Sequence of service in restaurants/ restaurant service procedure

Table of Contents

Procedure for greeting and seating the guests

As it is rightly said, the first impression is the last impression, it is important that the greeting and seating are taken care of. The wait staff should greet the guests coming to the restaurant with a pleasant and genuine smile which should make the guests feel that they are welcome and they are in mids of friendly people.

Greeting

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Keeping eye contact, greet the guest with a smile according to the time of the day. For example ‘Good evening sir’
Ask whether he/she has any reservations,
Ask for the number of guests accompanying him in order to give the right table with adequate covers.
Allot the tables according to guests’ preferences.

Seating

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Take them to the table
Place an extra cushion or use the kiddie’s chair for the children to have better teaching at the table.
“Excuse yourself” and remove the guest’s coat or blazer and hang it coat stand or coat hanger if it is in the restaurant otherwise put it around the back of the chair in which he is to be seated.
Pull the chair for the guest to sit
Push the chair back for them to be seated.

Opening napkin

Stand to the right of the guest, pick up the napkin with right-hand, unfold, and make a triangle.
Place it on the lap of the guest. but in the case of Indian ladies remove the napkin from the center of the cover and place it on the side plate.
Open the host, ‘s napkin last.

Water Serving Sequence procedure in restaurant

Before serving water, ask for the preference of the guest (regular, mineral, aerated, spring water)
Take the water jug on an underplate to the guests’ table.
Turn the glass right side up, if placed upside down.
pick up the jug and pour water till an inch below the rim of the glass.
Wait for the last drop to fall into the glass place the jug back on the underplate move clockwise to the next guest and repeat the procedure.
Serve the host last.

Presenting the menu card

The menu is presented in a la carte service and not in table d hote service.
Carry the menu to the table.
Menus must be presented to the guest opened, Present the menu in the guest table, and open the first page.
Must have a non-alcoholic option in case the hotel has the license to serve Liquor at the Restaurant.
Always point to any recommendations or house favorites.
Inform the guest that you will take their order when ready.
Maintain eye contact and approach at the appropriate time.
Open the menu with your right hand.
Present the menu to the guest from the right

Order-taking procedure in restaurant

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The station head waiter should be ready to take down the food and beverage orders of the guests as soon they make their choice no guest should be made to wait for a long time to place his order.
Take orders correctly and quickly from the right-hand side of the guest. After taking the order, repeat it and obtain confirmation from the guest.
First, take orders till the main course and take orders for sweet, cheese, savory, and dessert after the main course.
It is recommended to take down the order on a pad with a pencil. as guests tend to make a lot of changes in their orders while placing them
After the complete order has been confirmed, write on a kitchen order ticket(KOT) book with a pen.

For a group of more than six guests

Start with the elderly lady to her right and move clockwise, taking orders sequentially, without considering the age or gender of the other guests.

For two guests, a man, and a woman

In a formal meal. take orders from the man as the lady would have conveyed her order to him.
In a casual environment, start with the lady and then the man.
In a large group, more than 10 guests
Take orders from the host and he will place an order for all of his guests.
When not sure who is the host in a large group, commence order-taking with the elderly lady and move clockwise to the next person.
Do not take orders standing far from the guests

Taking orders for wine

As soon as the food order is collected, a sommelier presents a wine list to all the guests so that they can choose the wine to accompany their food order.
The waiter should be able to suggest suitable wines as per the dishes have ordered.
After collecting the wine order, the waiter writes it in the beverage check and collects the wines from the dispense bar.
The wines are served before food.

Service sequence in a fine dining restaurant

A-la-carte service sequence

Service of soup

Soup is plated and served from the right-hand side
Place soup accompaniment before serving the soup. the place just above the fork.
Take soup bowls and underplates on a salver to the table.
Stand to the right of the guest, keeping the tray behind the guest.
Place the bowl on the underplate, take the soup and place it from the right-hand side, and announce the name of the soup.
If a soup cup is in use, the handles of the cup should be towards the left and the right-hand side of the guest
Move clockwise to the next guest and repeat
Serve the host last.

Service of fish

Serve fish on the half plate which can be either plated or silver served.
Keep the necessary accompaniments for fish.
Serve white wine if ordered.

If pre-plated

Collect the fish on a half plate from the kitchen and place it on the right-hand side.

If platter to plate

Carry a pile of half plates on the flat of the left palm over a serviette to the table.
place the plate from the right-hand side
Move clockwise to the next guest and repeat till you place a plate for the host.
Collect the fish dishes from the kitchen and take them to the table.
Take the dish closer to the guest’s plate from the left-hand side.
Using a service spoon and fork serve fish on the plate and move counterclockwise to the next guest.
Serve the host last

Service of the main course

A large plate is used for the main course and pieces of cutlery used are a large knife and fork.
Make sure the cover has the required cutlery

Pre-plated

Collect the main dish on a full plate from the kitchen and place it on the right-hand side (The plate will have meat, potatoes, and vegetables arranged in the kitchen).
Place the plate in such a way that the meat is closer to the guest, at the 6 o’clock position on the plate.
Move clockwise to the next guest.
Serve host last
Serve roast gravy from the sauceboat with a sauce ladle from the left-hand side and after serving everyone, place the sauceboat on an underplate on the table

