This document outlines different styles of table service in food and beverage settings including French, Russian, Butler, English, American, and buffet service. It discusses key aspects of each style such as appropriate settings, roles of servers, advantages and disadvantages. It also covers standards for dining room organization, greeting guests at the front door, setting up for service, serving guests including beverage and wine service standards.

1. Food and Beverage Service
Meeting
Guest
Expectations

2. Moments of Truth
 The great majority of
moments of truth
that occur in food
and beverage
settings are service
related.

3. Food and Beverage Service
 Outline
 Styles of Table Service
 Dining Room Organization and Personnel
 The Front Door
 Getting Ready for Service
 Serving Guests
 Beverage Service
 Wine Service

4. Styles of Table Service
 Seated Styles
 French
 Russian
 Butler
 English and Family
 American
 Others
 Buffet
 Cafeteria
 Take-out and Counter

5. Styles of Table Service
 French – serve 2 – 3 tables/2 – 3 hours
 Gueridon – top shelf for cooking; supplies on
second shelf.
 Food is cooked & finished tableside
 Rechaud - stove
 Requires service team
 Voiture
 Food is cooked in kitchen
and plated tableside
 Rechaud used to hold hot
 One server sufficient

6. On the gueridon, you work from and plate from left to right.
Everything is served from the right – liquids & solids.
SERVICE CART

7. FRENCH SERVICE POSITIONS
“BRIGADE STYLE”
 Chef de Rang –
station captain.
Takes orders,
finishes prep, plates
food.
 Commis de Rang –
Chef de Rang’s
assistant. Serves
the food after Chef
plates.
 Commis de Suite –
Food runner/timer;
sets up the gueridon
and brings out all
the food.
 Commis de
Barrasseur – bus
person; serves
bread, water, details
the table.

8. FRENCH SERVICE:
 Cons
1. Highly trained staff
required – high labor
cost
2. Expensive equipment
required
3. Fewer turnovers
4. Seating capacity
reduced by space
required for tableside
equipment
 Pros
1. Elegant, leisurely
and personalized
service
2. Entertaining –
flambe
3. Showcases food
and preparation
4. High average check

9. SHOWCASES SKILLS

12. Styles of Table Service
 Russian (Platter)
 Most appropriate for banquets
 Method
 Food is cooked, arranged
and garnished in kitchen
 Platter held in left hand
 Food served with right hand
using serving fork and spoon
 Service from the left with right hand

13. BUTLER SERVICE
 Butler
 Same as Russian Service except server
holds platter with both hands and guests
serve themselves from tray with utensils
provided
 This type of service was used on Sunday
evenings when the wait staff had the
evening off and the butler helped out at
dinner

14. BUTLERS……….

15. BUTLER SERVICE, CONT’D
 Cons of Russian
& Butler Service:
1. Space between
chairs for platter
required
2. Poor portion
control – could run
out
3. Time-consuming
 Pros of Russian and
Butler Service
1. Personalized Service
2. Guests may choose
quantity size
3. Guests may choose
quantity of sauces

16. Styles of Table Service
 English (Family)
 Most appropriate for private rooms or special
group dinners
 Method -- English
 Plates are preset
 Food is prepared in kitchen
 Host or maitre d’ plates main dish, guests help
themselves to sides
 Method – Family
 Same as English except guests help themselves to all
food

17. Styles of Table Service
 Cons
1. Not elegant
2. No portion control
3. No plate
presentation
 Pros of English
(Family)
1. Casual, communal
atmosphere
2. Guests can help
themselves to
seconds
3. Less-skilled
servers required

18. FAMILY STYLE……..

19. AMERICAN SERVICE
By far the most common style of service
 Appropriate for almost all meals
 All food is prepared and plated in kitchen.
 Serve solid food from the left with the left
hand whenever possible.
 Serve beverages and liquids from the right
with the right hand whenever possible.
 Clear from the right with the right hand
whenever possible.

20. AMERICAN SERVICE
 CONS
1. Less personalized
2. Guests cannot
choose portion size
 PROS
1. Informal
2. Portion control –
leads to better
portion control,
better cost control
3. Servers may have
limited skill
4. Less space
required

22. BUFFETS……
 Serve many guests in a short time
 The guest goes to the food
 Arrangement – Logical and convenient
 Cold foods – fruits, salads
 Vegetable
 Starch
 Main Course
 Carved meats
 A server may be present behind line

23. BUFFETS, CONT’D
 CONS
1. Long lines
2. Portion control –
food cost can be
high
3. Additional
equipment required
4. Not as elegant as
being served
 PROS
1. Guests have more
choices
2. Impressive display
of food – make it
pretty
3. Flexible set-up
4. Less service staff
required
5. Less-skilled
servers required

26. Buffet Equipment
soup
Chafing dishes
Heat lamp for carving

27. Dining Room Organization
and Personnel
 Owner, General Manager, Assistant General
Manager
 Maitre D’Hotel (Dining Room Manager)
 Responsible for overall management of services in
the dining room
 Includes service staff, bar staff, customer relations
and physical plant
 Captain/Supervisor
 Responsible for service in a section of tables
 Takes order
 Assists in serving food

28. Dining Room Organization
and Personnel
 Waiter (Front Waiter)
 Relays order to kitchen
 Serves food
 Food Runner (Back Waiter)
 Delivers food and drink
 Clears
 Bus person
 Clears, Bread, water, restock

29. Dining Room Organization
and Personnel
 Sommelier (Wine Steward)
 Creates wine list
 Purchases and stores wine
 Recommends wine to guests
 Serves wine
 Bartender
 Responsible for beverage service
 Bar back
 Responsible for supporting bartenders, re-stock,
clean

30. The Front Door
 First Impressions
 Greeting
 Seating

31. THE FRONT DOOR GREETING
 Make a good first and last impression
 Greet guests within thirty seconds
 Use names – especially regulars
 Pay attention to guests and the room –
not the reservation book
 Review the reservation book to
maximize seating

32. SEATING:
 Lead the guests to table
 Seat women by pulling out chairs
 Ladies seated against wall, men facing
ladies
 Offer menus
 Offer cocktails
 Offer bread and water

33. Getting Ready for Service
 Arrange tables & chairs according to
reservations.
 Make sure chairs are clean.
 Linen – Cloths and napkins; silencer
 Condiments – fill and wipe
 Stock side stations
 Appropriate table settings

34. ARE YOU READY?

35. READY?

36. Getting Ready for Service
Table setting

37. Serving Guests
Standards of Service
 Greet guests within thirty seconds.
 Serve women first, adults, kids.
 Know the proper sequence of courses.
 Serve SOLID food from the left with the left
hand. HINT: Check flatware placement if
you are not sure.
 Serve LIQUIDS from the right with the right
hand. Check flatware placement.
 Clear from the right with the right hand.
 Don’t reach across in front of a guest.

38. BEVERAGE SERVICE STANDARDS
 Serve beverages from the right with the
right hand
 Cocktail napkins should only be used on
a hard surface. Unnecessary on linen.
 Cocktails placed to the right above the
knife
 When wine service begins, cocktail
service ends; remove glasses

39. Wine Service
Service Standards
 Show the bottle label
 Cut the capsule
 Remove the cork – place
it in front of the host
 Pour about one ounce for the host
 Pour glasses for the women first
 A 750ml holds about 26 oz. – Portion
accordingly
 Whites should be stored in an ice bath

42. Wine Service
Service Standards
 Whites are served chilled – 44 to 54 F
 Reds are served slightly chilled – 50 to
65 F
 Sparkling wine served chilled -- 41 to
47 F
 Appropriate Glass
ware
Red White Sparkly