Short Notes on Basics of F&B Service

Aboyer

Aboyer aids the communication between the kitchen and restaurant. He receives the food order from the
service staff and announces the order to the kitchen. Aboyer is responsible for hot plate section of the
pantry.

A la carte Menu

A la carte menu is a type of menu, where the food items are priced individually. Literary meaning of a la
carte is “from the card”

American service

It is a type of table service. In American menu the food is pre-plated and portioned at the kitchen. This
type of service is relatively less formal and seen in coffee shops.

ABC

ABC stands for Ashtray, Budvase and Cruet. ABC is kept at the centre of the table while laying the cover.

Back of the House

Back of the house is the ancillary area of the restaurant, where all the supporting service is carried out.
Some of the back of the house sections are pantry, dishwashing, hot plate, still room etc.

Bain Marie

Bain Marie is equipment that holds the Food hot. The equipment contains cylindrical drum, which is
heated with water. Bain Marie is usually used in Hot Plate section of the pantry.

Barker

Barker is another term for Aboyer. Barker is the person who communicates between service and kitchen
and help to pick up the food in time. Usually the order taken by the waiter is hander over to the Barker.

Bone China

It is a white translucent ceramic material made from kaolin, china clay and bone ash. It is used in
restaurant to serve various dishes.

Briefing

Briefing is done prior to the opening of the restaurant. In the briefing the senior most staff gives
instructions to the junior staff with regard to availability of dishes, special items of the day, and also some
training.
Buffets

Buffet is a type of assisted service, where food and beverage is displayed at counters. Waiter assists at the
counters to take the food from the counters or the guest help themselves.

Bus Boy

Bus boy is a person who helps the waiter. The main responsibility of a bus boy is to bring the food from
the kitchen and also do the clearance of plates from the table.

Carousel

Carousel is a circular counter that revolves to display the food items. The carousel is fitted in such a way
that the one side is always inside the kitchen and other side is in the service area. As the carousel revolves
the counter is filled up from the kitchen and guests selects the food as it revolves.

Carte du jour

Carte du jour means “card of the day”. It is used to highlight the special dishes of the day. carte du jour is
actually an supporting menu to the main menu.

Chafing dish

It is a hollowware used to keep the food warm usually in buffet service. Chafing dish has a water
container, which is the base, food container and place for fuel. Using the fuel the water is heated up and in
turn the food is heated up with the hot water.

Cover

Cover is the space on the table allotted for table-wares to the guest to consume his/her meal. The size of
the cover is 24 inch * 18 inch.

Cutlery

Cutlery is the term denotes all the cutting implements such as knives. Cutlery can be made of EPNS or
stainless steel.

Demi-tasse

Demi-tasse means half cup. It is used to serve coffee except breakfast. Size of demi-tasse is 75 ml.

Dummy waiter/ Demi waiter

Dummy waiter is another term for side board. it is a restaurant furniture and used to keep all the serving
equipments for a meal session.

Elevenses

Elevenses is a meal served at 11 o’ clock. It includes the food items as biscuits, cake etc. and usually
offered to children.
Gueridon trolley

It is a mobile trolley from which the gueridon service is done.

Hostess

Hostess is a member of restaurant brigade. Duty of hostess includes taking restaurant reservation and
receiving them at the door.

Indian breakfast

It is a type of breakfast, which includes Indian dishes such as dosha, idly, chapathi etc. served with
chutney and vegetable curries. There are two types of Indian breakfasts viz. North Indian and South
Indian.

Lounge service

It is a type of specialized service. Lounge service is done at the lounge of a hotel. Items such as morning
tea, afternoon tea, and alcoholic beverages are served in the lounge.

Maitre d’hotel

Maitre d’hotel is the Supervisor of the a F&B outlet. He looks after the day to day operations of a food
service outlet.

Menu

Menu is a list of food and/or beverage than can be served to a guest at a price. It helps guests to select
what they would like to eat and/ or drink. It is a document that controls and directs an outlet’s operation
and is considered the prime selling instrument

Mise-en-scene

It means prepare the environment of the outlet before service. Mise-en-scene includes preparing the
restaurant welcoming, create ambience with regard to cleanliness, furniture setting and temperature.

Mise-en-place

Mise-en-place means “putting in place” and the term denotes to the preparation of a work place for
ultimate smooth service. To ensure that the restaurant is ready for service the waiter makes sure that this
station has been efficiently prepared for service.

