LEARNING MODULE

UNIT OF COMPETENCY PREPARE THE DINING ROOM/RESTAURANT AREA FOR SERVICE

UNIT CODE TRS512387
UNIT DESCRIPTOR This unit covers the knowledge and skills required in the
preparation of the dining room/restaurant area before the start
of the service operations. It involves opening duties or the dining
room mise-en-place prior to service. This unit includes the
knowledge and skills in taking reservations, preparing service
stations, table-setting, and setting the ambiance of the food
service facility.

ELEMENT: TAKE TABLE RESERVATIONS

ELEMENT
1. Take table reservations
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1.1 Inquiries are answered promptly, clearly and accurately.
1.2 Pertinent questions are asked to complete the details of the
reservations.
1.3 Reservations data are recorded on forms accurately based on
establishment’s standards.
1.4 Details of the reservations are repeated back and confirmed
with the party making the reservation.
1.5 Additional information about the food service establishment
is provided when necessary.

Importance of Properly Taking Table Reservations

Restaurants operate to make a profit. Taking in table reservations is one the of first steps a
restaurant has at its disposal in bringing in guests to partake of what they offer and turn in a
sale for the day. This is why it is important for a restaurant to make sure that a smooth and
efficient procedure in taking table reservations is put in place.

The responsibility of taking in reservations is usually assigned to one of the restaurant staff
and is called either the receptionist, reservationist, or host/hostess. This particular
restaurant staff is usually assigned a position beside a telephone or computer during off
hours or at the front of the restaurant during operating hours. The
receptionist/host/hostess receives the guests at the front of the restaurant and either
ushers them to their reserved tables or endorses the guests to another dining room staff to
complete the guests’ dining experience.
 Figure 1: Dining Room Organizational Chart

How to Properly Take Table Reservations

Whether table reservation is taken over the phone, on-line through websites or on-site, the
important information to record when taking down table reservations are:
1. Date of reservation
2. Time of reservation or arrival
3. Number of guests or persons
4. Name of guest or person who will use the reservation
5. Name of guest or person making the reservation
6. Contact information of:
a. guest who will use the reservation AND
b. guest making the reservation
7. Special requests
a. Table of choice
b. Server of choice
 c. Menu and special menu offers like a birthday cake, wine service, etc.
d. Special seating arrangements like a child’s high chair or area for a wheelchair

Taking Table Reservations by Telephone

Here are 7 steps to follow to ensure a smooth flow when taking in table reservations by
telephone.
1. After 1-2 rings, pick up the phone and greet the customer with a light, pleasant,
professional voice with the suggested spiel:
Good (morning/afternoon/evening). (Name of Restaurant) , this is (your name).
How may I help you today?
2. Listen well to the customer request.
3. Acknowledge the customer’s table reservation request with the suggested spiel:
Before we continue, may I know your name so that I can address you properly?
(Customer mentions name.)
Thank you for choosing our restaurant, Mr/Ms (customer’s name). You would
like to reserve a table for (mention pax) for (time) on (date). Am I correct?
(Wait for customer to confirm if you got reservation details correctly.)
4. Request customer permission to be put on hold while you check on restaurant
availability to accommodate customer reservation with the following spiel:
May I put you on hold for 30 seconds* to check if we can accommodate your
reservation request?
(Wait for customer to acknowledge and agree.)
Thank you.
*Make sure to be specific on the hold time mentioned. Get back to customer
before the hold time is used up if you need more time.

5. Return to the customer to confirm or deny customer reservation request with the
following spiel:
Thank you for patiently waiting, Mr./Ms (customer’s name). We are confirming
that we are booking your reservation for (mention pax) for (time) on (date) in
the name of (customer’s name or ask customer preferred name of reservation).
Would there be anything else that we can help you with? Would there be a
 special occasion or other special menu requests that you would like us to assist
you with for this reservation?
6. Get a confirmation reply from the customer
a. At this point, it is critical that you listen well to your customer if there are
other requests or special arrangements that he/she would like the restaurant
to prepare. Your customer might want to have a special vegetarian menu for
a member of his party, or perhaps request for wine to be served at a
particular time of the meal. Take note of these special requests and make
sure that they are communicated to the rest of the restaurant and kitchen
staff.
b. This is also a good opportunity to inform the customer of special dishes and
special deals or promotions that the restaurant is offering that the customer
might be interested to avail of.
c. If customer wants to avail of special offers or has a special request, take note
and re-confirm with the customer.

