This document summarizes different types of table service, including American, French, Russian, English, Lauriat, counter, and buffet service. It also describes food course sequences and common types of guests that servers may encounter, such as procrastinators, skeptics, send-backers, handicapped guests, older guests, coffee drinkers, talkers, dieters, shy guests, budgeters, and bad tippers. The document provides details on the characteristics of each service style and type of diner to help servers best accommodate different situations.

2. Types of Table Service
1. American (Plated) service
2. French Service /Gueridon/ Butler Service
3. Russian (Platter) Service
4. English (Family) Service
5. Counter Service
6. Lauriat
7. Buffet

3. American
Service
 Also known as Plated
Service or Pre-Plated
Service.
 This is the most practical,
simplest, and considered
as fast service where all
foods are arranged on a
plate and served one at a
time.

4.  The principle of this service is to deliver the food fresh
and hot.
 In this service, the application of the plate carrying
technique is applied. The first ones to be served are the
children, followed by the ladies, and the gentlemen.

5. French Service
 Also known as Gueridon Service or sometimes referred
to as butler service .
 The most elaborate, luxurious and expensive among
table services are those where food is prepared in front
of the guest.
 This service has two staffs that will serve the guest
chef-de-rang and comis-de-rang. The Chef –de-rang
is the head waiter while the comis-de-rang is the
assistant head waiter.

8. Russian Service
 Also known as the Platter Service.
 This is less expensive than French service where foods
are prepared in a kitchen and arranged on a platter,
unlike the French service, Russian service is faster.
This is also known as Silver service using a silver
serving piece.

11. English Service  It is considered as the Family
Style of service where the host
is the one that carves the main
food to be served to the guests.
 Guest of honor is served first or
the special guest of the host of
the party, then the choice that
wants to be next or second to
the special guest.
 You can follow the ladies first
procedure then the gentlemen
and lastly the host of the party.

13. Lauriat Service
 It is a Chinese formal
service where all food
choices are served on the
table.

14. LAURIAT

15. Counter Service
 Also known as the cafeteria service.
 Guests collect their own meals on a tray as they select
food items from the race. This is common in food
courts and food halls.

16. COUNTER SERVICE

17. Buffet Service
 Also known as Self service.
 This is a formal table service where foods are
attractively arranged on the table and guests service
themselves.

18. Food Course Sequence

19. Food Order and Sequence
 Food order and food sequence are followed in serving
the guest starting from starters down to desserts.
 Serving of appetizers comes first , followed by the
soup. If the guest does not like the soup, salad could be
recommended to complete the set of meals.

21. Appetizer
first dish to be served. Used to stimulate the appetite of the
customer

22. Soup
Thin or Consomme Soup
Thick or cream Soup

23. Salad
 A single food or mix of
food accompanied or
bound by a dressing

24. Entrée
The main dish of the American meal usually meat, poultry, fish or
shellfish.
But in France, it is the first course, served before the fish and
meat courses.

25. Main Course
White meat main course
Red meat main course

26. Dessert

27. Coffee or Tea
Served after the meal or sometimes used as
accompaniment for the dessert

28. Types of Guests

29. Type of Guest Bahavior
1) The Procrastinator Guest
This guest is the one who just can’t
make up his mind regarding the foods
that he wants to order
2) The Skeptic Guest
This type of guest is usually doubtful to
the quality of the food and or the way it
is prepared
3) The Sender Backer
The guest who sends the items back to
the kitchen is a person who knows
exactly what he wants
4) The Handicapped Guest The guest who are physically disabled

30. Sender Backer

31. The Procrastinator

32. Skeptic

33. Type of Guest Bahavior
5) The Older Guest
Senior citizens, and needs a little extra
care when serving.
6) The Coffee Drinker
This type of guest which only orders
coffee will read newspaper, book or
visiting with company and will sit at the
table for a couple of hours
7) The Wise Guy Guest
This is the type of person who seeks
attention and as a result can be
somewhat irritating
8) The Talker Guest
This is the type of guest, who
impresses you with his knowledge and
can make you feel frustrated

34. Older Guests

35. The Talker

36. The Coffee Drinker

37. The Wise Guy

38. Type of Guest Bahavior
9) The Dieter Guest
This is the type of guest who has diet
restrictions and will expect the server
to be knowledgeable in answering
questions about the menu
10) The Silent type guest
This type of guest is shy and soft
spoken individual so listen to him with
care
11) The Budgeter Guest
Many times, the price of the menu
item is a serious consideration for his
guest
12) The Bad Tipper
The one who does not leave a tip or in
a small amount only, that guest should
still be served in the same
professional manner as with many
other guests

39. The Dieter Guest

40. The Shy Type

41. The Budgeter

42. The Bad Tipper

43. Know your
guest, and
be the best.