Napkin

Napkin is restaurant linen. Napkin is used to decorate the table using various folds and also used to keep
on the lap of the guest to protect their clothes during service.

Sommelier
Sommelier is the French term for wine waiter. He is responsible for the service of all alcoholic drinks
during the service of meals, and is also a sales person. He requires to have a thorough knowledge of
beverages and wines as food accompaniments.

Trancheur

Trancheur is the French term for carver. His responsibility is to carve the meat joints in front of the guest
and serve to them.

Salesmanship

The food and beverage service personnel are technical salespersons, hence they should have a thorough
knowledge of the proper presentation and service of all the food and beverage served in the establishment

Tableware

Table ware is a type of restaurant equipments used to keep on the table. Table ware includes flatware,
cutlery and hollowware. Table ware is made either EPNS or stainless steel.

Silver Dip

Instantly removes tarnish from silverware, silver plate, cutlery and small silver items. Quickly cleans even
difficult to reach places such as between fork tines. Gives silver a brilliant shine. Just dip, rinse and dry

Polivit

Polivit is the one of the fastest methods of cleaning silverware. For this one needs aluminum foil, baking
soda, shallow pan and a clean cloth. The baking soda will "polish" the silverware, removing dirt, stains,
and grease. Rinse the silverware thoroughly under warm, running water. Air-dry the silverware on a clean
towel. Buff the silverware with a soft, clean cloth.

Burnishing machine

This is a revolving drum like container using for cleaning silver ware, with safety shield attached to it..
The burnishing machines are attached with ball bearing to run that effectively. Soap power is used to
clean the silver ware hygienically.

Thermal shock

Thermal shock is the result of glass experiencing a sudden temperature change. Glass holds temperature,
and a rapid change in temperature can cause enough stress to result in breakage.

Mechanical shock

Mechanical shock in glassware is the direct result of contact with another object, such as a spoon, a beer
tap, another glass, or a piece of china. This kind of contact can cause a minute abrasion, invisible to the
eye, but a source of weakness in the glass, making it more susceptible to breakage from impact or thermal
shock.

Disposables
Disposables are use and throw products used in the service of food and beverage productsThis is largely
due to the increasing demand for fast food items. There are different types of disposable used in the
catering business and mostly they are used in outdoor catering, vending machines, fast food outlets &
hotels

Special equipments

Special equipments are for specialized services. They are not used in regular services. Specialized
equipments are divided into Trolleys and Miscellaneous equipments. Some of the trolleys used in a
restaurant are gueridon trolley, bain marie, vending machine, hot plate etc.

EPNS (Electro Plated Nickel Silver)

EPNS is Silverware made of silver plating. Silver plating is a thin layer of silver on top of another metal.
It is made by an electrical process, hence the name – Electroplated Nickel Silver. Cutleries and
crockery’s of high class establishments are made out of EPNS which includes different types of forks,
knifes, pots, plates, salvers etc.

Table d’hôte or a fixed menu

Table d’hôte refers to a menu of limited choice. It usually includes three or five courses available at a
fixed price. It is also referred to as a fixed menu. This term is known to caterers by its abbreviation TDH
menu. A table d’hôte menu is a complete meal at a predetermined price.

A la carte menu

A la carte menu is a multiple choice menu, with each dish priced separately. If a guest wishes to place an
order he selects the item from the menu and pays for the order he made. In an a la carte menu all items are
cooked to order and served with accompaniments.

Hors d’oeuvre

Hors d’oeuvre course aimed to stimulating the palate, and consists of small tasty dishes, using a large
array of different items such as anchovies, olives, cheese and smoked fish. They are often referred to a
starters or appetizers. This course could also include salads.

Entrée

Entee is the first meat in a French Classical menu. It usually comprises a dish made up of steak, cutlets,
casseroles or stews. Some example are Steak au poirre, Veal cutlets, and Irish stew.

Dessert

This is the fruit course in the French classical menu and usually presented in a basket (Corbielle de Fruits)
and placed on the table, as part of the table décor, and served at the end of the meal. All forms of fresh
fruit and nuts may be served in this course.

Table Service
It is a type of service. Table service is the service done at the table, where the guests are seated. In the
table service either service personnel or waiter serves the food to the guests or the guests help themselves.

