Career Paths: Cooking Unit 3 People in a Restaurant

Front of House VS Back of House Restaurants and Hotels have a front of house and a back of house. In the back of house there is the kitchen, break room, office and employee restrooms. Customers are not permitted in the back of house. The front of house includes any area that customers have access to in the restaurant. This includes the hostess and cashier area, dinning room, waiting area, outside seating, bar, and public restrooms.

Jobs in the Back of House We talked about the various jobs in the back of house last week. Head Chef Sous Chef Line Chefs Dishwasher Expeditor: in charge of organizing orders by table so everyone sitting at a particular table is served at the same time. They work on the server side of the window and should be very familiar with menu.

Jobs in the Front of House The people who work in front of house are the General Manager Front of House Manager Headwaiter/Captain Sommelier Bartender Server Host/Hostess Food Runner Bar-Back Busser

Jobs in the Front of House General Manager The general manager, or GM, oversees the entire restaurant staff, including the front and back of house, but they spend a lot of time in the dining room. The restaurant owner relies on the GM to be their eyes and ears and ensure that operations are running smoothly.

Jobs in the Front of House Front of House Manager The FOH manager reports to the GM and oversees all employees who work in the front of house. They are responsible for interviewing and hiring new staff members, making schedules, and handling customer complaints. At the end of the shift, they count the drawer and record the day’s earnings.

Jobs in the Front of House Headwaiter/Captain The headwaiter leads the wait staff, host staff, and bussers in providing the best customer service possible. In addition to serving their own tables, they act as a supervisor and report to the front of house manager.

Jobs in the Front of House Sommelier Commonly found in fine dining settings, Sommeliers are wine specialists who are knowledgeable in all aspects of wine. They assist with creating the wine list and help with food pairings, as well as educating the server staff so they can better serve guests.

Jobs in the Front of House Bartender The bartender is responsible for making all drink orders taken from servers or directly from guests. They pour beer and wine, create mixed drinks, and serve other beverages like soft drinks. Their additional duties may include serving food to their guests at the bar and prepping bar garnishes like lemon slices before the shift.

Jobs in the Front of House Server Servers should be personable and accommodating because they have the most interaction with guests. Using their knowledge of the menu, they take customer orders, answer questions, and make suggestions. They interact with kitchen staff, prepare checks, and collect payment.

Jobs in the Front of House Host/Hostess The host or hostess is stationed near the entryway and greets customers as they enter and leave. They also take reservations, answer phones, show customers to their seats, and provide menus to guests.

Jobs in the Front of House Food Runner Food runners provide a valuable service by making sure hot food is served to guests immediately. They wait at the kitchen window and deliver orders under the guidance of the expeditor. Because they interact with guests, they should have menu knowledge and be willing to meet requests for additional items, like silverware, extra napkins, or drink refills.

Jobs in the Front of House Bar-Back Bar-backs act as an assistant to the bartender, with their most important task being keeping the ice filled. They make sure clean glasses, napkins, and garnishes are stocked and might even help to make drinks in a pinch.

Jobs in the Front of House Busser Bussers prepare tables for new customers by clearing away dirty dishes and wiping the tabletop surface clean. They also assist servers by filling water glasses, serving bread, or helping with minor requests.

Common Restaurant Terminology 86 - When the kitchen runs out of ingredients to make a specific dish and can no longer serve it, the dish is considered “86”. It’s important for kitchen staff to make the server staff aware of 86 items as soon as possible. In the Weeds - When the kitchen staff is extremely busy and are having a hard time keeping up with orders, they are considered to be “in the weeds”. Servers can also end up “in the weeds” if they can’t keep up with their tables. On the Fly - When something has to be cooked last minute, it is needed “on the fly.” Servers may need to order something “on the fly” if the first dish was not acceptable or if they made a mistake on their first order. No matter the reason, any items requested on the fly should be made immediately to keep guests happy. Sections - Restaurant dining rooms are divided into sections, and each section is maintained by an assigned server. The host or hostess has to be very familiar with each server’s section so they don’t seat too many tables in one section at once. Staggering the tables will help the servers and cooks keep up with orders. Turnover - Turnover is the rate at which a table is filled during a shift. High turnover is desired because it means that wait times are short and guests are being seated and served quickly.

Common Restaurant Terminology Upselling - When servers make suggestions to guests in order to increase the cost of the bill, it is considered “upselling.” It’s a good opportunity to increase profits especially when it comes to alcoholic beverages. Behind – While navigating around the kitchen it is considered good manners to say “behind” if you are passing behind another employee. This is to alert them of your presence and prevent accidents. Window – The window is the heated shelf where cooks place completed dishes for servers to pick up and serve to guests. Food that is left to sit in the window too long becomes dried out and unappetizing, which makes it imperative for cooks to get all dishes in an order out at the same time. Sidework – Servers are assigned specific tasks, or sidework, to be performed at the beginning or end of their shift. Sidework can include filling salt and pepper shakers, cleaning restrooms, or polishing and wrapping silverware.

Conclusion Now you have an understanding of the differences between the front of house and back of house in a restaurant. Just as the physical locations within your business are different, the employees who work within those spaces perform very different roles. However, you should always keep remember that each person provides important functions and that you have to work together as a team.