1. Food Service
Teaching at ESL Academy
ESL Academy at Computer Systems Institute
Strianese│ Strianese │Wade
Chapter 3
Proper Guidelines for Service
Presented by:
Name Danielle Ciccoli
Title Adjunct Instructor
Computer Systems Institute

2. Contents
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Teaching at ESL Academy
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Objectives
Excellent Service
Importance of Competency
How to Obtain Competency
The Key to Competency
In the Weeds
The Sidetowel
Trays
Hand Service
Trays and Sidestands
The Correct Way to Lift and Put Down a Tray
The Proper Way to Lift a Tray
How to Put Down a Tray
Loading a Tray
Guidelines for American À la Carte and Banquet Service
The Seven Guidelines Explained
Other Helpful Hints for Serving
Guidelines for French and Russian Style Service
The Second Guideline Explained
Proper Guidelines for Service
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3. Objectives
Define competency as it relates to proper service
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Understand how to properly pick up, load, carry, and put down a tray
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Teaching at ESL Academy
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Define a sidetowel and explain its purpose
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Recite and properly use the seven guidelines for providing competent
service
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Understand how to properly serve coffee and tea, and change ashtrays
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Explain the different ways in which food is served in American, French, and
Russian service
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Explain the proper method of serving guests at tables and booths
Proper Guidelines for Service
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4. Excellent Service
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All restaurants and banquet halls…
Teaching at ESL Academy
strive to give their guests excellent service
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American public values good service…
and despises bad service
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Excellent service can compensate for average
food…
but great food cannot compensate for bad service
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Excellent service…
is a result of competency and friendliness
Proper Guidelines for Service
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5. Importance of Competency
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Competent
Having suitable skill, experience, etc.
Teaching at ESL Academy
– Random House Dictionary
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Competency in a restaurant occurs when…
Customers do not have to ask the service person for any
item during a meal
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The manager must teach and reinforce correct
serving methods…
to the service staff
Proper Guidelines for Service
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6. How to Obtain Competency
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Great restaurants instill competency in their service staff through…
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2.
Teaching at ESL Academy
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attention to detail
training
follow-up
Competency comes from management
Management must teach their staff the proper way to serve their guests
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Competency is developed through…
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2.
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training
anticipating the guests’ needs and wants
Gretzky Service
Ability to anticipate the play (service need)
Proper Guidelines for Service
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7. The Key to Competency
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Service staff and bartenders are required to…
1.
2.
Teaching at ESL Academy
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study the service manual
pass a written test
The key to excellent service is..
constant supervision and implementation of policies
THE KEY TO COMPETENCY
Training by management
plus
Consistent observation of the service staff
plus
Coaching and complimenting
and
Repetition of proper serving methods
by
The manager
Figure 4-1
The key to competency
People are not just hired and called a service person: managers and
owners set policies for staff and train them thoroughly
Proper Guidelines for Service
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8. In the Weeds
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In the Weeds
Teaching at ESL Academy
A phrase often stated or shouted by a staff member in the
kitchen or dining room to explain that the volume of
business they must receive overwhelms them
Examples include:
1.
2.
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A waitperson may have too many table to wait on
A cook may have too many steaks to cook
The staff member is placed in a stressful
position…
which is neither great nor enjoyable
Proper Guidelines for Service
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9. The Sidetowel
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All professional service people…
must have a napkin to use as a sidetowel
Teaching at ESL Academy
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Purposes of a sidetowel
1.
2.
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May be used as an insulator for serving hot plates
Cleaning up spills
When not in use…
the sidetowel should be placed over the service person’s left arm
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When the service person is serving food, but not using the
side towel…
it should be placed over the right arm
The sidetowel must always be clean
Proper Guidelines for Service
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10. Trays
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Large trays – hotel ovals
Used to carry food and plates to and from the guest
Teaching at ESL Academy
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Small round, rectangular, or oval trays –Tea trays
Generally used to serve drinks
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Many establishments insist…
that waitpeople use a tray to carry all items
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Waitpeople should not be allowed to serve guests directly from the
tray (safety hazard)…
without putting the tray on a traystand
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Using a tray is…than arm service
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2.
3.
safer
more sanitary
more efficient
Proper Guidelines for Service
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11. Hand Service
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Hand Service
Teaching at ESL Academy
Service people carry plates from the kitchen to the dining
room
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Service people must work for weeks…
to learn the intricacies and timing of the service system
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The restaurant must invest time and money …
training the service staff
Some restaurants provide better service by
eliminating tray service
Proper Guidelines for Service
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12. Traystands and Sidestands
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There must be a place for the waitpeople to place their trays
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Trays can be set down on a…
Teaching at ESL Academy
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2.
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Traystands…
1.
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Sideboard or Service station
permanent table in the dining room
Traystand or Trayjack
Lightweight devices
are light enough to be carried in one hand
may be placed right next to a guest’s table
open easily
are secure
After food is served, the service person should…
1.
2.
3.
place the tray on his/her left shoulder
fold up the traystand
remove it from the dining room
Proper Guidelines for Service
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13. The Correct Way to Lift and Put Down a Tray
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There is a correct way…
Teaching at ESL Academy
to lift and put down a tray
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First…
Service people should be taught the parts of the
traystand
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A traystand has…
1.
