Restaurant Service Improvement: Use Proper Serving Trays
By · CommentsIn Restaurant Service, proper serving trays are one the important “tools” which the dining room service staff needs to perform their positions properly. The type of tray used must be the correct fit for the restaurant’s menu, level of service, and staff. It is a major factor for how well the tables are cleared.
After finishing a service consulting job for a huge banquet operation that consisted of 3 gorgeous Romanesque style rooms total, I noticed the many different types of serving trays that the restaurant was using.
This inconsistency made things cumbersome and a bit confusing for the dining room service staff. It had taken some time and effort to figure out the best type trays to use, and what benefits the staff and service the most. After doing away with expensive, over sized silver trays, we finally ended up using medium and large sized brown trays which had a nice grip in the center. These trays were the perfect fit, and the staff thanked me greatly. The trays were light, easy to handle, inexpensive, but looked nice because a white napkin was placed over the each tray while serving and clearing.
Serving trays seem like such a trivial item in restaurants, yet if used incorrectly, they will have a negative effect on restaurant service and staff. With restaurant service, one of the main goals to keep in mind is balancing “what looks best in the dining room” to the logistics of actually getting the job done safely and in a sanitary manner.
3 simple but very important things for waitstaff to remember about tray service are: 1-Do not carry too many items on the tray at one time (dangerous). 2-Try not to carry too little at one time (wasted effort) —balance is the key. 3-Always separate the silverware on the tray, (first, place the silverware off to one side, and then stack plates).
Here are some other tray maintenance points: 1-There must always be enough trays available for service. [Waitstaff must not be wasting time and effort searching for trays because there are not enough available.] 2-There must be proper, designated “easy access” storage areas for the trays when they are not in use. A good storage spot would be on a shelf relatively close to the kitchen doors (either side of the doors, but in a safe spot). Waitstaff should be able to place or retrieve trays before entering or exiting either the kitchen or the dining room areas. 3-All trays must be gathered and washed each and every night–and sometimes during the shift if necessary.
Also, in most cases, at least 2 different types of trays should be made available for the waitstaff. (Large sized trays and smaller sized trays) Like customer service, serving trays seems like such a simple subject. But, when you really get down to all of the factors involved, the serving tray issue can become quite complex and should not be taken lightly.
The proper use of serving trays may also eliminate the need for buspans that, in some restaurants, are sitting in the dining room which are an ear and eyesore.
Are the serving trays the correct fit for the menu, level of service, and staff?
Have you checked the serving trays to see if they benefit your restaurant to the fullest?
A moment of truth is an opportunity whereby a customer forms either a good impression or a bad impression about the restaurant service quality. Millions upon millions of “moments of truth” occur out there in the restaurant customer service world, but the successful businesses register the highest percentage rate of good impressions. It means everything to their image and reputation.
The host is such an important part of the “dining room service experience” as he or she is the first person the customer sees and the last person the customer says goodbye. First impressions are lasting impressions.Therefore, the host must dress nicely being neat and clean. The host must always be upbeat, friendly, and helpful to customers. the true purpose of guest seating is to make “every table seem like the best table in the restaurant!”
The telephone must be courteously answered stating the restaurant’s name and asking, “May I help you?” Whenever taking a dining reservation, one must politely ask for the name and the number of people in the party, date and time of the reservation, and the contact telephone number. Also, special requests should be noted, such as birthday guests, high chairs, customer food allergies, or the need to be seated at a specific table or location in the restaurant (for example, far from the window on a cold night; close to the window on a beautiful day). This information must then be recorded in a Reservation Journal that eventually will be transferred onto the Daily Reservation Sheet.
During busy hours, the customers waiting for an open table in the lobby or sitting at the bar can be offered menus to pass the time. In some restaurants, hors d’oeuvres are served to customers who have been waiting a long time for an open table. All ways and means must be exhausted to prevent customers from leaving to dine at another establishment-even if it means offering some complimentary items.
If the host is not busy seating customers, they can purvey the dining room for customers in need of service and relay such information to the waitstaff. This is up to the discretion of the host, for they should never stray too far from the Front Door.
So you see, the host who does the greeting at the front door is extremely important as the reputation and the bottom line are affected by the host’s restaurant customer service performance.
About the Author:
Richard Saporito is the Founder of Topserve Restaurant Consulting and the author of "How To Improve Dining Room Service." If you'd like to improve your restaurants' reputation and increase sales, contact Richard today for an initial consultation by calling (888) 276-4808 or visiting his Contact Page.
This concept occurred to me after a restaurant service consulting session with the owner of a catering operation. His restaurant was in perfect order, incredibly neat and clean, better than I have seen in quite awhile.
In conversation, when I learned he was in the Navy for 4 years, it dawned on me that restaurant service procedure is very similar to naval ship service procedure– without the danger elements that exist on a ship, of course.
