Wednesday, June 11, 2014 Presented by

Patti Shock, CPCE, CHT

Academic Consultant, The

International School of Hospitality;

Adjunct Professor, University of

Nevada, Las Vegas and Florida

International University

Moderated by

Zachary Chouteau

Content Director, Features & News

Meetings Focus

Meeting & Event Food Service Essentials, Part 1

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Today’s Speaker:

Patti Shock, CPCE, CHT Academic Consultant, The International

School of Hospitality; Adjunct Professor,

University of Nevada, Las Vegas and

Florida International University

patti.shock@gmail.com

Learning Objectives

• Know the main differences among the various types of service styles

• Understand what caterers are willing to negotiate

• Apply methods for estimating the amount of food and labor needed

for an event

• How to use social media to keep up with the latest trends

Objective of the Meal

• Caterer must understand your need(s)

• Service quality

7

Budget

• Paying per person

• Passed foods appropriate if paying by

consumption.

Butlered Hors d’ Oeuvres

• Food passed on trays

• Serve themselves

• “Finger food.”

• Plates can add 1/3 to food cost

• Save $

• Control food quantities by pacing

• Limit expensive food

• Avoid food excesses of buffets

No toothpicks

Table Food

• Not all foods passed

• Balance expensive items with low-priced items

• Expensive items could be passed

• Inexpensive food available on tables

Buffet • Foods on tables

• Guests serve themselves

• Beverage service tableside

• Usually more expensive

• No portion control

• Better: larger

quantities of fewer

choices

• Buffets require more

time

• Guests select food

and take their seats

before

program/entertainme

nt can begin

• Kitchen prepares food,

not knowing which items

will be more popular

• No control of portion

size, buffets tend to be

more expensive.

• Combo meat/fruit/veggie

platter for a total count of your

group - not each

• Action station

• Chefs prepare and serve foods to order

• Added cost

• Allocate more floor space than for a buffet

so attendees can view the performance

• Increase floor-space estimate if the action

station is elevated on a riser.

• Cafeteria service

• Similar to buffet

• Guests do not help themselves

• Served by chefs and/or servers

• Controls portions

• Plated buffet

• Pre-plated foods

– set on a buffet table

• Speeds up service

• Portion control saves $

• Plated (American)

• Guests seated

• Food pre-portioned, plated in the kitchen

• Served from the left of the guest

• Beverages served from the right

• Used dishes and glasses removed from the right

• Most functional, common, economical, controllable, and efficient type of service

18

• A sit-down dinner may be

lower in price than a

buffet, since every dish is

pre-proportioned.

• French or Russian

service is elegant, but

require a longer service

time and higher cost.

• Preset • Food on tables when guests are

seated

• Items that retain sanitary and

culinary qualities at room

temperatures

• Most common bread and butter,

but often the appetizer will be

preset

• For lunches, both salad and

dessert may be preset.

• Save on labor/speeds up service

• Butlered Table Service • Food presented on platters by servers from the

left

• Utensils available for seated guests to serve

themselves

– Often confused with Russian service

• No portion control

• Russian (Silver) • Guests seated

• Foods cooked tableside

• Food placed on platters

• Guests help themselves to the foods

• Service is from the left

– Often confused with French Service

• More space

• More expensive

• Banquet French • Guests seated

• Platters assembled in kitchen

• Servers take platters to the table

• Server, using two large silver forks places food

on the guests' plate

• Each food item is served by the server from

platters to individual plates

• Guests are served from the left.

• French Cart Service • Fine-dining restaurants

• Guests seated

• Food prepared tableside

• Servers plate the finished foods and serve them

to guests

• This is the only style of service where food is

served from the right.

Styles Cart

French Banquet French Butlered Russian American Buffet

Attended Buffet

Prepared or Cooked Tableside X X

Prepared or Cooked in Kitchen X X X

Food Served on Plates X X X

Food Served from Platters X X X X

Server Serves Guest X X X

Guest Serves Self X X X X

Food Served from Guest Left X X X X

Food Served from Guest Right X

Service Styles Comparison Table

• Hand Service • Guests seated

• One server for every two guests

• Servers wear white gloves

• Foods pre-plated

• Each server carries two plates from kitchen and

stands behind two guests

• Plates set in front of all guests at the same time

• Elegant style of service

• The Wave • Servers start at one end of the room and work

straight across

• Servers not assigned workstations

• Servers on one team and entire room is work

station

• Typically used with plated and preset service

• Large numbers can be served quickly

• Does not provide high level of individual service.

