is acquired with experience Professional servers can determine a customer’s expectations by carefully interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues After a formal initial interaction, a seasoned server adapts their style of service for individual customers © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objectives Compare and contrast the three main service styles © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Types of Service Through the centuries, a number of different types of table service have been developed Three styles of service are American Russian French © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

American Service American service is the norm in most restaurants throughout the United States It can be an informal or formal service style depending on the restaurant Family-style service is a variation of American service that is common in restaurants and banquet halls © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Russian Service In general, Russian service is practiced in upscale restaurants and hotels The server must learn to hold a large fork and spoon in their dominant hand to pick up and serve food © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Russian Service Liquids can also be served Russian style, using large spoons or ladles © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Russian Service The most common use of this type of service today is bread service © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

French Service French service, often called tableside service, is a cross between the kitchen and dining room This formal type of service is only practiced in some of the finest restaurants © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

French Service Items commonly prepared tableside include sautéed meat followed by the appropriate pan sauce Caesar salad flambéed dessert items © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objectives Recognize the steps necessary to preset a dining area © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presetting the Dining Area Readying the dining area for service involves polishing flatware and glassware © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presetting the Dining Area Readying the dining area for service (continued) placing a tablecloth on the tables inspecting salt and pepper shakers or grinders to be sure they are clean and adequately filled setting the tables © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presetting the Dining Area How place settings are to be arranged is determined by the restaurant and the type of service used © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presetting the Dining Area Three common place settings include basic American à la carte banquet © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Basic American Place Setting This is the most common type of setting used in all but the finest restaurants today © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Basic American Place Setting water glass to the upper right of the plate cup and saucer included at some family restaurants dinner plate bread and butter (B and B) plate and butter knife to the upper left of the dinner plate spoon and knife to the right of the plate one or two forks to the left of the plate © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

À la Carte Place Setting Just prior to serving each course, the appropriate flatware and glassware are placed in front of each guest After each course, the used flatware and plates are removed Glassware is removed whenever there is a change of beverage This type of setting requires maximum coordination among the front-of-the-house staff © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

À la Carte Place Setting This table setting is sparse Often the dinner plate is a charger, which is removed before the first course © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

