F&B SERVICE OPERATING EQUIPMENTS

What is food and beverage service operating equipments?

To run a f&b service department various equipments are required to run the daily
operation smoothly. Such as furniture, tableware, glassware, linens etc.
Food and beverage service equipment play an important role to elevate the guest
experience to complement the outlet theme and to build the mood of the guests.
Here we will learn about the various types of equipments and their uses along with
their dimensions and sizes.

Equipments are classified into three categories they are:

FIXED MOBILE CIRCULATING
EQUIPMENTS EQUIPMENTS EQUIPMENTS
Wall Trolley Linen
Celling Table Crockery
Floor Carpets Chair Cutlery
Large Refrigerators Toaster Glassware
Sideboard Chafing dish Disposables
 Furniture
Dining room furniture is available in many shapes, sizes, materials, colors,
textures, and designs. All of these f&b service equipment must be taken into
account while selecting them. so that the furniture blends with the decor of
the food service area. Furniture occupies most of the service area, so these
should be arranged carefully for maximum space utilization.

Types of F&B furniture

1. Table
2. Chair
3. Sideboard

Table
 Various table layout examples with seating capacity

 The Standard height of a dining table is 30” .

 The size of the cover is 24” x 15” .

What Is cover?
A cover is another name for a place setting. It consists of a combination of flatware,
dishes, glasses and linens that are appropriate for the foods served. A cover is
approximately 20-24 inches long by 15 inches deep. It is the individual's place at the
table.
Or it means the minimum space required on the table for a person to eat food.

Picture of a cover
 Chair

Standard size of Chair

18” Height of the chair ( from floor to the seat)
39” From floor to the top of the chair
18” Depth of the chair

39"
18” ”

18”
Sideboard
Linen
The linen in the foodservice area covers tablecloths, napkins, tray cloths. slip cloths,
buffet cloths, waiter’s cloth, tea cloths.
Linens are use in f&b department.
 Tablecloth: All tables with wooden top are covered with tablecloths. The
colour of the cloth must blend with colour scheme of the interior. Hotels with
many restaurants may use different colored tablecloths for each outlet for
better control of linen movement.
The size of the table cloth depends on the size of the table to be covered.

 Napkins:
The folded napkins are kept in the glass for the dinner, and on side plates or at
the centre of the cover for lunch. However this is not followed rigidly. All
covers must have one type of fold and all covers must have napkins placed in
one position. Napkins are used for guests’ use, folded and kept either in the
glass, on side plate , or in the centre of the cover. (18-20 in)
Standard size of a napkins are 18” and 20” square.

Various napkin fold styles

• Slip Cloth: It is used over the table cloth (1m x 1m).

• Waiter’s Cloth: It is used by waiters during the service for wiping the edges of the
dishes and for carrying the hot dishes.

• Buffet Cloth: Buffet cloths of various sizes are used for covering the buffet tables.

• Satin Cloth: It is draped around the front side of the buffet

table to cover the legs and to make the buffet counter
attractive. It is available in attractive colors.
• Tea Cloth: It is used for wiping cutlery and crockery. The cloth should be lint free
and changed frequently.

Crockery
Crockery includes all items of earthenware or chinaware such as plates, cups and
saucers, pots, vases. The following are the different types of chinaware available in
the market.
Items of crockery
• Full plate.
• Half plate.
• Quarter plate (Bread &Butter/ side plate)
• Soup plate/ Pasta plate.
• Soup boul.
• Breakfast mug.
• Demitasse cup and saucer.
• Tea cup and saucer.
 Glassware
Food and beverage service outlets use a variety of glasses for different types of
drinks which call a huge investment in delicate and fragile equipment.

The style, quality, and sparkle of glass selected portray the profile of the
restaurant. Glasses are named by the drinks served in Though there are many
glasses for different drinks, it is better to go for limited types of glasses the
may be suitable for all kinds of drinks.

Classification of glassware according to their parts

 Stemware
 footed ware
 Tumbler

Stemware: It is basically a bowl without a stem or foot. Its sides may be

straight, widened, or curved. Examples: Rock glass, old-fashioned, highball,
Collins, juice glass, and so on.

Footed ware: In this type, the bowl sits directly on a base or foot without the
stem. Bowl and base may come in a variety of shapes. Examples: brandy
balloon, beer goblet.

Stemware: It refers to glasses that have all three parts-bowl, base, and stem.
In this type, the stem connects the bowl with the base or foot. Examples: red
wine glass, white wine glass, Champagne saucer, Champagne flute, Cocktail
glass, and so on.
Example pictures of various types of glasses and their capacity
1OZ= 29.57ml OR 30ml

Tableware
The term tableware refers to all pieces of flatware, cutlery, and hollowware.

Flatware: Flatware in catering parlance means all forms of spoons and forks.
However, cutlery is the common term used frequently in the hotel industry to
refer to spoons, forks, and knives used for eating.

Cutlery: Cutlery denotes all types of knives and other cutting equipment used
in the dining area. Cutlery is available in various designs in silver, and stainless
steel material.
Holloware: This refers to all tableware other than cutlery. It includes pots, jugs,
platters, a buffet dish, finger bowls, wine chiller, straw holder.

Silverware: The silverware is made of Electro Plated Nickel Silver (EPNS). These
are made from an alloy of brass, zinc, stainless steel or nickel with silver plating
of 10 to 15 microns. Silverware includes spoons, forks, knives, hollowware,
drinkware, tongs, an ice bucket, and a salver.
Miscellaneous
Some examples of miscellaneous are:

Trays, salvers, water jag, bread basket, butter dish, cruets, bud vase,
menu stand.

Trolley
Trollies are used in the F&B service department for serving as well as
storing. Many hotels refer to a mobile service. It is also used in elite food
and beverage outlets for serving the guests, from which a dish may be
dressed, prepared, carved, and flambéed in the presence of guests near
their table.

It has a number of shelves and sections and burners. Trolleys are the most
important thing in Guéridon service,

Let us have a look at some trollies used in the gueridon service:

 Hors d’ oeuvre varies trolley

 Salad trolley
 Food preparation trolley
 Carving trolley
 Flambe trolley
 Sweet trolley
 Cheese trolley
 Liqueur trolley
 Chafing Dishes (Chafers)

Chafing dishes are an essential addition to any F&b service establishment, they
also come under food and beverage service equipment to keep food hot and
ensure food safety. Chafing dishes are mostly used in the banquet department.

Chafing Dish Sizes

Chafing dishes come in three standard sizes: full size, half size, and 2/3 size.

 Full size chafers hold between 8 to 9 quarts of food and are typically
rectangular. They are the most common size of chafer and are primarily used
for holding and serving entrees.

 Half size chafers hold between 4 to 5 quarts of food and are typically square or
rectangular. They are often used for holding and serving sides and desserts.

 2/3 size chafers hold between 5 to 6 quarts of food and are typically either
round or square. They are often used for holding and serving side items.

Types of chafing dishes mostly used in hotels

• Rectangular chafing dish.
• Square chafing dish.
• Round chafing dish.
• Coffee/tea chafer (Tea urn).
• Soup chafer / soup turin.