Food and Beverage Service: R. Singaravelavan

FOOD AND
BEVERAGE SERVICE
R. Singaravelavan
© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

PART I
5. Styles of Food
Service

Chapter 5
Styles of Food Service
This chapter will help you
• understand three main groups of food and beverage service
styles—waiter service, self- service, and assisted service
• appreciate the features of each group of service and its
methods
• know the advantages and limitations of each service
• identify various styles of service
• suggest suitable service style/styles for a food and beverage
• Outlet
• understand factors influencing the style of service
Styles of Food Service
Food and beverage service styles can be

broadly classified into three main groups
1. Waiter service
2. Self-service
3. Assisted service

1.Waiter Service
• In this method of service, food and beverages

are served to guests by waiters at the guest’s
place. It may be in a restaurant, hotel room,
flight, hospital, and so on.

1.Waiter Service
This service is further classified into the following
English Service
American Service
French Service
Guéridon Service
Tray Service

1.Waiter Service
English Service
• It is also known as silver service. In this method, dishes are
presented and transferred to the guest’s plate using service
spoon and fork from the left-hand side of the guest while
beverages are served from the right hand side. It is regarded as
a formal service..It is implemented in upscale restaurants.
Points to remember
• Serve food from dish/platter on to guest’s plate using service
spoon and fork from the left-hand side
• Conduct clearance from the right-hand side
• Serve beverages from the right-hand side
1.Waiter Service
English Service
Advantages
• Personalized service
• Customer satisfaction
• Waiters have scope to exhibit their service skills
• No plate wastage
Limitations
• Calls for high level of service skills, hence more labour cost
• More staff required
• Low seat turnover
• Slow service
1.Waiter Service
American service
• This is a simple and informal form of service. It is also termed
as pre plated service. In this style, dishes are neatly plated in
the kitchen by the kitchen staff and placed at the guest’s cover
from the right hand side.
• Dishes such as prawn cocktail, salads, soups, masala dosa,
vada sambar, sandwiches, burgers, ice creams, and so on, are
served in this way. This style of service is followed in
restaurants located in busy areas, Coffee shops, fast food
outlets, and casual dining restaurants

1.Waiter Service
American Service
Points to remember
• All plated food is served from the right-hand side of the
guest
• Beverages are also served from the right
• Clearance is done from the right-hand side
• Tray is used to carry cups, bowls, saucers, and under plates
• Tray should not be used to carry full and half plates
• Move clockwise when you work from the right-hand side and
counter clockwise when you work from the left hand.
1.Waiter Service
American Service
Advantages
• Service skill is not required
• Low labour cost
• Needs fewer waiters
• Quick service
• High seat turnover as service is fast
• Kitchen staff has scope for demonstrating their plating skills

Waiter Service
American Service
Limitations
• No personalized service
• Chances of plate wastage
• Skilled waiters do not have scope to show their service skills
• Food may become cold
• More of kitchen time and labour

1.Waiter Service
French Service
• This is also known as family service. In this style of service the
dish is presented to each guest from the left-hand side to help
himself/herself. For a small party of two to three guests, the
dishes are placed on the table with service implements and
plates for the guests to help themselves.
• Alternatively, all dishes may be placed on the table and the host
may serve all his guests at the table first or assist them in
service and serve himself finally.

1.Waiter Service
French Service
Advantages
• Service skills not required
• Low labour cost
• Seat turnover is more compared to silver service
• Quick service
• No plate wastage

1.Waiter Service
French Service
Limitations
• Service staff will not be able to demonstrate their service skills
• Food may go cold
• Guests may spill or burn himself
• Needs more area on the table
• Guests may feel neglected

1.Waiter Service
Russian Service
• This is a very elaborate service and is termed as sideboard

service. In this style, large joints, roast poultry, whole fish, and
so on, that have elaborate garnish, are presented to the host,
taken back to the sideboard, carved, portioned, and served to
the guests with service spoon and fork. After service, dishes
are kept on a hot plate in the sideboard to keep them warm.
Each course is served from the sideboard. This service is not
practiced much in recent times.

