Basics Of A Restaurant

Covers / Cover Count - are the number of individual customer expected in a given timeframe.
Ex: we have 150 covers on the books for tonight” this means that 150 guests are expected for the evening.
Top(s) - is either the number of seats available at an un-sat table or the number of guests that are sitting at or assigned to a table. The number of guests takes precedence over the number of seats.
Ex: an empty table with seating for four people is called a “four top.” It would also be called a four top if four guests were dining at that table. However, if a table has seating for four but is reserved for or assigned to a party of three guests, then you would refer to it as a three top.
Position/Seat Numbers - are a way of identifying each chair at a table with a designated number. This identifying number is indicated verbally and on tickets so that dropping off drinks, food, birthday surprises, or splitting checks can be done seamlessly without having to “auction off” items (someone goes up to a table and has to ask the customers who each item belongs to). Each restaurant/bar has a different system for where seat one (s1) will be at each table but the numbers tend to go in ascending order in a clockwise motion from there. The important part is that all employees understand and are in agreement about where each seat number is.
Ex:

Ghost Seat(s) - is an empty chair, or chairs, at a table that is included in the count when referring to seat numbers. With the inclusion of ghost seats, seat numbers are based on the number of chairs rather than the number of guests.
Ex: Let’s say there is a table with seating for four people and at some point in the evening a party of three is sat there. The three guests sit at positions one, three, and four respectively. Seat two (the empty chair) would still be included in the count when naming seat numbers. Some restaurants choose to ignore ghost seats and instead base their seat numbers on the number of guests rather than the number of chairs. Using the same scenario the person sitting in chair one would be S1, the empty seat of chair two would be ignored, the person sitting in chair 3 would be S2, and the person in chair 4 would be S3. The downside to this approach is that at different points throughout the same meal a seat number can refer to a different guest in the event that people arrive late or leave early.
Runner - someone whose main job it is to carry food from the kitchen and deliver it to guests in the dining room. There can also be a drinks runner that brings beverages from the bar to guests at their tables as well.
Expediter (Expo) - the person that is on the opposite side of the cooking line in the kitchen who is responsible for calling out new ticket orders, organizing the food to match each ticket making sure all the items go out correct and together, taking the food out of the window and passing it to the runners to bring out to the tables, and for being the singular point of communication between the front of the house staff members and the cooks. The expo should be the only one that is speaking to the cooks and the only one pulling items and tickets out of the window.
Window/Pass - is the place in between the cooks and the expo where cooks put up dishes that are ready to be served. From there the expo pulls the dishes from the opposite side of the line that belong to a certain ticket and hands them off to the runner(s) to bring out to the guests at their table.
Line - the cooks are organized in a line each with their own station. The opposite side of the line is where the expo and food runners are. In between these two sides is the window. Food goes from the cooks, to the window, from the window the expo takes the food and hands it off to the runners, the runners bring the food into the dining room and deliver it to the proper table and seat numbers.
The "Floor" - refers to the dining room

Floor Plan - is a map of all the tables in a restaurant which typically includes information such as table layout, table numbers, table capacity, seat numbers (or at least where seat 1 is), the bar’s location, number of servers on the floor, and/or server’s names and sections.
Table numbers - tables in a restaurant are typically set up in a grid or grid like fashion. Each column and row has a corresponding number used in conjunction to identify tables. This system works just like a bingo board. For example you could have the 10’s column, the 20’s column, and the 30’s column with the 1’s row, the 2’s row and the 3’s row. This would create a floor plan with the following table numbers 11,12,13; 21, 22, 23; 31, 32, and 33. Notice how there is no table numbered 10, 20, or 30. That is because there is no 0’s row. You may work at or come across a place that starts their table numbers with zeros, this is simply a floor plan that was made by someone who doesn’t understand the basic principles of a grid system, and (in my experience) are simply too stubborn or proud to correct it.

Sections - are the grouping of tables, usually in close proximity to one another, that each server is responsible for tending to. This is the server’s area to make money in. Great care and attention to detail should be taken in maintaining and serving these tables.
Rotation - depending on the restaurant and the night, some places will seat servers on a rotation basis rather than by section. For example, let's say there are four servers on the floor for a particular night, Server A, B, C, and D. In a rotation, Server A would get the first table that comes in regardless of where in the restaurant they sit. Server B would get the second table and so on until each server has gotten their first table. Then it would go back to the beginning and Server A would get the fifth table, Server B the sixth, and so on. The seating order would look something like this: A, B, C, D; A, B, C, D; A, B, C, D… This order may vary at some point in order to keep cover counts for each server as close to even as possible.