American service

American service is a pre-plated service which means that the food is served onto the guest’s plate in the
kitchen itself and brought to the guest. The portion is predetermined by the kitchen and the
accompaniments served with the dish balances the entire presentation in terms of nutrition and color. This
type of service is common in a coffee shop where service is required to be fast.

English service

English service is often referred to as “Host Service” or “Silver service”. The food is brought on platters
by the waiter and is shown to the host for approval. The waiter then portions the food and serves to the
guest plate.

French service

It is a very personalized service. Individual portioned food is brought from the kitchen in dishes and
slavers which are placed directly on the table. The plates are kept near the dish and the guests help
themselves.

Russian service

Table is laid with food for guests and presentation is done elaborately. Guests help themselves. This is an
elaborate silver service much on the line of French service. Display and presentation are the major part of
this service. Some parts of the service such as carving and portioning etc are done by the waiter.

Gueridon service

This is a service done from the gueridon trolley. The cooking is done at the gueridon trolley place near
the guest table and service is done at the guest table. The waiter plays an important role as he is required
to fillet, carve, flambé and prepare the food with showmanship.

Self Service

In the self service the service is done by customer themselves. The guests collect the food from the
counters and then he/she may sit at the table or stand at high table to have the food.

Counter service

Counter service sometimes called cafeteria service. The guests come in line, collect their food from the
counter and seat at the table to have the food. Food may be grouped together such as cold and hot, or
main course and desserts etc. In some places the guests also have to clear the empty plates and cutleries
after having the food.

Echelon
In echelon service the counters are arranged in such a way that it provides better view of the foods and
arranged in angular way.

Carousel

The carousel is a circular counter that revolves to display the food items. The carousel is fitted in such a
way that the one side is always inside the kitchen and other side is in the service area. As the carousel
revolves the counter is filled up from the kitchen and guests selects the food as it revolves.

Carvery

Cavery is a type of assisted service. This service method includes both table service and self service.
Some parts of the service is done by the waiter at the table and some parts of the service is done guests
themselves.

Take away

The food order is placed at a counter and the food is collected from the same counter and take the food
away from the premises for consumption.

Drive thru

The customer drives the vehicle to the counter and orders and collects the food and leaves the counter.

Vending Machine

The customer inserts the value of the food item displayed in the vending machine and selects the food by
pressing a knob. The vending machine dispenses the selected food. The vending machine can dispense
hot or cold food.

Food courts

Food courts include series of individual counters where customer may either order and eat, or buy from a
number of counters and eat in separate eating area.

Kiosks

Kiosks are outdoor arrangements that provide food and beverages to people in a specific location.

Specialized Service/ In-Situ

In-situ service is the service provided at the place, which is primarily not meant for service. Examples of
in-situ services are:

Tray service

In the tray service the food and beverages are brought in a tray and given to guests. Such service are seen
in hospitals, guest rooms etc

Room service
In room service the service of food and beverages are done in the guest room. The food is taken to the
guest room in a tray or room service trolley.

Drive-in service

The guests order the food from the vehicle parked at designated areas and service is done at the vehicle.
The food is placed on trays that are clipped in the door or steering wheel.

Lounge service

In lounge service the food and beverage is served at the lounge area of a hotel

Mise-En-Scene

Mise-en-scene is the preparation of the environment of the restaurant before starting the service session.
Creating a pleasing, safe and hygienic environment is the main task in the Mise-en-scene. For the waiter
the restaurant is the service area. Before each service session, the restaurant should be made presentable
enough o accept guests.

Mise-En-Place

Mise-en-place means “putting in place” and the term denotes to the preparation of a work place for
ultimate smooth service. To ensure that the restaurant is ready for service the waiter makes sure that this
station has been efficiently prepared for service.

Guest Service Cycle

Guest service cycle refers to the activities provided to the guests while in the restaurant. Guest service
cycle is the process, which repeats to every guest. Learning guest service cycle is very important, because
a good waiter should know what are the activities done in the restaurant during the service.

Social Skill

Social skill is a skill, which enable us to deal with social situations. Social skills have an important part to
play in food and beverage service. Because service is about meeting the guest’s psychological needs and
making him feel welcome, and social skills are essential part of this process. Social skills can be used for
selling of food and beverage products also.