• Family Style • Bowls and platters of food placed on table

• Guests pass around and serve themselves

• More expensive

• No portion control

• Mixing Service Styles • Butlered reception service for appetizers

• Tables preset with salads, rolls, and butter

• French service for soup course

• Russian service for entrée

• Dessert buffet

• Negotiation: • Everything is negotiable

• Always ask for more than you

need

– Prioritize

– Wiggle room

• Get everything in writing

• A caterer’s job is to Upsell

• Soft Costs

• Room Rental

• Parking*

• Upgrades

• Style of Service

• Late Checkout

• Coat Checking

• Hard Costs

• Products

• Labor

• Anything they have

to pay for

• Per Person

• Ask the caterer about how

much they plan per person

• If guarantee for 100, will they

provide just 50 hot dogs and

50 hamburgers, or 70 of

each?

• Service Levels

• Dinner service levels range from 1 server per 8

guests to one server per 40 guests.

• Most hotels plan 1 server per 32 guests

• Request one server per 20 guests at a standard

dinner and 1 per 16 if wine is served or if

upscale service

• # of servers negotiable, but you may be

assessed a labor fee

• For optimum service levels:

• Rounds of 10 1 server for every 2 tables

• Rounds of 8 1 server for every 5 tables

• Bussers 1 for every 3 servers

• With poured wine or French service:

• Rounds of 10 2 servers for every 3 tables

• Rounds of 8 1 server for every 2 tables

• Buffets 1 server for every 40 guests

• 1 runner per 100-125 guests

• French or Russian:

• Rounds of 8 or 10 1 server per table

• Set Over Guarantee

• % of guests the caterer will prepare for above

the guarantee

• Calculation is negotiable.

• Average overset is 5%

• Look at numbers, not just %

• 100 guests = 10% overset

• 100-1000 guests = 5% overset

• Over 1000 guests = 3% overset

Food Consumption

• As a general rule, attendees will eat

about 6 to 8 hors d’oeuvres during

the first hour.

• Attendees will generally eat more

during the first hour of a reception

Food Consumption

• Receptions with dinner following, order 6 to 8

appetizers per person

• Receptions with no dinner following, order

approx. 10 to 14 pieces per person

• More females than males? - order 10 pieces, but

if the other way around, go for 14 pieces.

Type of

Reception

Type of Eaters No. of hors

d’oeuvres pp 2 hours or less with

dinner following Light 3–4 pieces

Moderate 5–7 pieces

Heavy 8+ pieces

2 hours or less with no

dinner Light 6–8 pieces

Moderate 10–12 pieces

Heavy 12+ pieces

2–3 hours with no dinner Light 8–10 pieces

Moderate 10–12 pieces

Heavy 16+ pieces

• Consumption also depends on how many square feet

are available for guests to move around in

• Space Requirements for Receptions

• Minimum (tight) 5 ½ to 6 square feet per room

• Comfortably crowded 7 ½ square feet per person

• Ample Room 10+ square feet per person

• Cost-Saving Ideas

• The chef can come up with suggestions to fit any

budget.

• Ganging menus –

– Ask what other groups are being served

during the same meal.

– If the same menu can be served to another

group, a better price might be negotiated

because of the economies of scale.

• Provide small servings of high-end items –

– Lobster medallions on a salad provide elegance

at a lower cost than lobster for the entrée.

• Cost Saving Ideas:

• Limit portion size –

– Enjoyment of a meal does not depend on

quantity.

– The visual appeal and taste of food is just as

important as the amount

• Pass the food –

– Guests usually consume less food when it is

passed on trays or platters

Menu Planning

• Meeting planners need to stay abreast of current

food trends

• Environmental Scanning

• Read trade journals online

– Meetings Focus

– BizBash

– CaterSource

42

• Blogs • Alltop (blog search)

http://alltop.com/

• My Cvent Blog:

http://blog.cvent.com/food-for-

thought

• Feedly (blog reader):

http://www.feedly.com

• Using Social Media to Track Trends:

• Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com

• http://www.pinterest.com/pattishock

• Scrapbooking site

• Find creative ideas

• Save cool ideas for future events

• Don’t have to join to view

• Create categories early

• Break out segments

– Outdoor events

– Receptions ideas

– Buffets, etc.

• Available on

Amazon.com

Questions?

Patti Shock, CPCE, CHT

Academic Consultant, The International

School of Hospitality; Adjunct Professor,

University of Nevada, Las Vegas and

Florida International University

patti.shock@gmail.com

Zachary Chouteau Content Director, Features & News

Meetings Focus

Zachary.Chouteau@meetingsfocus.com

Our TAKE 10 feature, offered either on our website or via our Webinar Wrap

e-newsletters, provides answers to some of the key questions we just did not

have time to get to during today’s webinar. Look for an email coming soon!

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• Meetings Focus On-Location Video Broadcast from AIBTM –

Thursday, June 12th at 1pm Eastern

Register at: http://www.meetingsfocus.com/onlocation

• Meeting and Event Alcohol Service Essentials, Part 2 – presented by

Patti Shock

Wednesday, June 25th at 1pm Eastern

On Demand - Also available for you to view at any time.

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Watch Now!

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