Front Of The House Functions

1. Front Of The House Functions

2. General Manager • Front-of-the-House • Seating • Reservation • Walk-ins • Open seating • Booking a reservation • Overbooking • Residence time • Call-ahead seating • Point-of-Sales System (POS) • Culinary • Pass-through Key Terms

3. 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: • The entire restaurant operation • Front-of-the-house employees • Back-of-the-house employees • Supervise 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

4. 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: • Lobby or entrance • Hostess/ Host stand • Dining Room • Front-of-the-house employees work directly with guest Front-of-the-House Functions

5. The front-of-the-house is responsible for the following six functions: • Seating guest • Selling food • Transmitting orders to the kitchen • Serving customers • Bussing tables • Obtaining payment form customers Front-of-the-House Functions

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. The process of taking a reservation is called booking a reservation • Reservations have advantages and disadvantages • The main advantages include: • Tables are ready when the customer arrives • The restaurant will have an accurate account of the people to expect • The main disadvantages include: • Guest may not show up for the reservation • The restaurant will lose money Seating

11. 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

12. Call-ahead seating is a fairly new seating method • It is also called priority seating • Call-ahead seating is when a customer calls the restaurant and have their names added to the waiting list • It does not guarantee the guest will have a table • It guarantees them a place in line Seating

13. The sales function occurs when the server takes the customer’s food order • Servers use a process called suggestive selling • Suggestive selling is recommending menu items that the customer may like • Suggestive selling also increases sales for the restaurant and usually increases tips for the server • Ways restaurants use suggestive selling: • Include wineglasses in the place setting • Sitting wine on the table • Offering additional items to an entrée • Offering dessert • Offering an after dinner drink Sales

14. 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; • Taking the order • Transmitting the order • Preparing the order • Checking the order • Retrieving the order Transmitting Orders

15. The server takes the orders from the guest • Each table in the restaurant has a number • At each table, the guest have a number • Each restaurant has their own way of filling out checks for the guest • The server must ensure that each order is recorded accurately Taking Orders

16. Taking Orders 2 3 2 1 4 1 Entrance 4 3

17. 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

18. Once the orders are accurately recorded, they must be transmitted to the kitchen • There are two basic methods of transmission: • Computerized • Non-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

19. The POS also improves ordering and transmission accuracy • It will calculate and print out all the checks • Other capabilities of the system include: • Track the number of menu items sold • Alert servers of items that have sold out • Keeping track of inventory • Credit/debit card processing • Employee time clock • Employee schedules • Payroll • Accounting • Frequent diner loyalty programs • Sales reports Transmitting Orders to the Kitchen

20. Once the orders are in the kitchen, the culinary staff takes over • Culinary means related to kitchens and cooking • The culinary staff consists of: • Chefs • Cooks • And other staff involved in preparing food • While the main course is being prepared, the server can serve appetizers, soups, and salads Preparing Orders

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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 ready • Neon Number Board • POS Alert at Computer Terminal • Wireless Paging System Retrieving Orders

24. 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

25. Bussing is: • Setting the place settings on the table • Clearing the dirty dishes from the table • Assisting the servers whenever needed Bussing

26. 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 cashier • Server takes payment Payment

27. Many restaurants only accept cash • Others will accept credit and debit cards • Restaurants within hotels will often allow hotel guests to charge restaurant bills to the room Payment

28. THE END Front-of-the House Functions