It’s inevitable that timing issues will arise, and these cause a ripple effect throughout the restaurant.
Servers who make errors in-putting their orders, for example, force the kitchen staff to remake selections that were prepared incorrectly. This causes a kitchen backup, which translates into guests at each table needing more time to finish their meals.
This may cause slower table turns and longer wait times to be seated, even for people who have reservations. Lower table turnover means fewer sales and fewer tips. This is never a good way to start out a shift, so timing and accuracy are important for your business as well as for your customers.
Tips on timing:
- Lunch shouldn’t exceed a total of 45 minutes
- Dinner shouldn’t exceed a total of 60 minutes
- Service to-go shouldn’t exceed 20 minutes
Stages of Service
Encourage your servers to use this guide as it pertains to your restaurant to create exceptional dining experiences:
- INITIAL GREETING
Make drink and appetizer recommendations
Recommend beverages that will complement the meal
Introduce special offers
Take orders
— Make recommendations
— Support the customer’s final choice, i.e., “Excellent choice. You will love it.”
— Repeat the order back to each customer to ensure order accuracy
- CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION
Servers should always communicate in a professional and friendly manner
Servers should NEVER respond with a negative tone or place blame on another area of the
restaurant
Servers should be coached on how to take a positive, helpful angle to ensure the customer is
always pleased with not only the result, but also the way in which it was handled
- SERVICE
Use full menu names when presenting entrees to customers
Serve ladies first
Keep an eye on your diners and watch for non-verbal cues during their dining experience
Check back after patron has cut or bitten into food to ensure accuracy and satisfaction
- PREPPING FOR THE END OF THE MEAL
Recommend dessert two-thirds of the way through dinner
Wrap-up and label left-over food tableside for diners
Present dessert (if ordered) and drop check
Check on your customers in a few minutes
- PREPARE FOR NEXT GUEST
Thank customers and invite them to return
Close the check immediately
Clear table
Spray and wipe the following items with sanitizer: table, cushions, chairs, salt and pepper
Make sure the floor under the table is dry and free of debris time between taking an order and delivering an order should never exceed the following:
- Drinks are delivered in less than 3 minutes
- Drinks from the bar are delivered in less than 5 minutes
- Appetizers are delivered in 8 minutes
- Soup and salads are delivered in 5 minutes
- Entree:
— Dinner should be delivered in 15 minutes
— Lunch should be delivered in 11 minutes
- Dessert is delivered in 5 minutes
- Server should return with patron’s paid receipt in 2 minutes
It’s inevitable that timing issues will arise, and these cause a ripple effect throughout the restaurant. Servers who make errors in-putting their orders, for example, force the kitchen staff to remake selections that were prepared incorrectly. This causes a kitchen backup, which translates into guests at each table needing more time to finish their meals. This may cause slower table turns and longer wait times to be seated, even for people who have reservations. Lower table turnover means fewer sales and fewer tips. This is never a good way to start out a shift, so timing and accuracy are important for your business as well as for your customers.
Tips on timing:
- Lunch shouldn’t exceed a total of 45 minutes
- Dinner shouldn’t exceed a total of 60 minutes
- Service to-go shouldn’t exceed 20 minutes
Stages of Service
Encourage your servers to use this guide as it pertains to your restaurant to create exceptional dining experiences:
- INITIAL GREETING
Make drink and appetizer recommendations
Recommend beverages that will complement the meal
Introduce special offers
Take orders
— Make recommendations
— Support the customer’s final choice, i.e., “Excellent choice. You will love it.”
— Repeat the order back to each customer to ensure order accuracy
- CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION
Servers should always communicate in a professional and friendly manner
Servers should NEVER respond with a negative tone or place blame on another area of the restaurant
Servers should be coached on how to take a positive, helpful angle to ensure the customer is always pleased with not only the result, but also the way in which it was handled
- SERVICE
Use full menu names when presenting entrees to customers
Serve ladies first
Keep an eye on your diners and watch for non-verbal cues during their dining experience
Check back after patron has cut or bitten into food to ensure accuracy and satisfaction
- PREPPING FOR THE END OF THE MEAL
Recommend dessert two-thirds of the way through dinner
Wrap-up and label left-over food tableside for diners
Present dessert (if ordered) and drop check
Check on your customers in a few minutes
- PREPARE FOR NEXT GUEST
Thank customers and invite them to return
Close the check immediately
Clear table
Spray and wipe the following items with sanitizer: table, cushions, chairs, salt and pepper
Make sure the floor under the table is dry and free of debris
Important:
The time between taking an order and delivering an order should never
exceed the following:
- Drinks are delivered in less than 3 minutes
- Drinks from the bar are delivered in less than 5 minutes
- Appetizers are delivered in 8 minutes
- Soup and salads are delivered in 5 minutes
- Entree:
— Dinner should be delivered in 15 minutes
— Lunch should be delivered in 11 minutes
- Dessert is delivered in 5 minutes
- Server should return with patron’s paid receipt in 2 minutes