Services in a Restaurant:

A restaurant service should focus around customer’s satisfaction and provide a fine dining experience. Every employee should take part in providing a wholesome dining experience to the guest and for this certain steps have to be followed during service.

Steps to be followed in a Restaurant  service:

For proper service of a restaurant, the following procedures should be followed by employees.

■Greeting and seating the guests ■Taking orders ■Service ■Payment

1. Greeting  and  seating  the guests:

☆A host (manager or supervisor in a restaurant) is responsible for greeting customers at the entrance.

☆When the customer comes in, letting them know whether there will be a waiter find out the guests reservations. Verify the reservation dining and guide them to their table. If they have not reserved the table then find out the available table appropriate to the number of guests.

☆Pull out the chair slightly so as to make it convenient for the guests to occupy the seat.

☆If there are any small children in the group, offer them high chairs or booster seats.

☆Opening napkins – When the guests take their seats, most of them unfold the napkins on their own and spread them on their laps. However, some guests wait for the waiters to do it for them.

☆After the guests are seated, water is offered in most Indian restaurants. Chilled or warm water is offered according to the weather. These days most of them prefer mineral water.

2. Taking orders:

☆Once guests are seated, they are attended by the waiter.

☆Menu card is presented to the guest from the right side.

☆Waiters who take orders should have as much information as possible about the menu, day’s special including ingredients.

☆Appetizers should be ordered first and conveyed to the kitchen staff.

☆Should take orders at the same point at each table for entrée depending on the type of food establishment so that it will help him deliver plates to the right diners.

☆Food service restaurants that have multiple course meals take their diner’s course orders after the appetizer, so that the courses needed are prepared in the kitchen and delivered with a set time frame.

☆A waiter is responsible for periodic checking on diners, to ensure they are satisfied with their meal and he should ensure that all required cutleries have set up and placed on the table properly.

3. Service Plate:

☆A skilled waiter will balance the customer’s need.

☆There are some basic principles in food and beverage service that a waiter must know

☆When food is served by the server at the table from a platter on to guest plate, the service is done from the right.

☆When food is preplated, the service to the guest is usually done from the right.

☆All beverages are served from the right.

☆Soups are served from the right. Sometimes if it is poured from a large tureen into a soup bowl by a waiter means it is done from the left to the guest.

☆Ladies and children are always served first and the remaining guests clockwise.

☆Soiled plates should always be cleaned from the right.

☆Empty crockery and fresh cutlery are always served from the right.

☆When a guest is present at the table, all items and the equipment on the right of guest must be placed from the right and left from the left.

Food safety is important during restaurant service. Though waiters and hostesses do not cook the food, they still come in contact with the food. It is helpful for the servers to undergo food safety and sanitation training programme.

4. Payment:

☆Payment (Cash, cheque, card) protocols vary by the type of food service organization, volume and location.

☆Check the bill if it belongs to the right guest and the dishes they have eaten.

☆Present the bill neatly in a bill folder to the guest.

☆Guests settle bill by cash or cheque or debit or credit card.

☆Due to demonetization in India, nowadays guests prefer to pay cashless by using credit or debit card. If settled by card, the swiping machine can be brought to the table for payment.

☆Do not expect tips and thank the guests politely with smile.

☆Clean table and set cover for the next guests or meal.