Restaurant Lingo

…What’d you say?

(restaurant lingo and their meanings)

In this section, rather than being listed alphabetically, words that are related are grouped together.

Front of House (FOH) - are all the employees and parts of the restaurant that are customer facing (meaning the customers interact with) such as servers, the bars / bartenders, host / hostesses, and server assistants (SA’s) / bussers.
Back of House (BOH) - are all the employees and parts of the restaurant that the customers do not interact with such as the cooks, expo, dish pit, and dishwashers.
Dish Pit - is the area in the BOH where all of the dirty dishes go to be scrapped off and cleaned in the dishwasher. It is also where racks of clean glassware and dishes might be temporarily stacked before being polished and restocked.
Walk-In - is a guest or group of guests that come in to dine without a reservation
All In - this is the point in service towards the end of the night when there are no more upcoming reservations for that evening.
Fire / Fired - to fire an item or ticket means that you want the kitchen or bar to make the item(s) on the ticket without any further holds or delays. This can be done verbally or by using a “fire course” button in the POS depending on the circumstances or how your restaurant operates.
“On fire” refers to an item or ticket that has already begun this process.
“Order fire” refers to an item or ticket that is automatically understood to be fired as soon as the ticket comes into the kitchen.

Hold - is when a food item is sent to the kitchen so they can begin preparing to make it, however they will wait to finish the item or ticket until it has been “fired” by the server. This is how coursing out a ticket works.
Coursing - is when you have two or more courses or stages to a meal but all of the information for each course is sent into the kitchen at the same time. When this happens “course 1” will be an order fire and each of the following courses will be on hold until the kitchen receives a ticket firing the next course.
Ex: Let's say you have a three course meal consisting of an appetizer, a salad, and an entree. You can ring in all three courses at the same time so that the kitchen can begin planning for it but course the meal out so that only one course is fired (and subsequently comes out) at a time. In this scenario course 1, the appetizer, would be an order fire and the next two courses would be on hold. When they are ready to move on to the next course, you would ring in a “fire course 2” ticket into the kitchen so they know to fire the next course. When this happens course 3 is still on hold until you send in a “fire course 3” ticket.
“On the Fly” - means to do something as quickly as possible.
Ex: Let’s say a customer's steak comes out overcooked, they wanted it “medium rare (MR)” but it came out “medium well (MW)” instead. The rest of the table is happy with their food so you need the kitchen to make them a new steak cooked to the correct temperature as quickly as possible so that the customer is sitting without their meal for as little time as possible. You would take the overcooked steak back to the kitchen for the expo and cooks to see and say something to the effect of “I need a new steak, medium rare, on the fly please!” (to the expo, not the line).
“Heard” - is a verbal confirmation that you listened to and understood what someone said to you. This is important, especially in the kitchen where there are often a lot of things being said to different people, in order to maintain clear communication and understanding that everyone is on the same page. You only need to say “heard” in response to things that are said specifically to you.
“Corner” - is something you say when approaching a blind intersection loud enough so that someone else approaching from the other side will hear you and become aware of your presence. This is important to help prevent possible collisions especially in the case of someone carrying a tray or walking with something potentially dangerous such as a knife or hot pan.
“Behind” - is something you say out loud when you are standing or walking behind someone so they become aware of your presence and don’t accidentally turn around or back into you.

Note: that other adjectives can be added to “corner” and “behind” to give others more information about what is around them.
Ex: you would say “corner-hot” if you are carrying something hot like coffee or a hot pan, or “behind-sharp” if you are walking behind someone with a knife or broken glass. Project your voice when you say these things, clear communication is very important in the restaurant/bar industry.