1.Waiter Service
Russian Service
Advantages
• High level of guest satisfaction
• Personalized service
• Waiters have scope to exhibit carving, portioning, and
service skills
• Good presentation

1.Waiter Service
Russian Service
Limitations
• Calls for highly skilled staff, hence higher labour cost

• More wait staff required
• Low seat turnover, as time taken for service is more

1.Waiter Service
Guéridon Service
• This is also termed as trolley service. In this style of service,

dishes are prepared, carved, dressed, or flambéed on a trolley
in front of the guests and served with service spoon and fork.
The design of a trolley varies according to its purpose. Carving
trolley, flambé trolley, hors d’oeuvre variés trolley, cheese
trolley, and liqueur trolley are some of the trolleys found in
restaurants offering guéridon service.
• This type of service is practiced in luxury, up market
restaurants.
1.Waiter Service
Guéridon Service
Advantages
• Highly personalized service
• High level of customer satisfaction as the dishes are
prepared, carved, or flambéed in their presence
• Good merchandising device
• Wait staff can exhibit their culinary, carving, and service
skills
• High average spending power (high revenue/cover)
1.Waiter Service
Guéridon Service
Limitations
• Slow service
• Low seat turnover
• Expensive style of service as it requires more service
area and highly skilled staff
• Chances of accidents are more
• More investment on service equipment
• Cooking in the service area may leave odour
1.Waiter Service
Tray Service
• In this form of service, the dishes ordered by guests are neatly

portioned and arranged on a tray with necessary cutlery and
taken to their rooms/beds/seats by waiters.
• Special trays are available to retain temperature of dishes. This

style is practiced in room service, hospitals, flights, and
institutional catering.

1.Waiter Service
Tray Service
Advantages
Service skill is not required, hence low labour cost
Limitations
• Tray area may not be adequate to accommodate more
dishes unless the number of dishes and portion size are
predetermined, as in case of flight catering
• Waiters will not be able to exhibit their service skills
• Food may go cold unless insulated trays are used

2.Self-Service
This is the simplest form of service methods where
members of service staff do not serve guests.
Customers help themselves with the dishes they
would like to consume.
Self-service is classified into:
1. Cafeteria
2. Counter service
3. Vending

2.Self-Service
Cafeteria
There are two types of cafeteria service in practice.

They are
Traditional cafeteria
Free flow cafeteria

2.Self-Service
Traditional Cafeteria
• It consists of a straight line of counters containing a variety of

hot and cold dishes. The customer starts from one end of the
line, picks up a tray and moves along the length of the counter
as he selects dishes he wants to have. The cashier, at the end
of the counter makes the bill and collects payment. This is not
required if the meals are pre-paid. Normally, the service counter
is separated from the dining area.
• This form of service is widely followed in institutional and
industrial catering establishments.
2.Self-Service
Traditional Cafeteria
Flow of activities in traditional cafeteria system
1. Guest enters
2. Picks up the tray
3. Joins queue at the counter
4. Picks up the dishes of his choice as he moves along
5. Pays to the cashier at the end of the counter (not necessary,
if pre-paid)
6. Picks up cutlery and napkin
7. Goes to the dining hall to eat

2.Self-Service(Traditional Cafeteria)

2.Self-Service
Free-flow cafeteria
• In ‘free-flow cafeteria’ system, counters are segregated

according to the type of dishes offered—hot or cold, appetizers,
soups, breads, sandwiches, entrées, salads, pastas and so on.
• Trays and other essential service equipment are kept on tables

at convenient places. Guests pick up trays and go to counters
of their choice and select whatever dishes they want and exit
through the payment point at the entrance of the dining hall.

2.Self-Service
Free-flow cafeteria
• In this system, counters are not arranged in a straight line, but

in shapes such as hollow-square, U, echelon or saw-tooth, and
so on, depending on the number of dishes on offer and shape
and size of area available.
• However there are two main types of layout—hollow square

and echelon.

