Front Of The House Functions

General ManagerFront-of-the-HouseSeatingReservationWalk-insOpen seatingBooking a reservation

OverbookingResidence timeCall-ahead seatingPoint-of-Sales System (POS)

CulinaryPass-through

Key Terms

The general manager (GM) is responsible for the overall operation of the restaurant

Often, the owner of the restaurant is the general manager

They are accountable for:oThe entire restaurant operationoFront-of-the-house employeesoBack-of-the-house employeesoSupervise the other managers in the restaurant

If the restaurant is apart of a corporate chain, the GM will be responsible for communications with the corporate headquarters

General Manager

Front-of-the-house refers to the area in a hospitality business that guests usually see

In a restaurant, the front-of-the-house usually includes:oLobby or entranceoHostess/ Host standoDining Room

Front-of-the-house employees work directly with guest

Front-of-the-House Functions

The front-of-the-house is responsible for the following six functions:oSeating guestoSelling foodoTransmitting orders to the kitchenoServing customersoBussing tablesoObtaining payment form customers

Front-of-the-House Functions

Seating is the process of finding seats for customers in a restaurant

When customers enter a restaurant, they are seated by a host or hostess

Customers should be seated as soon as they enter the restaurant

Customers should be seated so that they will be served in the most efficient way

Seating

A specific server is responsible for the tables in his or her station

The host or hostess must evenly distribute the guests so that one station is not filled while another is empty

Many restaurants have a computerized table management system

If there are no tables available when the guests arrive, the hostess will give them a pager

The customers will be paged when the restaurant has a table available to sit them at

Seating

A reservation is a promise to hold something for a customer until the customer needs it

In the restaurant industry, a reservation is a promise to have a table available for them

Customers call ahead to reserve a table for a specific number of people for a particular date and time

Seating

Walk-ins are customers who arrive at a restaurant but have not made a reservation

These customers walk in the door and expect to be seated

Open seating is when a restaurant will not accept reservations

Customers are seated on a first come, first served basis

Seating

The process of taking a reservation is called booking a reservation

Reservations have advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages include:oTables are ready when the customer arrivesoThe restaurant will have an accurate account of the people

to expectThe main disadvantages include:oGuest may not show up for the reservationoThe restaurant will lose money

Seating

To avoid losing money when guests do not show up, some restaurants make more reservations than there are tables, this is called overbooking

Residence time is the time that it takes a party to eat a meal, pay the bill, and leave the restaurant

90 minutes are usually needed for a party of four people to eat a complete meal that includes appetizers, beverages, the main course, and dessert

Seating

Call-ahead seating is a fairly new seating methodIt is also called priority seatingCall-ahead seating is when a customer calls the restaurant and have their names added to the waiting listo It does not guarantee the guest will have a tableo It guarantees them a place in line

Seating

The sales function occurs when the server takes the customer’s food order

Servers use a process called suggestive sellingSuggestive selling is recommending menu items that

the customer may likeSuggestive selling also increases sales for the

restaurant and usually increases tips for the serverWays restaurants use suggestive selling:o Include wineglasses in the place settingoSitting wine on the tableoOffering additional items to an entréeoOffering dessertoOffering an after dinner drink

Sales

A critical part of the restaurant business is getting the customers’ orders to the kitchen, then getting the correct orders back to the customers

This process can be broken into five steps;1. Taking the order2. Transmitting the order 3. Preparing the order4. Checking the order5. Retrieving the order

Transmitting Orders

The server takes the orders from the guestEach table in the restaurant has a numberAt each table, the guest have a numberEach restaurant has their own way of filling out checks for the guest

The server must ensure that each order is recorded accurately

Taking Orders

Taking Orders

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2 3

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Entrance

Many restaurants use computers to improve the process of taking orders and transmitting them to the kitchen

This computerized system is called a point-of-sales system

A point-of-sales system (POS) is a computerized system for recording an order at the place where the order is taken

Taking Orders

Once the orders are accurately recorded, they must be transmitted to the kitchen

There are two basic methods of transmission:oComputerized oNon-computerized

In the non-computerized method, the server goes to the kitchen, places the order on a spindle, cook prepares the order

In a computerized system, there is at least one printer in the kitchen. The orders are entered and sent to the proper printer

Transmitting Orders to the Kitchen

The POS also improves ordering and transmission accuracy

It will calculate and print out all the checksOther capabilities of the system include:oTrack the number of menu items soldoAlert servers of items that have sold outoKeeping track of inventoryoCredit/debit card processingoEmployee time clockoEmployee schedulesoPayrolloAccountingoFrequent diner loyalty programsoSales reports

Transmitting Orders to the Kitchen

Once the orders are in the kitchen, the culinary staff takes over

Culinary means related to kitchens and cooking

The culinary staff consists of:oChefsoCooksoAnd other staff involved in preparing

foodWhile the main course is being prepared, the server can serve appetizers, soups, and salads

Preparing Orders

Timing of food preparation is a critical skill in the restaurant business

All guest of the same party should be served their main courses at the same time

However, different courses take different amounts of time to prepare

In many restaurant a team member called an expediter will organize the timing of the food

Preparing Orders

After an order is done, but before it is packed up and served, it should be checked for accuracy and appearance

The order should first be checked against the original order, either on the POS or the guest check

The portion sizes must be correct, and the food must be properly cooked and arranged on the plate

Checking Orders

Food should be served as close to the time that it is finished cooking as possible

Most restaurants will have a special area equipped with heat lamps to keep the food hot until served, this area is called the pass-through or the window

Restaurants have various ways of alerting the staff that the food is readyNeon Number BoardPOS Alert at Computer TerminalWireless Paging System

Retrieving Orders

Serving food and beverages is a major function of the front-of-the-house

Regardless of style of service, quality service is the primary responsibility of the front-of-the-house staff

Quality service takes place when guests in a restaurant never have to ask for anything

Guest often do not realize that they have received excellent service until after they have left the restaurant

Serving

Bussing is: Setting the place settings on the table

Clearing the dirty dishes from the table

Assisting the servers whenever needed

Bussing

After dessert and additional beverages are served, the check should be given to the customer

If the server cannot determine who the host of the party is, the check should be placed face down in the center of the table

Actual handling of payment is done in several ways:Customers take payment to a cashierServer takes payment

Payment

Many restaurants only accept cashOthers will accept credit and debit cards

Restaurants within hotels will often allow hotel guests to charge restaurant bills to the room

Payment

Front-of-the House

Functions

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