2.
two legs that open up
a cloth support that holds it together
Proper Guidelines for Service
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14. Proper Way to Lift a Tray
Align your body with the traystand
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Teaching at ESL Academy
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The opening of the traystand should be at a right angle with the
your body
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Bend down at the knee
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Place a clean napkin on the shoulder to protect your shirt
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Balance the tray on your hand (palm or fingertips) as you lift it onto
your shoulder
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Control the tray with your opposite hand
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Stand up, using your legs to lift the tray
Proper Guidelines for Service
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15. How to Put Down a Tray
The procedure is the reverse of that for lifting a tray
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Align your body with the traystand
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Teaching at ESL Academy
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Bend down at the knee (*never bend at the waist)
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Slip the tray onto the traystand
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Take the sidetowel off you shoulder and place it in the proper position (over
the arm or as an insulator for hot plates)
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Smaller trays may be…
1.
2.
carried waist high
placed on a sideboard without bending down
If serving directly from a tray, hold drinks in the left hand and food in the
right
Proper Guidelines for Service
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16. Loading a Tray
Check that the tray is clean on both top and bottom surfaces
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Teaching at ESL Academy
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Take a damp cloth and put it on the tray (for trays without a non-slip
surface)
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Place heaviest items on the tray closest to the body and lighter items and
glasses on the outside of the tray
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Keep all hot items together
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Soup cups should be placed around a stack of saucers while on the tray
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When removing dirty dishes, follow the organization’s system for loading,
sorting, and stacking plates and silverware
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Place a towel over the dirty dishes before carrying the tray from the dining
room to the washing area
Proper Guidelines for Service
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17. Guidelines for American À la Carte and Banquet Service
Figure 4-8
The seven guidelines of service
THE SEVEN GUIDELINES OF SERVICE
Teaching at ESL Academy
1. Women are served before men (if children are present, they should be served first).
2. Food is served from the guest’s left side, with the service person’s left hand.
3. Beverages are served from the guests right side, with the service person’s right hand.
4. All guests’ food must be brought to the table at the same time.
5. Do not remove guest plates from the table until all guests are finished eating their meal.
6. Never stack or scrape dirty plates on the guest’s table.
7. Dirty dishes are cleared from the guest’s right side with the service person’s right hand.
Proper Guidelines for Service
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18. The Seven Guidelines Explained
Teaching at ESL Academy
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Women are Served Before Men
Table at the Same Time
Children are served before adults, then women,
then men
Exception: banquets with more than 10 guests o
– serve guests in sequential order
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Especially true at banquets
Food is Served from the Guest’s Left
Side with the Service Person’s Left Hand
Keep your right arm out of the guest’s face
Exception: Guests seated in a booth or table
against a wall – serve and pick up with the
same hand
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Beverages Are Served from the Guest’s
Right Side with the Service Person’s
right Hand
Place a cocktail napkin in front of the guest
when serving an alcoholic beverage
Water glasses should be filled ¾ to the top of
the glass
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Do Not Remove Any Guest’s Plate from
the Table Until All Guests Have Finished
Eating Their Meal
Exception: banquet
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Never Stack or Scrape Dirty Pates on
the Guest’s Table
Or dump cigarette and cigar ashes from dirty
ashtrays into the leftover mashed potatoes
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Dirty Dishes Are Cleared from the
Guest’s Right Side with the Service
Person’s Right Hand
Except when it makes more sense to clear from
the left side
All Guests’ Food Must Be Brought to the
Proper Guidelines for Service
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19. Other Helpful Hints
Teaching at ESL Academy
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Whichever hand you are using to serve or pick up,
place that foot forward for balance
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Use your left hand to remove plates placed to the
left of the guest
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Ask guests if they have finished their course
before removing their plates
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Offer to wrap up leftovers and ask guests if they
would to take them home
Proper Guidelines for Service
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20. Guidelines for French and Russian Style Service
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The guidelines for French service are the same except for guideline 2
THE SEVEN GUIDELINES OF SERVICE
Teaching at ESL Academy
1. Women are served before men (if children are present, they should be served first).
2. Food is served from the guest’s right side, with the service person’s right hand.
3. Beverages are served from the guests right side, with the service person’s right hand.
4. All guests’ food must be brought to the table at the same time.
5. Do not remove guest plates from the table until all guests are finished eating their meal.
6. Never stack or scrape dirty plates on the guest’s table.
7. Dirty dishes are cleared from the guest’s right side with the service person’s right hand.
Proper Guidelines for Service
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21. The Second Guideline Explained
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In French food service…
Teaching at ESL Academy
Food is served from the guests right side with the service person’s
right hand
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In Russian food service…
Food is served from the guest’s left side from a platter in the
service person’s left hand with the right hand
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Service Progression
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2.
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4.
Clean plates are put down on the guest’s right side with the
right hand
Food is then brought out on a silver platter
Food is presented to the guest
Food is transferred from the tray to the plate
Proper Guidelines for Service
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