Kot/ Bot Control System

A variety of control systems are used in the hotel industry. One such important control system is the KOT
control. When an order is taken from a guest, it is ordered in triplicate on a Kitchen Order Ticket. One
copy goes to the kitchen, against which the chef prepared the dishes ordered for. The second copy goes to
the cashier to make the bill. The third copy is the waiter’s copy, against which the food or beverage to be
served to the guest is picked up

Specialty Restaurant
Speciality restaurant is a restaurant serves specialized cuisines. Service in a specialty restaurant is both
formal and stylish. The prices tend to be high because of higher overheads. The menu may be an a la
carte, buffet, or a table d’hote. Waiters should be highly skilled, as specialized services such as
preparation of food at tables and flambés, may have to be done.

Coffee shop

Coffee shop is a 24 hours F&B outlet. Usually coffee shop situated near to the lobby of a hotel. Style of
service is American that is pre-plated. The menu of coffee shop is varied. Menu comprises of Full-day
menu or according to meal session.

Cafeteria Service

This service exists normally in industrial canteens, colleges, hospitals or hotel cafeterias. To facilitate
quick service, the menu is fixed and is displayed on large boards. The guest may have to buy coupons in
advance, present them to the counter waiter who then services the desired item. Sometimes food is
displayed behind the counter and the guess may indicate their choice to the counter attendant. The food is
served pre-plated and the cutlery is handed directly to the guest. Guests may then sit at the tables and
chairs provided by the establishment.

Fast food Service

There is a predominant American influence in fast food style of catering. The service of food and
beverages in a fast food restaurant is at a faster pace, than at an a la carte restaurant as the menu is
compiled with a special emphasis on the speed of preparation and service. To make this type of service
financially viable, a large turnover of customers is necessary. The investment is rather large, due to the
specialized and expensive equipment needed and high labor costs involved.

Room service

Room service is offered to the resident guests. Guests order food and/ or beverages to the kitchen and
order is taken by the room service order taker. Once the order is taken then it is passed to the kitchen.
Once the order is ready the room service waiter serves the food and/ or beverage at the room. Along with
the food, the bill is also presented to guest to be signed or payment.

Banquet Service

Banquet functions are the services provided at a fixed time and at a fixed venue. The banquet service is
inevitable in a hotel due to its revenue earning potential. The reason is that banquet can offer service to a
large number of guests at a time. Banquet service can be formal or informal.

Bar service

There are normally two kinds of bars in Indian hotels. One is the public bar, and the other is the service
or dispense bar. The public bar is located in the public areas, and is used for the service of paying
customers, be it in-house guess or non-residents. The dispense bar is used for dispensing drinks to other
outlets of the hotel such as coffee shop, room service outlet, banquets and the specialty restaurant. It is
 generally located in the back area of the hotel and is open round the clock. It should be adequately
equipped to meet the demands of all the outlets.

Vending Machine

Vending machines are machines dispensing food and beverages and placed at various places. The main
advantages of vending machines are the convenience. But the main disadvantage is the limited choice.
Vending machines does not require the help of service staff to operate.

Ancillary Areas and Services

Ancillary areas are the supporting areas of F&B service department. Without the help of the ancillary
departments F&B service department cannot work smoothly. In this regard the ancillary departments are
very important for F&B service department. Major ancillary departments in a five star hotel are the
following.

1. Pantry

2. Still room

3. Silver room

4. Linen Room

5. Hot plate

6. Wash-up area

7. Kitchen stewarding

Pantry

Pantry is the area situated between the Kitchen and Restaurant. Pantry consists of the following sections.
Hot plate or food pick up area, Place to keep dirty plates and glasses, Place or box to keep soiled linens,
Place to keep clean plates and cups, A sink to wash small equipments such as glasses and cups, A
dispense Bar

Still Room

It is one of the very important supporting areas in the food and beverage department of the hotel. It
provides the food and beverages for the service of meals which are not provided by the kitchen. The still
room makes all the hot and cold non-alcoholic beverages needed for the restaurant.

Silver Room

Silver room is the place where all the silver wares are stored and cleaned. Still room holds the complete
stock of all the silverware such as flatware, cutlery, hollowware etc. separate storage areas would be
allotted to store different types equipments. It is very important area that the silver room should contain
space for silver cleaning.
Linen Room

The linen room is important back of the house service area in a hotel. The linen room should stock
minimum linen and uniform required to meet the daily demands so as to ensure smooth operations. Linen
is changed daily in the restaurant and it is exchanged one on one basis from the linen room.