7. Close the call with the following spiel:

Thank you for calling and choosing (Name of Restaurant), Mr./Ms (Customer
Name). We would like to remind you that we can hold the reservation for a
window of 15 minutes before and after the time of your reservation. We look
forward to seeing you on (reservation date). Have a great day.

Taking Table Reservations On-Site

Follow these 3 simple steps for taking restaurant reservations on-site. From the time the
restaurant opens until closing, make sure that the restaurant host/hostess is at the
restaurant door to greet walk-in customers.
1. Host/Hostess welcomes guests into the restaurant. Consider using the following
welcome spiel:
Hello. Good (morning/afternoon/evening). Welcome to (Restaurant Name). My
name is (your name). How can we help you?
2. Host/Hostess confers with the reservation schedule and seating chart for the day as
well as with a quick ocular check on the dining room traffic to check if the
 reservation can be accommodated. Host/Hostess then verbally confirms the
requested table arrangement, and advises guest of possible wait time to prepare the
tables or suggests possible table options for the guests to choose.
3. Host/hostess then ushers and sits the guests at their table and endorsers them to a
dining room server to complete the dining experience. A closing spiel could be:
This is (name of dining room server) and he/she will assist you for the rest of
your meal. Bon appetit!

Forms to Facilitate Table Reservations

A smooth and constant flow of communication between the front of the house (reception
and reservations) and the back of the house (kitchen and dining) is key providing the
customer with a pleasurable dining experience. Restaurants usually use any of the following
forms listed below to make sure that a smooth communication flow runs through its daily
operations:
1. Reservation Sheets
2. Logbook
3. Computer spreadsheets fed from online reservations made through websites and
apps
4. Reservation Cards

Weekly and daily meetings for dining updates to make sure each restaurant staff is brought
up to date with dining reservations taken. These same forms are useful also for post-dining
restaurant management reviews for more efficient planning of restaurant operations like
purchasing of supplies and ingredients, staffing requirements and other profitability
concerns.

Factors for Success when Taking Table Reservations

Important qualities to have when taking table reservations or seating guests are:
1. Warm and friendly smile
2. Calm and approachable demeanor
3. “Take charge” attitude that assures guests that their concerns can be attended to
promptly and correctly
Remember that when dining at a restaurant, first impressions matter. This starts at the
moment the guests call in for a reservation and walk through the restaurant doors and ask
to be seated. A good dining experience is completed with great food and drinks but starts
and ends with how the guests are received and treated by the restaurant’s servers.

ELEMENT: PREPARE SERVICE STATIONS AND EQUIPMENT

ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
2. Prepare service 2.1 Service or waiter’s stations are stocked with supplies
stations and necessary for service.
equipment 2.2 All tableware and dining room equipment are cleaned,
wiped and put in their proper places.
2.3 Special tent cards and similar special displays are put up
for promotion.
2.4 Cleanliness and condition of all tables, tableware and
dining room equipment are checked.
2.5 Water pitchers and ice buckets are filled.
2.6 Electrical appliance or equipment like coffee pots, tea
pots, plate warmers etc. in the dining area are turned
on and kept ready.
2.7 Condiments and sauce bottles are refilled and the necks
and tops of the bottles are wiped clean and dry.

The Diner’s Expectations

When guests come into a restaurant to dine, there is set of expectations they look for.
Guests expect to eat well-cooked flavorful food on clean tables, served on clean dishes with
equally clean cutlery. Diners also expect service that is seamlessly efficient. This usually
means being able to eat hot food that is served hot, cold food that is served cold, drinking
from a full glass of water, and moving from one dish to the other in perfect timing. The
orchestration of this seamless flow of service can only be done through proper organization
and mindful preparation by the restaurant staff.

Station Management
To run smoothly, a restaurant is often divided into stations. A station is a section of the
restaurant that is made up of a group of tables that is assigned to specific servers to man
during a shift. The usual ratio is about 12-15 guests per server. To facilitate communication
between the front of the house and the back of the house, tables are assigned numbers.
Groups of tables are mapped out to form a station. A server is assigned a station. The server
then uses the table numbers that belong to the station he is assigned to on all his order slips
and guest checks. This form of restaurant mapping guides also the receptionist or
host/hostess when taking in restaurant reservations and seating guests.
Preparing the Restaurant for Seamless Service
In restaurant parlance, part of the job of servers is doing sidework. Sidework refers to jobs
servers do outside of serving guests. There are three major sidework activities servers

Figure 2: A Sample Restaurant Station Assignment

undertake to prepare the restaurant’s dining area before the doors open to receive dining
guests.