Self-Service
Free-flow cafeteria
Hollow square:
counters are placed around three sides of service area, each
having counters of different dishes
Echelon:
counters are positioned at such angles that customers can flow
within free flow area and also to save space. A customer
reaches the counter of his choice to help himself
2.Self-Service ( Echelon)

2.Self-Service
Free-flow cafeteria
The following points should be considered while positioning the

counters of various categories of dishes in free- flow system
• the flow of guests

• location of most preferred category of dishes,
• ease of replenishment especially to counters that are
centrally located, and so on.

2.Self-Service
Free-flow cafeteria
Flow of activities in free-flow cafeteria system:

1. Guest enters
2. Picks up tray
3. Goes to counter of his choice
4. Picks up the dishes
5. Pays to the cashier
6. Picks up cutlery and napkin
7. Goes to the dining hall to eat
Self-Service ( free-flow)

2.Self-Service
Counter Service
• Guests select the dishes they want to have from the menu
displayed, buy tokens, and collect dishes over the counter
against the tokens. They may consume the dishes either in the
premises or get them packed as takeaway.
• Cafeteria, fast food outlets, canteens, food courts, kiosks, and
so on, follow this style.

2.Self-Service
Counter Service
Advantages
Quick service
Service skill not required
Less staff required
Low labour cost
High seat turnover
2.Self-Service
Counter Service
Limitations
No personalized service
No scope for talented wait staff to show their
skill

2.Self-Service
Vending Machine
• In this style, guests get the dishes from machines. Customers

buy tokens or coins and insert them into the vending machine
and get whatever they wish to have by selecting appropriate
option. A wide variety of hot and cold dishes are available in
this system.
• Vending machines are installed in busy areas such as railways
and bus stations, airports, schools, hospitals, and so on.

2.Self-Service
Vending Machine
Advantages
Effective portion control
Reduces labour
Service is available throughout the day
Good food cost control
No wastage
Hygienic
Low cost of operation
2.Self-Service
Vending Machine
Limitations
-Absence of interaction with guests
-Limited selection of dishes
-Unreliability
-Power dependence
-Not suitable for large-scale operations
-Calls for regular servicing during which period service is
not available and leads to customer dissatisfaction
3.Assisted Service
• This is a combination of waiter and self-service.

• Service staff assist customers in service of water,
accompanying vegetables, sauces, sweets, and so on.
• The following are the examples for assisted service:
1. Buffet 2. Carvery

3.Assisted Service
Buffet
• In buffet style of service, dishes are neatly displayed with
garnish in the appropriate containers and arranged attractively
on the buffet table in a proper order for guests to help
themselves.
• The display has wide choice of both hot and cold dishes. Hot
dishes are kept in chafing dishes and the cold ones in
glass/metal/wood containers.

3.Assisted Service
Buffet
• Buffet can be broken into many sections such as soup, non-
vegetarian, vegetarian, salads and cold cuts, sweets,
coffee/tea, and so on
• Each section has appropriate service equipment.
• Carvings of ice, tallow, vegetable, fruits, and so on, may be
used as the centre piece
• Large number of people can be served within a short duration
of time. This type of service is suitable for function catering. A
lot of restaurants today favour this style of service for all three
meals.
3.Assisted Service (Buffet)

3.Assisted Service
Buffet
There are three types of buffet

• sit down buffet
• fork buffet
• finger buffet

3.Assisted Service
Buffet
sit down buffet
• In sit down buffet, tables are laid with necessary cover.
Customers select the dishes they want to have from the buffet
and eat at the table set with necessary cutlery and crockery.
• Wait staff may help in the service of water, soup, sweet, and
coffee and clear the table. They may also extend any other
assistance required by the guests.

3.Assisted Service
Buffet
Fork buffet
• In fork buffet, customers are expected to stand and eat the food
using only one piece of cutlery, normally a fork. A few spoons
may also be kept on the buffet.
• Dishes included in the menu should be easily managed with
one piece of cutlery.
• A few chairs may be available for aged guests.

3.Assisted Service
Buffet
Finger buffet
• In finger buffet, dishes are collected from the buffet and eaten
with fingers. Dishes as burgers, sandwiches, and so on, are
ideal for finger buffet.
• A washing facility with hand drier and napkin dispenser is
essential.