À la Carte Place Setting bread knife water glass B and B plate dinner plate © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Banquet Place Setting All the glassware and flatware needed for the meal are placed at each place setting This style of service is possible because the menu is the same for every guest When plates are cleared after each course, the appropriate flatware and glassware are also removed © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Banquet Place Setting © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objectives Explain how to provide guests with a quality dining experience from start to finish © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Serving Guests Each step in service is an opportunity for guests to form either a positive or negative impression of the restaurant The best strategy for serving guests begins with welcoming patrons and continues until the check is presented and the guests leave © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Welcoming Patrons Patrons should be greeted the moment they enter the restaurant In many restaurants, guests’ coats are checked After verifying a reservation, the host or maître d’hôtel leads the guests to their table © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presenting the Menu Once the guests are seated at their table, the front server places menus on the table and describes specials offers the guests a beverage dismisses him or herself from the table to allow the guests room for conversation © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presenting the Menu The busperson fills water glasses © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presenting the Menu The back server serves the beverages to the right of each guest While guests are looking at the menu, bread and butter may be served © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Order Taking After a time, the front server asks whether the table is ready to order Tables and each position at the table are numbered When taking an order, the front server writes the appropriate order next to each position number The front server should repeat each order back to the customer © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Order Taking The order is then submitted to the kitchen by one of two methods A handwritten copy of the order Entered into a point-of-sale (POS) system © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Order Taking A POS system improves communication with the kitchen, produces accurate bills, and simplifies recordkeeping © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Serving Plates of food can be transported to the dining room in one of three ways Carried by the server Loaded onto a tray carried by the server Loaded onto a rolling cart pushed by the server © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Serving Before food is placed on the table, waitstaff should ensure that each place setting has the appropriate flatware Women should be served first and then the men © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Serving Food is served from the left of the customer The server should announce each dish as it is placed on the table © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Serving The front and back servers monitor the progress of the table and signal the kitchen when to have the next course ready Before the next course can be served, dirty plates are cleared from the table by the busperson Ask the customer’s permission to clear dirty dishes Steps are repeated for each new course © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Serving As needed, servers periodically crumb linen tablecloths using a crumber If a beverage spills, a cloth napkin may be used to cover the spill © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presenting the Check The check is placed on a check tray or in a folder and given to the host or placed in the center of the table The check is processed by the dining room manager and change or a credit card receipt is returned to the guest The guest may then leave a tip © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Presenting the Check As guests leave, front-of-the-house staff should thank them and convey the hope they return soon The table is completely cleared and the tablecloth is replaced with a fresh one The table is preset again and is ready to receive new guests © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objectives Summarize the origins, preparation, and service of coffee and tea © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Beverages The simplest and most common beverage served in restaurants is ice water Also common, coffee and tea are typically prepared by the front-of-the-house staff © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Coffee Coffee is generally served with dessert, although some patrons may drink it throughout the meal © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Coffee Preparing coffee begins with ground coffee beans The brewing method determines how the beans should be ground, ranging from fine to coarse grind © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Coffee Drip coffee, the most popular way to make coffee in America, is made as follows: Ground beans are placed in a filter Hot water is then run through the grounds and into a special container Brewed coffee can be held on a burner or in insulated vacuum pots © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Coffee Specialty coffee drinks have become popular in America and include espresso (ehs PREH soh) cappucino (cah poo CHEEN oh) café au lait (cah FAY oh LAY) or latte (lah TAY) iced coffee mocha (MOH kah) © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Coffee A cup of coffee should be served with a container of sugar and nonsugar sweeteners a pitcher of milk or half-and-half a teaspoon © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Tea Tea is made from the leaf of the tea tree There are many types and different styles of tea © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Tea Tea bags are most often served in foodservice because they are easy to use and infuse quickly The bag is placed in a small pot filled with boiling water The pot is brought to the table along with sugar and possibly milk The customer removes the tea bag after it is done steeping In some restaurants, the tea bag is served alongside a cup of boiling hot water © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Tea Finer teas are sold as loose leaf Brewed in a small teapot filled with boiling hot water Generally, the tea is infused for two to four minutes The beverage must be strained before serving © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review Why should the back-of-the-house staff be familiar with the role of each front-of-house worker? The back-of-the-house must understand the role of each front-of-the-house worker so the restaurant functions efficiently © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review What skills and characteristics do successful front-of-the-house staff possess? Hospitable Poised Knowledgeable Sense of timing Communication skills Ability to “Read” the customer © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review Name the three main types of dining room service American Russian French © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review What type of dining room service requires that the servers cook and prepare dishes in front of the customer? French © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review What type of dining room service refers to a style of service in which the server delivers plates of food directly from the kitchen to the guest? American © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review For what type of dining room service does the front-of-the-house staff serve food from a platter onto preset plates in front of the guests? Russian © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review What does presetting the dining area consist of? Placing tablecloths, plates, flatware, napkins, and glassware on the tables © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review Why is it crucial that guests have excellent service from the moment they enter the restaurant to the moment they exit? If guests get a negative impression, they may not return to the restaurant or may tell other prospective customers about their negative experience © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Review What are two beverages commonly served in restaurants? Coffee Tea © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Glossary American service. A style of service in which the server delivers plates of food directly from the kitchen to the guest, also called plated service. back-of-the-house staff. Refers to the kitchen personnel including chefs, cooks, dishwashers, and receiving clerks. © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Glossary crumber. A tool used to scrape and scoop crumbs from the table. family-style service. A style of service in which the waitperson places serving platters of prepared food in the center of the table so that the guests can serve themselves. © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Glossary flambé (flahm BAY). A French term that means “to flame” and refers to a dish that a server finishes by setting it aflame at tableside. flatware. The name for knives, forks, and spoons. © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Glossary French service. A style of service in which the servers cook and prepare dishes in front of the customer. front-of-the-house staff. The service personnel that work the dining room. © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Glossary maître d’hôtel. The position responsible for the entire dining room operations, also called the dining room manager. place setting. The china, flatware, glassware, and napkin used by one person. © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Glossary point-of-sale (POS) system. A computer-based ordering system that transmits the order to the kitchen, produces the customer’s bill, and keeps track of important data. Russian service. A style of service in which the front-of-the-house staff serves food from a platter onto preset plates in front of the guests. © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.