1. Mise-en-scene, or the activity of preparing the environment, is done at first order of

the day. This is very important in ensuring that the restaurant is clean, hygienic, and
imparting the desired restaurant’s ambiance. Listed below is a checklist of mise-en-
scene activities performed by servers at the start of their shift before the restaurant
opens:
 Opening all windows and doors to allow fresh air and sunlight to come in and let
musty, stale air out
 Checking out all furniture like tables and chairs to make sure that all items are
serviceable, removing furniture that needs repair over to housekeeping and
maintenance
 Switching on all lamps to check that all are functioning and making requisitions
with housekeeping and maintenance for replacements of fused bulbs
 Making an inventory of all menu cards and other promotional materials to make
sure that they are still in good condition and in adequate quantities
 Checking out dust, dirt and stains, vacuuming carpets and dusting surfaces, if
needed

2. Mise-en-place, or the activity of putting things in place, is the next set of activities
servers do after ensuring everything is in order during the mise-en-scene. Mise-en-
place ensures that the food and beverage services run smoothly during the operating
hours of the restaurant. Listed below is a checklist of what servers do for the mise-
en-place:
 Putting on fresh linen on all tables and removing all soiled linen to housekeeping
 Polishing all glassware and cutlery service
 Turning on all electrical appliances and equipment like coffee pots, tea pots,
plate warmers and kept ready for service
 Refilling condiment containers to the neck and making sure that they are wiped
clean and dry
  Refilling ice buckets and water pitchers with iced water
 Replacing fresh flowers or plants for table centerpieces
 Checking that the service station or side board is well equipped with supplies
 Putting up all tent cards and other promotional items in their proper places

3. Preparing the service station is the final activity servers attend to before the
restaurant opens. The service station is also referred to as the sidestation, the side
board, the side stand, the wait station, or the “dumb waiter”. This is a piece of
furniture positioned strategically within the restaurant’s dining layout.

The service station has a lot of shelves and drawers to contain supplies and
equipment needed to facilitate seamless service expected of a restaurant during its
dining operating hours. In recent times, the service station also houses a computer
terminal that contains a Point of Sales (POS) software that the servers use to punch
in menu orders for the kitchen and process guest checks for the cashier. Ensuring
that the service station is fully stocked before the restaurant opens makes working
the station more efficient for the server, minimizing trips back to the kitchen to get
replenishments.

Supplies carried in the service station are:

 Water pitchers with iced water
 Coffee warmers with fresh coffee
 Hot water for teas
 Ice buckets filled with ice
 Clean, folded napkins
 Clean tablecloths
 Menu folders
 Order slips/pads, guest checks, pencils and pens
 Condiments like fully stocked salt and pepper shakers, ketchup, mustard, steak
sauce, hot sauce, oil and vinegar dispensers, etc.
 Plates, saucers, glasses and silverware
  Special food items like teabags, sugars, creamers, lemon wedges, jams and jellies
 Special food gadgets like straws and toothpicks

ELEMENT: SET UP THE TABLES IN THE DINING AREA

ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
3. Set up the tables in the 3.1 Tables are set according to the standards of the food
dining area service establishment.
3.2 In cases where the menu is pre-arranged or fixed,
covers are set correctly according to the
predetermined menu.
3.3 Tableware and glassware are wiped and polished
before they are set up on the table.
3.4 Cloth napkins are folded properly and laid on the table
appropriately according to napkin folding style.
3.5 Buffet or display tables are skirted properly taking into
account symmetry, balance and harmony in size and
design.

TYPES OF TABLE SERVICE

After the server has accomplished the mise-en-scene and mise-en-place activities and
completing stocking up the service stations, the next focus is preparing the tables in his
station for dining. Tables are set up according to the service standards of the restaurant. The
type of table service defines the total dining experience offered by the restaurant for all its
guest.