3.Assisted Service
Buffet
Advantages
• Service skill is not needed
• Less service staff
• Low labour cost
• More guests can be served in a short period of time

3.Assisted Service
Buffet
Limitations
• Skilled wait staff may lose interest as it does not give them
scope to demonstrate service skills
• Dishes may lose eye-appeal after repeated servings
• Possible congestion
• Poor food control
3.Assisted Service
Carvery
• This style is practiced in large chain of hotels and restaurants.
The basic concept is that the roast joints are carved at the
carvery counter and the customers help themselves
• Carvery is open for luncheon and dinner and it also serves
alcohol. Table d’hôte menu is used in carvery which consists of
three courses with a selection of starters, three or four roast
meats, and a selection of sweets.
• Waiters serve first and third courses, while guests help
themselves for roasts at the carvery counter having three or
four varieties of roast meat and poultry.

3.Assisted Service
Carvery
Service sequence at carvery
1. Guests are greeted
2. Guided to the table and seated by the service staff
3. Menu is presented
4. Water is served in the meantime
5. Preference for first course is taken
6. First course is served with necessary accompaniment
7. First course is cleared and accompaniment of the first course is
taken away

Assisted Service
Carvery
8. Guests are guided to carvery. They choose the meat and get
their portion from carvery. Collect accompanying vegetables
and sauces and return to their tables
9. Bread and butter are placed on the table when the guests are
at the carvery
10. Main course plate is cleared along with side plate
11. Bread and butter are taken away and cruets are removed
12. Crumbing is done
13. Menu is offered to take preference of guests for sweets
3.Assisted Service
Carvery
14. Cutlery for sweets is adjusted

15. Sweet is served by the service staff
16. Sweet is cleared
17. Coffee is served by the service staff

3.Assisted Service
Carvery
Advantages
• Carvery ensures hot main course as it is being carved in the presence of

guests
• No wastage since customers take what they will be able to consume
• Effective marketing tool
• Guests feel more value for money since the meat, the main course of the
meal, carved in their presence is hot and they can choose the portion size
• As menu is limited, it needs smaller kitchen area and fewer production staff
• Not many service staff are required
• Less labour cost
3.Assisted Service
Carvery
Limitations
• Operation depends on a talented carver that costs money

• Portion control and pricing is difficult as guests help themselves to as much
as they want
• Retaining appearance and palatability of the pre-cooked joints may be
difficult

Service styles and where followed

Factors influencing the Style of Service
The style of food service implemented by an establishment will
depend on a number of interrelated factors. Some of them are :
1. Type of establishment
2. Location of establishment
3. Time available for service
4. Type of customers
5. Service skills available
6. Service area available
7. Type of dishes to be served
8. Turnover expected
9. Service equipment available

Styles of Service
Points to remember
• Food and beverage service styles can be broadly classified into
waiter service, self-service, and assisted service
• Each service style has its own advantages and limitations
• Food service operators have the options of selecting any style
of service depending on many factors. The style chosen should
be easy to operate, satisfy customers, exercise cost control,
cost-effective , fast and efficient in delivery and so on.
• Food service area cannot afford to stick rigidly to any one style
of food service. It may follow a combination of services.

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FOOD AND

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

Food and beverage service styles can be

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• In this method of service, food and beverages

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

This service is further classified into the following

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• This is a very elaborate service and is termed as sideboard

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• Calls for highly skilled staff, hence higher labour cost

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• This is also termed as trolley service. In this style of service,

• In this form of service, the dishes ordered by guests are neatly

• Special trays are available to retain temperature of dishes. This

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

There are two types of cafeteria service in practice.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• It consists of a straight line of counters containing a variety of

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• In ‘free-flow cafeteria’ system, counters are segregated

• Trays and other essential service equipment are kept on tables

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• In this system, counters are not arranged in a straight line, but

• However there are two main types of layout—hollow square

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

The following points should be considered while positioning the

• the flow of guests

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

Flow of activities in free-flow cafeteria system:

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• In this style, guests get the dishes from machines. Customers

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

• This is a combination of waiter and self-service.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

There are three types of buffet

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.

© Oxford University Press 2012. All rights reserved.