Platter to plate

Carry a pile of full plates on the flat of the left palm over a serviette to the table.
Place plate from the right-hand side (use waiter’s cloth)
Move clockwise to the next guest and repeat till you place the plate for the host.
Collect the main dish and accompanying vegetables and potatoes from the kitchen and place them on the sideboard
Take the meat dish to the table and using a service spoon and fork, serve meat on the plate from the left-hand side and move counter-clockwise to the next guest.
Place The meat closer to the guest at the 6 o’clock position on the plate.
Take back the meat to the sideboard and place it on the hot plate,
Take potatoes and accompanying vegetable dishes from the sideboard, each with its own service spoon and fork, on a salver to the guests.
Serve potatoes first on the full plate at 12 o’clock position with a service spoon and fork from the left-hand side.
Roted the salver so that the vegetable dish was closer to the guest’s plate.
Move counter-clockwise to the next guest serve as mentioned above and repeat
Serve the host last

Crumbing the table

Crumbing the table is done after the main course to remove crumbs or any other food particles.
Ensure all unnecessary items such as side plates with side knives, cruets, accompanying sauce, breadbasket, and butter dish have been cleared.
Hold the base of the plate on the flat of the left hand.
Brush down crumbs onto the B&B plate from the guest’s left where the side plate had been used.
The b&b plate should be held under the edge of the table.
Do not cross the guest to crumb the guest’s right standing on his left.
Open the dessert spoon and dessert fork.

Presenting and settling bills and seeing off the guest

Check the bill to see if it belongs to the right guest and whether all dishes have been charged if it is prepared manually, check the accuracy of the addition before presenting.
Present the bill neatly in a bill folder to the host or to the elder person of the group.
Guest settle bill either by cash, card, or by signing in to their room,
If signed by the residential guest, ensure that the bill has the room number clearly written and submit it to the front office immediately to charge the amount to the guest’s account.
Help guests, especially elderly people, and ladies, when are prepared to leave by pulling out the chair and politely saying, thank you for visiting us, sir.
I am sure you had a good meal experience, hope to see you soon.
Be sure to hand over their personal belongings. such as coats, and umbrellas, if you have taken them on their arrival.
The station head waiter accompanies the guests to the exit.

Clearing procedure

clearing is done from the right-hand side
While clearing from the right side, the right leg should be kept forward.
When the guest kept the spoon, fork, and knife straight in the plate you excuse yourself and clear the plate.
Hold the cutlery which is on the plate with the thumb of the right hand, while cleaning the soiled plate from the table.
While cleaning, the cutlery should be arranged on the first plate in such a way that the knife is inserted under the spoon and fork
While cleaning avoids clattering of cutleries and crockeries.
Remove the cruet set, and side plate, before serving dessert.
Before the service of dessert, crumbling down had to be done with a crumb scooper or waiter cloth a side plate kept for the purpose.
Bud vase ashtray and water glass should be there on the table till the guest’s leaving.
Presenting and settling bills
Check the bill to see if it belongs to the right guest and whether all dishes are charged
Present the bill neatly in a bill folder to the host or to the elder person of the group.
If cash is paid settle the amount at the cash counter and return the balance amount if any to the guest with a receipt or paid stamp on the face of the bill.
If settled by card, verify the card’s expiry date and collect and verify the signature of the guest on the charge slip and against the signature on the card.
If signed by a residential guest, ensure that the bill should have the room number clearly written and submit it to the front office immediately for charging the amount to the guest’s account

Rules in service

Always serve kids first followed by ladies and gentlemen.
serve the host at last.
While serving avoid close proximity to the guest.
You should not cross the guest while serving or clearing.
While serving on the left the left leg should be placed forward and on the right the right leg should be forward.
When serving an order “Excuse yourself”. This will inform the guest that you are ready to serve his order and he will give way.
All beverages and the pre-plated dish should be served from the right side of the guest.
Platter-to-plate service is always done from the left and clear from the right.
Always use a round salver for beverage service.
Water should be chilled unless asked otherwise.
If only a beverage is served, it is placed in front of the guest otherwise to the right side of the cover.
Hot beverages like tea, and coffee. and milk is served in a cup and saucer in a dolly of paper with a teaspoon.
Prior to soup service make sure that bread rolls in the breadbasket and butter in the butter pot are placed on the table for soup.
Whenever applicable serve cold items before hot items.
Serve cold dishes on a cold plate and hot dishes on a hot plate.
While serving a dish the manipulation of the silver should be such that the serving spoon is below and the serving fork on top.
Serving platter or entree dish should have folded waiter’s cloth underneath. It should not be in direct contact with the palm.
While serving, serving cutleries should not touch the guest’s plate.
Bring the platter as close as possible to the guest’s plate to avoid dripping while serving.
Indian bread and all varieties of pappads should be served on the side plate/B&B/quarter plate.
Rice should be served slightly away from the center towards the bottom of the plate.
You should not pile the food on the guest’s plate while serving.
Before serving dessert or whenever the table becomes dirty and crumbling down should be done with a crumb scooper or waiter’s clothes.

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