Here is a listing of the types of table service:

1. French Service
 French service is formal dining where food is cooked or completed at tableside. Two
servers usually attend to the guests and serve the food from the cart or a guéridon
to the guests seated at the table. The French table setting is often referred to as the
standard table setting for formal dining that covers several course meals from
appetizers to soup, fish, poultry, and meat dishes that are paired with corresponding
wine selections.

Figure 3: French Table Service or Formal Dining Table Service

2. Russian Service
Russian service is formal dining and is set up identically to the French service. The
distinct feature of the Russian service is that food is brought onto the guest
completely cooked and plated on large silver platters from the kitchen. The server
stands to the left of the guest, presents the food platter held by the server’s left
hand, then serves the guest the desired portion using the server’s right hand using
large spoon and fork.
3. English Service
English service is more casual where food is brought in platters from the kitchen by
servers, presented to the host for approval. The server takes the platter of food
around the guests for the guests to get their personal portions onto their plates.
4. American Service
In the American service, food is served to the guest in plated portions, except for
bread and butter which are sometimes put on the table in a basket. Depending on
the time of meal, American service can be simple for breakfast or complex up to
three courses for dinner.

Figure 4: Casual Dining Table Service Set-up

Figure 5: American Lunch or Dinner Table Service Set-up

 5. Banquet Service
A banquet service is prepared for a large number of people who gather to celebrate
a special event. Tables are set up in a large dining hall, usually in grand ballrooms of
hotels, country clubs or special venue set-ups. Tables are set up using the American
dinner service set-up.
6. Family Style Service
A very informal style of dining, the family style service has the server putting the
platters of food in the middle of the table for the guests to share. Tables are set up
using the American dinner service set-up.
7. Buffet Service
In a buffet service, diners go to long tables that are laden with different courses of
food. The buffet table service is set up with the long table for the food arranged in
clusters: appetizers, salads, main course, dessert. Included in the long table are
napkins and plates. Cutlery is set-up on the guest tables. A drink station is set up
separately where guests can choose their beverage of choice.

INVENTORY OF DINING ROOM EQUIPMENT

Listed below is a checklist of possible dining equipment and utensils that may be needed for
use in the different table services listed above:
 TABLEWARE
o Dinnerware/chinaware
 Cover/service plate
 Dinner plate
 Entrée plate
 Fish plate
 Bread plate
 Soup bowl/plate
 Cups and saucers
o Glassware
 Stem wares
 Footed wares
 Tumblers
 Mugs
o Silverware/Flatware
 Dinner fork
 Dinner spoon
  Soup spoon
 Butter knife/spreader
 Steak knife
 Fish Fork
 Dessert fork
 Teaspoon
o Holloware
 Soup tureen
 Platters
 Coffeepots
 Teapots

 DINING ROOM/RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT

o Service tray stands
o Guéridon
o Cake display
o Refrigerators/Chillers
o Coffee makers/machines
o Point of Sales (POS)
o Wine service equipment

PREPARING THE TABLE FOR DINING

It is the primary responsibility of the server to make sure that the dining room tables in his
station are clean and hygienic, and set up properly according to the restaurant’s dining
service standards. These are the things to do to make sure that the tables are prepared
properly for dining.
1. Confirm with the restaurant manager and host the number of expected guests for the
shift. Set up enough tables to accommodate reservations and walk-in guests.
2. Clean and sanitize all the tables. Make sure the seats of the chairs are clean, free of
crumbs and other food-debris that might be stuck in the crevices.
3. For dining tables, spread over a tablecloth making sure that the four corners are laid
out to hand evenly with the tablecloth edges just touching the seats of the chairs.
4. Layout the appropriate cover according to the restaurant’s dining standards. A cover
refers to the individual guest’s place setting that includes the appropriate china,
silverware, glassware and napkins.
5. Follow sanitary and safety protocol when handling dining room equipment. Cover
supplies are carried to the table in clean trays. China is handled at the edges.
Glassware is held at the base or stem. Silverware is touched and laid out from the
 handles. Lookout for chipped china, cracked glassware or soiled silverware and
return to kitchen for cleaning or discard. Wipe and polish china, glasses and
silverware before laying them out on the table.
6. Layout napkins that are crisply folded.
7. For buffet tables, decorate the base with appropriate and tasteful skirting designs.

Figure 6: Napkin Folding Styles

Figure 7: Table Skirting Designs