"All Day" - is a term used to identify the total number of a given item that is needed at the present moment. This will be used most often in the kitchen when tickets are coming in.
86 - means that we are out of a particular item.
Ex: “86 the chef’s special” means that the kitchen has sold out of the special for the evening. “That beer is 86ed, we will be getting something new to replace it soon.” This means that we will no longer be carrying that particular beer moving forward.
After The Board - is used when giving the number of an item remaining after taking into account all of the tickets that are currently pending.
Ex: “there are 5 steaks left after the board,” means that after all of the orders that have been rung in are made, there are five more steaks that can be sold.
"Is The Board Covered?" - If someone tells you that your kitchen is 86, an item that you just recently rang in, this is the question you would ask to make sure that they have enough for your ticket.
Ex: Let’s say that you ring in a ticket with a sea bass entree on it. A couple of minutes later the kitchen says “we’re 86 sea bass for tonight.” You would respond by asking “is the board covered?” meaning is your ticket with the seabass accounted for or do you need to let your table know you ran out and offer them something else.
Dropped / Dropping - means to deliver an item to a table. This could be in reference to food, drinks, silverware, extra plates, salt and pepper, or anything else the customer might need or request.
Ex: “Hey, I dropped sharing plates and serving spoons at table 23, you can fire their food now.”
Run / Ran - also used to describe the act of delivering something to a table but typically refers to food or drinks specifically.
Ex: “Hey, I’m too busy to get over to the bar right now, can you please run drinks to table 45 for me.” or “Hey, I ran your desserts to table 52.”
"Hands" - when someone calls for “hands,” they are asking for help. This is usually in reference to running food from the kitchen so it doesn’t die in the window but it can also mean they need help clearing a table or large party.
In The Weeds / Weeded - means that you are currently overwhelmed and struggling to deal with everything you’re supposed to be doing at that moment. It implies that you could use help or that you are in no position to take on anything beyond what you already have going on.
Ex: Host: “Hey, we have a walk-in, can you take them?” Server A: “I can’t, I’m already in the weeds.” or “what a crazy night, I was weeded for an hour straight!"
Stage ("Staj") - is short for “stagiaire” a French term meaning someone who is in training. This typically refers to chef’s that are apprenticing but will often be used for servers that are in training or as a test run for potential new hires. The manager may ask you to come in and stage for the night where you will shadow one of their senior servers.
2 Bites / 2 Minutes - is the industry standard for how long a server should wait to check in with a table about how their food is tasting once it has reached the table. If something tastes off or is wrong with the dish, the customer will know within the first two bites which is early enough in the meal to easily fix the situation. Two minutes is the alternative if they are sitting without having touched their food. Most people are excited to get their meals and dive right in. If they haven’t touched their food within the first two minutes of it being dropped off, this might be an indication that something is wrong (maybe the wrong dish was brought out to them, maybe there is something they asked to be left out of the dish that was accidentally included, maybe the food came out cold). By checking to make sure everything is ok within two bites or two minutes you ensure that they aren’t sitting long with an issue and that you catch it early enough that it can be resolved quickly.
Additionally, when checking in on a table try to avoid asking leading questions where the answer is fed to them. An example of this would be asking “is everything great?” The problem with questions like this is, what if everything is not great? Most customers are polite and many of them feel bad or awkward when it comes to complaining about their food even if that complaint is completely valid. By asking a leading question, not only do they have to make a complaint, but now they also have to disagree with you. It becomes a deterrent for the customer to give us the most valuable thing they have to offer, their honest feedback.‍
The reality is, while a leading question may prevent a customer from complaining at that moment, you will never trick their taste buds. One of the most difficult situations to correct is when a customer is dissatisfied but doesn’t say anything, or waits until the meal is over to say something. This is why it is important to ask open-ended questions, such as “how did everyone’s meal come out?” The only way they can answer that question is with feedback and it allows them to be honest about any issues without feeling like they are disagreeing with you.
It’s not the issues that get us into trouble, it's the issues we don’t know about and therefore can’t correct that get us into trouble. If we know about it we can fix it on the spot or work towards a solution and figure out how to prevent it from happening again in the future.
Flat / Still Water - is any water that is non carbonated. This can refer to tap water, filtered water, and bottled water as long as there is no carbonation.
Soda Water vs Mineral Water - soda water is plain water with carbonation added to it, this can be in the form of bottled seltzer or from a drinks fountain or drinks gun at the bar. Mineral water is different in that it comes from a spring and naturally has minerals (such as magnesium, sodium, and zinc) in it. Mineral water can be still or sparkling. Some common examples of mineral water are San Pellegrino and Perrier.
Hot - Wine or spirits that are described as “hot” refer to the high level of alcohol and a prominent burning sensation experienced with smelling and/or tasting them.
Decanting - is the process of separating wine from any sediment that may be settled at the bottom of the bottle. This is done by carefully pouring the wine from the bottle into another vessel (typically a decanter or carafe). The function of the shoulder of the bottle is to collect sediment allowing the wine to flow past through the neck. Once sediment begins to enter the neck of the bottle, stop pouring. By holding the bottle over a lit candle or light source you will be able to see when sediment begins to enter the neck of the bottle more easily. If there is only a small amount of wine remaining it can be left in the bottle with the sediment. If there is still a decent amount of wine left, tilt the bottle upright allowing the sediment to settle on the bottom then begin pouring again more slowly making sure the sediment doesn’t pass the shoulder. Many people think the purpose of decanting is to mix the wine with oxygen but that is a different process called aerating. Decanting should be done on older (10 plus years old) full bodied reds such as Bordeauxs, Cabs, northern or southern Rhone Valley wines, Barolos, and more. This is a long enough time frame for the tannins in these wines to soften and begin precipitating out of the wine. This is often where the sediment comes from. If there is no sediment in the bottle it is not necessary to decant it however some guests may still ask you to, in which case it is perfectly fine to do so. There is no need to correct the customer in this situation, remember it is our job to provide good service and a positive experience not to prove how much we know.
Aeration - is the act of introducing oxygen to a wine to help open up the flavors and aromas. This can be done by pouring the wine into a secondary vessel such as a carafe or decanter or by simply pouring it into wine glasses and swirling it around. Aerating is most beneficial to young red wines with medium plus to high tannin levels .

