Week 12

Learning Objectives
• Discuss 3rd Party Suppliers
• Explain how to handle all aspects of the guest’s arrival.
• Describe how to provide excellent service during the reception and
cocktail hour.
• Explain how to coordinate and expedite dinner service.
• Discuss how to maintain tables throughout the banquet.
Suppliers
Serviceware

 Service style affects the serving equipment needed.

 Necessary items can be rented, or may already be part of an established inventory.
 The BEO should include details on the types and designs of service items that
may be required
 Meet with the chef to determine how they would like items displayed and served.
3rd Party Suppliers
Used for any equipment/supplies that the hotel/conference center does not supply.
The hotel/conference center will coordinate and “mark up” the cost

 Audio Visual
 Chair Covers
 Floral/Decorations
 Linens
 DJ
 Dance Floors
 Chairs/Tables
 Staging
 Glassware
 Dinnerware

Photos by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Considerations for Rentals

 Always order extra

 Payment – who will pay? Will there be extra fees/mark ups?
 Preferred Vendors
 Returning Rentals/Equipment.
 Late fees/breakage/missing equipment
Execution
Service for Banquets

 Coat Check
 Cocktail Hour
 Seating
 Service for sit-down
 Expediting
 Table Maintenance
Guests’ Arrival
Coat Check

 Cash or Complimentary?
 Assign a staff member to stay at the coat check at all times.
 Guests may need to leave early.
 Keeping guests’ items safe is a top priority.
 Attach tickets to the hangers in advance and give the coordinating number to the guest.
 Never return personal items to a guest unless the guest can produce the coat check number.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Reception or Cocktail Hour
Communicating with the Kitchen During the Cocktail Hour

 During cocktail hour, the kitchen will ask for an approximate guest count.
 Having a server stations with a clicker can be helpful.
 Offering glasses of wine/water butler style when guests arrive will help alleviate lines
at the bar.
 Carrying bottles of wine to refill guests’ glasses during cocktail hour is appreciated by
the guests.
 Servers must know the ingredients of any hors d’oeuvre they serve.
 Offer a cocktail napkin from a small plate, then offer the hors d’oeuvre.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Reception or Cocktail Hour (cont’d)
Seating

 Guests may linger at cocktail hour, but it is important that they be seated to keep the schedule on track.
 Ten minutes before the first agenda item, a server can inform the guests that it is time to be seated.
 If guests are still not seated, you might:
 Close the bar.
 Dim the lights.
 Ring a bell.
 Blame it on the host.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Coordinating Seated Service (cont’d)
Expediting

 The expeditor coordinates the flow of food from the kitchen.

 Must be aware of service style and the location of special requests.
 An Expo board may be a helpful tool.

© 2014 The Culinary Institute of America

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Coordinating Seated Service (cont’d)
Expo Board

Table # # of # Veg Seat # # Veg Seat # MT

Guests Apps Veg Main Veg Seat
Apps Main

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Coordinating Seated Service (cont’d)
Expo Board

Table # # of # Veg Seat # # Veg Seat # MT

Guests Apps Veg Main Veg Seat
Apps Main
1 8 1 3 1 3
5 8
8 7 5
12 8 2 4, 7 3 4, 7, 8
2 6 1 6 3, 7

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Coordinating Seated Service (cont’d)
Expediting (cont’d)

 As soon as announcements are made, notify the kitchen to fire the first course.
 The client should supply a list of names and special requests, prior to the event.
 This must be communicated to the expeditor.
 The kitchen should always prepare a few extra vegetarian dishes.
 Serve all of the food to the table at the same time—including the special dishes.
 Use a dry-erase marker to mark the plate cover for a special plate if performing tray service.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Coordinating Seated Service (cont’d)
Synchronized Service

 True synchronized service is one plate per server.

 More commonly, one server carries two plates.
 Half the number of servers than guests at the table.
 If servers can carry 4 plates= ¼ number of servers
 Servers must know if they are carrying a special request plate.
 Use a dry-erase marker board (Expo board) to keep track of which tables have been served, and where special
requests are needed.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Coordinating Service for a Buffet

 Tables may be preset with water, bread and butter.

 Coffee cups, saucers and sugar caddies may be preset at a breakfast or lunch, or a coffee
buffet may be offered.
 Creamers should be set in when the coffee is being served.
 After announcements or greetings, guests are called by table to the buffet.
 There may be multiple buffet lines.
 Fifty to 75 people can usually be accommodated per line.
Sequence of Service
Subsequent Courses

 Clearing the first course paves the way for the next course.
 Be sure to check for any flatware that needs to be added or replaced.
 Start second course service on one side of the room, which the first course is still being cleared on the other side.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Sequence of Service (cont’d)
The Dessert Course

 There is more preparation during service for dessert than for other courses, so it will
be slightly delayed.
 Butter cleared, and dessert silverware moved, cups, saucers, sugars & creamers set in.
 Guests expect coffee to be served as soon as the cups are set in.
 Servers might be needed to serve dessert, instead of coffee service.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

 Table Maintenance

 The table should only contain what might be used in the rest of the meal.
 Keep the table neat, clean, and running smoothly.
 Areas of Table Maintenance:
 Glassware
 Flatware
 Clearing
 Trash
Table Maintenance (cont’d)
Monitoring Glassware

 Anticipate the guests’ needs.

 Practice the Three Rs: if a glass or cup is 1/2 empty
 Refill—water, wine, coffee…
 Replace—bring a fresh drink.
 Remove—if the guest doesn’t want a replacement.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Table Maintenance (cont’d)
Refilling from a Pitcher

 Refill water glasses as soon as they are one-half full.

 A guest should never have to ask for more water.
 Glasses should remain on the table while they are being filled.
 Don’t remove glasses until the party is over.
 Guests may want water after some time on the dance floor.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Table Maintenance (cont’d)
Refilling from a Bottle

 Never touch the mouth of the glass to the mouth of the bottle or pitcher!

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Table Maintenance (cont’d)
Clearing Used Glassware

 Used glassware can be carried by hand from the table, or on a beverage

tray.
 Lay empty bottles on their sides on a tray, not standing up.
 Pick up used glassware by the stems and keep them upright.
 Never place flatware in glasses for transport, as it will crack the glass.

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Table Maintenance (cont’d)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Thank you