1. SERVING

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

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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Place Setting
Formal Setting
Informal Setting

27. 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

28. 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

29. Clearing Dishes Dishes are removed in a counterclockwise pattern 2 3 41 4

30. 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

31. 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

32. THE END
SERVING