To open a wine bottle that has a wax seal don’t try to cut away the wax in an effort to expose the top of the cork the same way you would with a foil capsule. Instead, simply drive the point of the corkscrew into the top of the wax the same way you would if you were driving it directly into the cork. Once the corkscrew has been turned down to the appropriate depth, firmly press the first step of the hinge into the wax covered lip and remove the cork as normal. The cork should come out with a wax cap on it leaving a relatively clean opening to pour through.

There are 5 glasses (each standard 150 mL pours) in a standard (750 mL) bottle of wine.

During wine service, what is the point of placing the cork on the table in front of the host?

Many people believe the point is for the host to smell the cork, checking the wine for potential defects, such as the wine being “corked,” however that can not be done by smelling the cork because the scent of the cork itself will mislead you. Checking a wine for defects is instead done by smelling the wine once it has been poured into a glass. The actual reason for placing the cork in front of the host is so they can see if the labeling on the cork matches the labeling on the bottle confirming that the bottle has not been tampered with. This may seem unnecessary now but in the 18th century dishonest restaurants would take a nice bottle of wine that was empty, fill them with cheaper wine, re-cork them, and sell them as the better wine that the bottle and label were originally from. In an effort to be transparent with their customers, honest restaurants began placing the corks on the tables so that the host could see that the label on the cork matched the label on the bottle and thus were receiving the actual wine that they were paying for. This tradition has continued to this day.

Service & Hospitality

The Difference Between Service and Hospitality

(and the important role of each)

Service is all of the technical aspects of being a server such as knowing the menu items and ingredients, allowable substitutions, basic knowledge of the wine list and BTG (by the glass) options, table maintenance including setting, clearing, resting, and marking tables with the appropriate plates and silverware, making sure the table and seat numbers are correct and food is deliver with the corresponding modifications.

Hospitality is all about how you make the customers feel and the experience you provide them with. This includes sending out a dessert or gift item for birthdays, anniversaries, or special occasions, a warm genuine smile or conversation, reading the table and providing the kind of service in line with the experience they are looking for, going above and beyond for a table (maybe that’s giving a small toy to a child to make them happy and keep them occupied, helping to orchestrate a surprise or decorate for a special occasion, or taking a picture for them and making sure they are happy with it), bringing a regular they’re go-to drink order when you first greet the table, offering a different drink or food option that you think is markedly better than the one they picked even if it costs slightly less.

The goal should be as a server to balance these two components. Danny Meyer in his book Setting The Table talks about looking for a 51% hospitality to 49% service split in his staff members.

Providing good service/hospitality does not always mean doing more. There are plenty of times where the best thing you can do is leave a table alone. Don’t make your urge to feel like you’re doing something or your need to stay busy, your customer’s problem. This is especially difficult and important to be aware of when things are slow. Danny Meyer says it best “Anything that unnecessarily disrupts a guest’s time with his or her companions or disrupts the enjoyment of the meal undermines hospitality.”

