How to Properly Serve Food

Learn the fundamentals of serving food from pouring
beverages to putting away finished dishes with the guidance of this practical
book.

The main goal of being a server in a restaurant is to make
customers happy with their dining experience. In addition to exceptional food,
diners pay for top-notch service. The hospitality sector is what it is called
after all.

Particularly in fine dining facilities, the act of serving
food plays a significant role in the eating experience. A excellent method to
impress your customers and get tips is to provide outstanding customer service.

We’ve provided you with a variety of pointers and tactics in
this blog that you may utilise to provide the greatest customer service at
work.

Types of services

Different models are followed by restaurants when it comes
to the dining experience. From counter-service eateries to sumptuous five-star
restaurants, there are many different ways to serve customers.

Typically, one of these service models will be used by most
restaurants:

• Speedy service Quick service is a concept made popular by
fast food restaurants and other businesses. It focuses on efficiency and
convenience. After placing their order and waiting a short while at the
counter, a customer picks up their food and leaves. There are dining rooms in
some fast service restaurants, but not all.

• Fast-casual: A fast-casual restaurant may frequently take
orders at the counter but also feature a dining room, similar to quick service.
In order for the kitchen workers to deliver the meal, guests are typically
handed table markers. Diners occasionally receive buzzers to let them know when
their meal is ready at the counter.

• Casual eating: The norm for many restaurants, casual
dining experiences put an emphasis on outstanding cuisine and a fun time at a
reasonable price. A host will frequently seat guests before a waitress takes
their food orders. The server will then deliver the food and occasionally check
in with the patrons to see if they are happy.

• Fine dining: The most upscale level of service offered,
fine dining venues offer unmatched service in a posh setting. Excellent
customer service, a classy setting, and specialised menus of inventive,
perfectly prepared meals are all part of the experience.

We will concentrate on food service at casual dining and
upscale dining establishments for this guide. We’ll also assume that you’ve
already seated the guests and given the kitchen their orders.

Picking up the food from the kitchen

The kitchen is a bustling, noisy room. Even the best chefs occasionally
make blunders. You want to make sure the orders are correct before leaving the
kitchen since first impressions count. Even if the back of house employees
committed a mistake, it would be bad for the business as a whole and you
personally.

Make it a habit to tick each item off this list:.

• Meals are always served at the proper table.

• All orders, including any substitutions, are accurate.

• There are no flaws in the plates or bowls.

• Include more cutlery, such as soup spoons and steak
knives.

• Place sauces and other condiments on the side.

These simple actions improve customer service and can help
you avoid comping meals or returning food to the kitchen.

Placing food on the table

Did you aware that there are proper and improper sides from
which to serve? Even if your restaurant doesn’t follow these customs, many
customers care about culinary traditions.

Meals used to be delivered from a common tray in the past.
Scooping food from a platter or bowl, the server placed it on each customer’s
plate. Food was served from the left because doing so made sense logistically.
Since the majority of customers eat with their right hand, serving food from
the left was the least obtrusive method.

But nowadays, practically every meal is served on a separate
plate. It simply needs to be set in front of the guest by the server.

Keep in mind that there aren’t any absolute standards in the
food service sector, unless you’re at a fine dining spot that follows
tradition. Instead, try to serve from the side that causes the least
disruption.

You can occasionally find yourself delivering simultaneously
from the left and right sides! If you have two plates available, you can serve
visitors seated across from one another in a single, fluid action.

When to serve left-handed:

• Serving food from a communal platter, like in a steakhouse
in Brazil.

• Setting salads and bread as side items.

• Serving a table or booth without a right-side entrance

When to serve right:.

• Providing pre-assembled meals on a single platter.

• Setting beverages on a table.

giving out wine.

Wine is a wonderful beverage to have with dinner, but
pouring wine is also an art. Without the proper method, you could accidentally
overfill a glass or spill it on a visitor.

When serving wine, take the following actions:

• Compile your resources: Bring your corkscrew, the wine
bottle, and wine glasses for each visitor. Remember that an ice bucket is
necessary for some chilly wines.

• Offer the wine: Be careful to display the wine bottle as
is customary so the customer can validate their selection. You should display
the bottle’s label and verbally state the name, vintage, and any further
information. Until they confirm, don’t open the bottle.

• Provide a sample: The judge will be the visitor who placed
the wine order. Place the cork in their face once you’ve opened the bottle.
Next, pour a modest bit so that the visitor can swirl and taste the wine. You
can start pouring for the table after it has been approved.

• Pouring: You should pour from the right because the
diner’s right side is where the wine glasses are placed. You’ll end up reaching
over the customer’s plate if you don’t. Nobody likes to feel as though someone
is invading their personal space, even when dining with relatives. Pour for the
first visitor, then fill each additional glass as you move clockwise around the
table.

plates for clearing

You should always clear the table from the right side,
regardless of how the food is served. As you pour the wine, move around the
table picking up each dish as you go.

You shouldn’t stack plates on top of one another in formal
dining establishments. This makes a mess of things and can make loud noises as
the glass clinks together.

Set a dish on a table nearby that is out of sight instead.
You can stack your plates here and transport them to the kitchen quickly.

a few basic guidelines for serving

• Don’t touch visitors: Avoid running into customers as much
as possible, especially when placing food. Never attempt to wipe something off
a visitor if you drop something.

• Don’t touch yourself ever: Try to refrain from touching
your face or other body parts because appearances matter. Use a serviette or an
apron to wipe your hands if necessary.

• Practise open-hand service: Never cross or reach over a
visitor at an acute angle. Instead, use the same hand to serve from either the
left or right. Use your left hand to deliver a left-handed serving. Use your
right hand when serving if you are on the right.

• Combine food service: Bring the starters, main courses,
and deserts all at once. Asking if they want the appetiser before or with
everyone’s meals is acceptable because some customers purchase an appetiser as
a meal.

• Keep your hands far below the top of all cups; never touch
the rim of a glass. This stops the spread of germs and gives guests peace of
mind that their glassware is sanitised. Hold only the stem of wine glasses.

Use the right point of sale to serve meals more effectively.

Customers detest having to wait for their meal, and there is
nothing worse for a customer than receiving their food only to discover that
their order was wrong. Fortunately, the Epos Now Complete Solution will help
you avoid these mistakes.

Our electronic point of sales (EPOS, often known as POS) are
made to increase profitability and simplify your life. To improve the
operations of bars and restaurants, we’re continuously working to offer new
features.

Modern restaurant EPOS systems allow you to: • Take orders
at the table and send them to the kitchen.

Real-time menu changes are available.

• Check the availability of products.

• Recognise all forms of payment.