Hot plate

Hot plate is the food pick up area of the pantry. The service personnel is not allowed to enter the kitchen
nor wait till food is being prepared. The waiter is hands over the KOT (Kitchen Order Ticket) to the
Aboyer, who is in-charge of hot plate and in-turn aboyer announces the order to the kitchen. Once the
order is being prepared kitchen staff keeps the cooked food in the hot plate.

Wash-up area

The wash-up area comprises of wash sinks, dish washing machines, rack to keep cleaned dishes, and
tables. All the utensils are washed, cleaned, dried and keep here for further use.

Kitchen stewarding

This department primarily controls the storage and issue of cutlery, crockery, hollowware, chinaware,
glassware to the different food and beverage outlets and kitchens. Kitchen stewarding department
supplies all cleaned service equipment to waiter. This department is also responsible for washing solid
service ware and subsequently furnishing clean items.

Posted by vinayarajat 1:28 AM

 Assets: items of value owned by the business and used in the production and
service of the dining experience
 Average cheque: total sales divided by number of guests served
 Back of house: food production areas not accessible to guests and not
generally visible; also known as heart of house
 BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association (BCRFA): representing the
interests of more than 3,000 of the province’s foodservice operators in matters
including wages, benefits, liquor licences, and other relevant matters
 Beverage costs: beverages sold in liquor-licensed operations; this usually
only includes alcohol, but in unlicensed operations, it includes coffee, tea milk,
juices, and soft drinks
 Captured patrons: consumers with limited selection or choice of food or
beverage provider given their occupation or location
 Commercial foodservice: operations whose primary business is food and
beverage
 Cross-utilization: when a menu is created to make multiple uses of a small
number of staple pantry ingredients, helping to keep food costs down
 Dine-and-dash: the term commonly used in the industry for when a patron
eats but does not pay for his or her meal
 Ethnic restaurant: a restaurant based on the cuisine of a particular region
or country, often reflecting the heritage of the head chef or owner
 Family/casual restaurant: restaurant type that is typically open for all three
meal periods, offering affordable prices and able to serve diverse tastes and
accommodate large groups
 Fine dining restaurant: licensed food and beverage establishment
characterized by high-end ingredients and preparations and highly trained
service staff
 Food and beverage (F&B): type of operation primarily engaged in
preparing meals, snacks, and beverages, to customer order, for immediate
consumption on and off the premises
 Food cost: price including freight charges of all food served to the guest for
a price (does not include food and beverages given away, which are quality or
promotion costs)
 Food primary: a licence required to operate a restaurant whose primary
business is serving food (rather than alcohol)
 Foodie: a term (often used by the person themselves) to describe a food and
beverage enthusiast
 Front of house: public areas of the establishment; in quick-service
restaurants, it includes the ordering and product serving area
 Full-service restaurants: casual and fine dining restaurants where guests
order food seated and pay after they have finished their meal
 Liquor primary licence: the type of licence needed in BC to operate a
business that is in the primary business of selling alcohol (most pubs,
nightclubs, and cabarets fall into this category)
 Non-commercial foodservice: establishments where food is served, but
where the primary business is not food and beverage service
 Operating supplies: generally includes reusable items including cutlery,
glassware, china, and linen in full-service restaurants
 Pop-up restaurants: temporary restaurants with a known expiry date hosted
in an unusual location, which tend to be helmed by a well-known or up-and-
coming chef and use word-of-mouth in their promotions
 Primary costs: food, beverage, and labour costs for an F&B operation
 Profit: the amount left when expenses (including corporate income tax) are
subtracted from sales revenue
 Quick-service restaurant (QSR): an establishment where guests pay before
they eat; includes counter service, take-out, and delivery
 Restaurants Canada: representing over 30,000 food and beverage
operations including restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions, and suppliers
 Revenue: sales dollars collected from guests
 Third space: a term used to describe F&B outlets enjoyed as “hang out”
spaces for customers where guests and service staff co-create the experience
 Tip-out: the practice of having front-of-house staff pool their gratuities, or
pay individually, to ensure back-of-house staff receive a percentage of the tips
 Upscale casual restaurant: emerging in the 1970s, a style of restaurant that
typically only serves dinner, intended to bridge the gap between fine dining
and family/casual restaurants