Basic Service in the Restaurant

Here are some tips and guidelines on how to improve the basic service for those who are working in the restaurant. This basic service can apply to any type of restaurant, from simple to fine dining.

I am presently working at the restaurant here in Malaysia. Shook! Restaurant  located at Feast Village, Starhill Gallery and has four authentic Asian and Western cuisine; Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Western. Under Autodome Sdn. Bhd and owned by YTL Group of Companies.

I joined here since 2005. I learned more about restaurant services and gained more knowledge. Some tips here about the basic of the service are from Shook! Standard of service basic and some are from my experiences.  To continue click

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What is a Restaurant?

A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared food to customers. Service is generally for eating on premises, though the term has been used to describe take-out establishments and food delivery services. The term covers many types of venues and a diversity of styles of cuisine and service

A restaurant owner is called a restaurateur; both words derive from the French verb restaurer, meaning to restore. (wikipedia.com)

Types of restaurants

 Restaurants range from unpretentious lunching or dining places catering to people working nearby, with simple food served in simple settings at low prices, to expensive establishments serving refined food and wines in a formal setting. In the former case, customers usually wear casual clothing. In the latter case, depending on culture and local traditions, customers might wear semi-casual, semi-formal, or even in rare cases formal wear.

Typically, customers sit at tables, their orders are taken by a waiter, who brings the food when it is ready, and the customers pay the bill before leaving. In finer restaurants there will be a host or hostess or even a maître d’hôtel to welcome customers and to seat them. Other staff waiting on customers include busboys and sommeliers. Restaurants often specialize in certain types of food or present a certain unifying, and often entertaining, theme. For example, there are seafood restaurants, vegetarian restaurants or ethnic restaurants. Generally speaking, restaurants selling “local” food are simply called restaurants, while restaurants selling food of foreign origin are called accordingly, for example, a Chinese restaurant and a French restaurant.  (wikipedia.com)

The Guidelines and Tips

Make service as a culture. Always start from warm and sincere greeting, followed by anticipation and fulfillment of needs and end with fond farewell.

If a guest stop eating and appears to be focusing on his friends, check the table dishes to see if all are done eating that course.

Present menu to children, lady, gentleman and host respectively and always hand it from guest’s right.

Take all orders systematically manner, so that the server knows which guest get what foods and drinks.

When a customer has a cigarette in his hand – immediately look to light it and/ or check ashtrays for excessive ash.

When a guest is looking around the room – try to catch his eyes as he may be looking for service.

Always inform guests your special of the day and also the items not available for that day. To say, “I am afraid we have just run out of certain items on the menu this evening”.

Determine ‘stations’ where each member of the team can spread out and oversee our guests from every vantage point stand within the sight of the guest and within reasonable distance

Fond farewell; Use phrases like “sure was nice having you back again”, “we appreciate your support”, thank you for having lunch/dinner with us today, do come and see us again soon”.

Use both hand to unfold the napkins by holding the edge of the napkins with both fingertips.

No grouping during operation hours in the restaurant.

All glassware used must be hygienically clean and chip free. All glassware must be free of water marks and stains prior to setting on tables/service.

When guest leave the seat (e.g. to restroom) and the napkin is placed on the table, the staff are to take, fold and place on the right hand side of the guest.

All menus presented must be pre-checked to ensure that they are reasonably good condition with no stain and tears in them.

As good practice, always have two clean ashtrays on your service tray that will save time.

Check items on tray to balance items as evenly as possible on two sides of the tray. Place heavier china items in the center and closer to your shoulder.

To avoid drips, give the wine bottle a light twist while turning the bottleneck upward. At the same time wipe off any liquid from the neck with the wine napkin in the left.

Wine service. Keep an eye out and refill the wine and always offer lady first.

Always help the guest to pull their chair in, when they are about to be seated or to leave their table.

When a steak or meat item is order, e.g. Sirloin, Tenderloin, Lamb, or Ribs, etc.- ask the doneness desired. (again be able to describe all the various levels of doneness offered in. “How would you like your steak done?”

Do not ignore a guest who happens not to be in your station. If he/she has a need, take care of the request cheerfully and enthusiastically.

The service staffs should know the cooking/preparation time for all items. This will help them judge when to pick up an item.

Hot food must be picked up immediately once it is prepared in the kitchen and cold food must be served cold. Any changes need to be done is need to be informed and communicated only by Managers to the Chefs.

Coffee or Tea orders must be  served together with sugar and milk on the side, unless the server knew the preference of the guest. E.g. honey, etc.

During the meal, staff should always anticipate guest’s needs and scan the area regularly, keeping their eyes open for any guests needing.

Unfold the napkin once the guests are seated always be at the right side whenever is possible.

The server should never allow the food to be served before the table is properly set with an appropriate cutlery, e.g. fish knife/fish fork for fish, steak knife/steak fork for steaks/ meat.

Always practice to serve lady first. If there are children or elderly, they will then be the first to be served.

Service associates must be always ready to make orders for the guest, especially for vegetarian and guests with food allergies.

When addressing customers, speak clearly, establish eye contact and be friendly. Never talk loudly especially over the heads of some guests.

Clear soil dishes from the table once the guest has finished the meal. Always practice clearing from the right.

*always practice to sanitize all table tops before the restaurant operation begins.

*avoid chewing (gum) while in front of the customers or while in the floor area.

*do not argue in front of the costumers, customers will be disappointed the restaurant images.

*make sure that all the necessary condiments are set on the table during the meals.

It is always a good idea to turn an upset customer into a friend and perhaps a long time repeat customer. A call or a note is totally unexpected and will surely exceed the customer’s expectation.

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—-there are more basics and will be continued next month. See Ya!!