- Image via Wikipedia
For example, on a ship, there are tight, crammed spaces that crew members have to quickly and orderly work through [same as in a restaurant]. It is very important that the crew keeps the ship safe and sanitary [same as in a restaurant]. Being on the frontline, the crew must have the ability to respectfully give orders and take orders [same as in a restaurant].
In a restaurant, the waiter takes beverage and food orders from the customers, and sends these orders to the bar and kitchen. The waiter may also give orders to the busboys, runners, and even the host to help coordinate dining room service. [And vice versa]. At times, the waiter may have to receive orders or instructions from other staff and management. In this case, the waiter must be listening attentively because it may be concerning the customer’s needs.
The crew on a naval ship must be in excellent physical condition [as waiters must be] to perform the heavy duties necessary to keep the ship afloat – somewhat similar to the heavy duties required for keeping a restaurant afloat. More importantly, there is a mindset that all tasks are performed while keeping the ship and crew members in mind as a unit. In other words, “playing as a team.” or “service for the good of the ship” [same as in a restaurant].
Even the phrases used by a ship’s crew while moving amongst the tight spaces and each other are the exact same as the phrases used in a restaurant such as: “coming thru”, “behind you,” “make a path.” Use of these phrases will prevent accidents.
There is also the story that it’s bad luck to whistle on a ship which is the same as in a restaurant kitchen. On a ship, the human whistle can get confused with the ship’s whistle which sounds out important messages to the crew at different times of the day.
The more you think about the similarities between restaurant service procedure and naval ship service procedure, the more concepts you can discover!
About the Author:
Richard Saporito is the Founder of Topserve Restaurant Consulting and the author of "How To Improve Dining Room Service." If you'd like to improve your restaurants' reputation and increase sales, contact Richard today for an initial consultation by calling (888) 276-4808 or visiting his Contact Page.
If you own a restaurant or are having a large family get together, serving lobsters for dinner isn’t as expensive as you think. While a fancy restaurant might charge 30-40 dollars a plate, you can order live Maine lobster for as little at 6 or 7 dollars a pound!
- Image by Jeremy Brooks via Flickr
The first step is finding a distributor. The Maine lobster industry is regulated by the state and remains for the most part family owned and operated. This is a good thing! While most large corporate distributors wouldn’t waste their time dealing with a small order, a family run lobster pound will most likely bend over backwards to obtain your business.
You can easily find a good lobster distributor using a search engine such as Yahoo or Google. I would use keywords such as “wholesale lobster” or “wholesale live lobster”. This will return a myriad of results, some better than others. Look for a lobster distributor who welcomes small orders. Many places will have a page devoted to wholesale inquires. Just submit an email and leave your name and number, along with how much lobster you want to order. Someone should return you email and give you price quote.
When you get the price quote, make sure it is broken down by pounds of lobster and shipping cost. Shipping can be rather expensive, so don’t be shocked if it is several hundred dollars.
Most distributors give two options for shipping. FedEx/UPS or Air Freight. FedEx/UPS is great because it is delivered right to your front door even on the weekend. This convenience comes at a cost, shipping 100 pounds overnight through FedEx will cost you over 200 dollars. FedEx should be used when your total weight is low, or you are unable to use air freight.
The second option, Air Freight, is much less expensive, but also less convenient. The lobster distributor will pack up your lobster and drive them to a local airport. The lobsters will be placed on an airplane and flown to an airport close to you. Most often you will be required to pick up the lobsters at the airport. Air freight will cost you between 50 and 75 cents per pound. So to ship 100 pounds may only cost 50-75 dollars, much less then if you used FedEx or UPS.
Your lobsters will arrive in a large box packed with ice packs and special pads to hold in ocean water. Lobster should be placed in refrigeration with the box open to the air. You should plan to have your lobster delivered on the day you wish to serve them.
About the Author: Ian Reardon owns Sagamore Lobster. Sagamore Lobster has been selling lobster wholesale for over 30 years
Food Service: The Mover Of The Culinary Arts
By · CommentsThe Food Service Of The Present Age
There are a few restaurants nowadays that can really sweep you off your feet from merely displaying their exquisite style in food serving. Years ago, food serving was an art that was practiced like a ritual. This is because, for one, people were so deeply religious that even the preparation of the food was a cause of celebration and joy. Two, people used to have all the time in the world that even the preparation of food was made into a beautiful ritual of blessing.
Of all the people in the known world, the Japanese has managed, up to now, to maintain rituals that they have observed all throughout their life, of which include preparation and serving of food and drinks. In fact, they have this so-called tea ceremony for special events like weddings or funerals, with teas served in little cups. Most of Japanese food preparations and rituals are meant as an offering to their master, teacher, deity or God. In some other parts of the world, like in Africa, for example, there still exist more radical rituals such as dancing or the banging of congo drums to exalt their God. The food were said to be a gift from their God and they are dancing out of joy for the blessing.
Such rituals of food service are colorful memories of tradition that is slowly being forgotten. Notwithstanding the lost tradition of food serving, some people still do understand the importance of proper food serving. Read More→