Read the table, more is not always better. If they are deep in conversation and don’t urgently need anything, leave them alone. If a couple is holding hands and staring lovingly into each other's eyes, don’t ruin the moment. That is the exact moment they came in for.

I was once on a first date with a girl I met on a dating app. We ordered our drinks and expressed to the waitress that we didn't want any food and would be good for a bit. After we received our cocktails she took the menus off the table and left us alone. Ten minutes later, even though our drinks were still 90 percent full and we were deep into our conversation, she came back and asked if we needed anything. “No, thank you, we’re good.” I said politely. Trying to figure out where we left off, we restarted our conversation. Ten minutes later, drinks still 75 percent full, she came back and did it again. Again “no, thank you, we’re still good” I said politely but beginning to get annoyed. She continued this pattern like clockwork every 10 minutes for the entire date. In the two and half hours that we were there, she interrupted us no less than 12 times, 10 of which were completely unnecessary. On a first date when things may be a little awkward, every interruption takes you out of the groove and makes connecting that much more difficult. This is a clear example of poor hospitality. By acting on every urge she had to make sure we were ok, she wasn’t giving us the experience we wanted but instead was giving us the experience she needed.

When people come out to eat at a restaurant they are not simply looking for sustenance, they are looking for an experience. It is your job as a server to quickly identify what that experience is and create it for them. Perhaps that is a romantic evening with minimal interruptions, maybe it is a birthday dinner with a surprise dessert, maybe they are visiting from out of town and looking for recommendations on places to visit and things to do in the area, maybe it is a business dinner where sensitive topics are being discussed and privacy is most important, or maybe they just want to relax and do as little work as possible and enjoy someone else serving them for a change. Whatever it is, identify it as soon as possible and use the time you have with them to deliver that experience.

Try to let go of the results of your goodwill towards your customers (and coworkers) because you never know how things will play out. There may be plenty of tables where some extra effort doesn’t directly translate to a higher tip which may make you want to react negatively or stop going the extra mile with future customers. The problem is you don’t know the full story and how it will all play out in time. Maybe they end up leaving a positive review and mention your name it in, or comment to the manager/owner about how good of a job you do which can open up the door to other possibly more lucrative opportunities in the future, maybe they know someone who is looking to hire a person just like you and they recommend you for the position, or maybe they are a person that was having a tough day/week/month/year and your service and hospitality simply made them feel good for a little bit. You never know the full story of what is going on with people. I have found that you, more often than not, get what you give and because of that I strongly encourage you to focus more on the impact you are having on others and less on what you are getting in return.

When gifting items to a table (if your restaurant allows that) try not to give them things that will ruin their appetite such a big plate of nachos but rather give them something small or light that will enhance their experience like a glass of sparkling wine for a congratulatory toast, a small dessert, or creating something, that may not formally be on the menu, just for them.

I’ll give you an example of this. I had a four top come in one time and sit in my section. Three of the people each ordered one of our cocktail flights. With the flight you got half portions of three of our signature cocktails. It was a great way to sample different drinks and the presentation always made a scene as it was coming through the dining room making everyone that saw it want one of their own. The fourth person at my table was sober and even though they wanted a cocktail flight, since he no longer drank alcohol, he ordered a soda instead with a visible degree of disappointment. Noticing this, I went to my manager, explained the situation, and asked if I could do something special for him. My manager was 100 percent on board and helped me create a non-alcoholic flight (that wasn’t on the menu) complete with half portions of different sodas and mocktail options in the same presentation as the normal cocktail flights. I brought the three regular cocktail flights over at the same time and said “I’ll be right back with your soda sir.” Approaching from a direction that he couldn’t see me coming, I placed his custom non-alcoholic flight right in front of him. I said “we didn’t want you to feel left out so we made something special just for you.” This man’s face lit up as I walked him through what each drink was just as I had done with the cocktail flights. The reaction from him and the rest of the table, who were all genuinely surprised, is what I believe hospitality is all about. It was a small gesture that showed how much we were paying attention and care about our guests' experience beyond merely what they ask and pay for.

It is easy to give good service and hospitality to the nice customers that spend a lot of money and don’t ask for much. It isn’t great service and hospitality until you can maintain those standards with the most difficult customers that complain the whole time while only drinking water and splitting a salad.

Basics of Service

Basics Of A Restaurant

Restaurant Lingo

…What’d you say?

Service & Hospitality

The Difference Between Service and Hospitality