Service Styles

Classical French  Most elegant and elaborate style.  More labor intensive and time consuming  Teamwork is used called the Brigade system

Classical French  Tableside service is used, therefore special equipment is required  Preparing dishes in the dining room leaves no room for error  The entire staff must work together

General rules of French service  All food and beverages are served from the right, with the right hand  All food is cleared from the right except bread and butter  Servers always walk around the table in a clockwise direction  Not all food is prepared in the kitchen  Food may be prepared or plated tableside using a gueridon

General rules of French service  Plates prepared in the kitchen must arrive when tableside plates are ready  Plates may be presented under a dome cover, called a sous cloche  Use of show plates and service plates are used  Show plates are removed one the guest has ordered and replaced with service plates  When napkins are used, they should not cover the logo on the plates

Advantages  Very personalized  Very elegant and stylized  Food is prepared with finesse and flair

Disadvantages  More servers are required, more labor  Highly skilled servers required  Costly equipment is needed  Fewer seats available in the dining room  Takes longer to serve the guests, therefore fewer table turns  Menu prices are higher to cover the costs

The Brigade  Chef de Service- dining room manager –Hires and trains staff –Ensures proper set up of the dining room –Dining room inventory –Orders supplies –Supervises reservations –Schedules –Seats guests –Customer complaints, issues

Chef de Rang  Captain –Tables are positioned correctly –Equipment is ready –Greats guests –Is attentive to verbal and nonverbal communication of the guests –Prepares food tableside –Takes the orders

Commis de rang  Front waiter –Responsible for service –Beverage order –Opening wine –Assisting table maintenance –Flatware

Commis De Suite  Back Waiter –brings all food from the back to the service area –Presents platters –Coordinates orders with the chef

Commis Debarrasseur  Busser –Bread, butter, water –Clearing table –Resetting table *note- in most European countries, bread is served upon request

Sommelier  Wine Steward –Selling and serving wines –Helping guests chose wine –Wine inventory –Pricing wines

Tableside Preparation  Assembling  Saucing or garnishing  Sauteing, Flambeing  Carving, Deboning

Wagon Service  Carving Station  Less skill required than French Service  Illusion of being more elaborate  Helpful in selling specials

Russian service  Formal banquets, Elegant restaurants  All food is completely prepared and portioned  Servers have a clean towel draped over their left forearm  Beverages and empty plates are placed to the right of the guest  Counterclockwise

Russian Service  Serving Sets are used, never two of the same utensil  Served with the right hand from the left of the guest

Family Style  Placed in the center of the table  Appropriate serving utensil placed to the side of the dish  Guests serve themselves, and pass the food

Advantages of Family Service  Cost effective  Sense of good value  Helps maintain informal atmosphere

Disadvantages  Lacks service  No expertise in plate presentation  Portion control is minimized  A lot of waste

Butler Service  Server carries the hors d’oeuvre tray and presents the guest with a napkin  Napkins fanned in a spiral and held in the right hand  Appropriate toothpicks and frills  Tray jacks and stands must be provided