Unit 2 – Welcoming Guest and Taking Food & Beverage Service Orders

Food and Beverage Service Staff are the central figures who create a
good impression of a restaurant by warmly welcoming guest, ensuring that
service is prompt and courteous and that the meal meets expectations. They
are the important contact persons in attending guest, therefore it is necessary
to have a complete command of serving rules and to know the preparation
and special dishes and drinks at the guests’ table. (Dexter R. Buted, 2007)

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

 welcome, greet and seat the guests;
 take food and beverage orders completely; and
 liaise between kitchen and service areas to enable timely service delivery
using appropriate communication techniques.

Pretest

Multiple Choice

Answer the following questions to determine your prior knowledge about

welcoming guest and taking food and beverage service orders. Underline the
letter and the words of your best answer.

1. Which of the following activities should be performed first by the food and
beverage service attendant when the guest arrives?
a. Seat the guests b. Present the menu
c. Welcome the guests d. Take food and beverage orders

2. Which of the following procedures is correct?

a. Acknowledge the presence of guests when they are seated.
b. Offer a four-seat table to couple.
c. Unfold the table napkin.
d. Serve the gentlemen first before the ladies.

3. Which of the following describes a static menu?

a. It is specially planned menu for special events.
 b. It offers a variety of food items.
c. It features sets of menu.
d. It is a rotated menu.

4. A menu plays an integral role in the food and beverage services for the
following reasons, except:
a. It builds an image of operation in the mind of the guests.
b. It satisfies the needs of the owner.
c. It influences the purchasing decisions.
d. It promotes the products.

5. Which of the following should be performed when presenting the menu to the
guest?
a. Stand beside the table while the guest is thinking of his or her orders.
b. Present the menu from the left side of the guest.
c. Give the menu to the gentlemen first.
d. Present the menu half open.

6. A type of docket that has three copies to be distributed to the kitchen, cahier
and food and beverage service attendant.
a. Duplicate Docket Book b. Triplicate Docket Docket
c, Docket Book d. All of these

7. Which side of the guest should the menu be presented?

a. Right-hand side b. Left-hand side
c. Front-side of the guest d. both A & B

8. What is the French term used for a menu that has individually priced dishes?
a. A la carte menu b. Table d’hote menu
c. Set menu d. Cycle menu

9. Which of the following persons should you need to interact in liaising

between kitchen and service area?
a. Chef, dining supervisor, food attendant
b. Manager/owner, room attendant, receptionist
c. Food attendant, dining supervisor, receptionist
d. Cook, dining supervisor, room attendant

10. What are the information which may need to be relayed from waiting staff to
the kitchen?
a. Table number, number of guest, dishes ordered, name of the guest
b. Table number, number of guests, dishes ordered, name of waiter
c. Table number, number of waiter, dishes ordered, name of waiter
d. Table number, number of pax, dishes ordered, number of waiter

Thank you for answering the pre-test questions. Please see page or you may click this link
_ _ for the key answer.
 The next section is the content of this unit. It contains vital information of the
topics based on the learning outcomes. Please read the content.

Contents

WELCOMING THE GUEST ON ARRIVAL

Customer satisfaction is the primary goal of any restaurant. The manner of how
service staff welcomes the guest greatly affects restaurants’ sales. Therefore, the food
and beverage service staff should acknowledge the guest with an appropriate greeting
and a smile as soon as they arrives in the restaurant. Guest wants to be treated special
and like to feel they are important. They say “you can get one chance to make first
impression”, thus receptionist should possess a level of competence in welcoming the
customers.

Guidelines in Welcoming and

Greeting the Guest

Acknowledge and greet guest promptly as soon as they arrive.

1
 Guest should be acknowledge within 10 to 30 minutes upon arrival
with an appropriate expression. (ex. “Good morning”, “Good
afternoon”, or “Good evening”)
 Address them by their last name with prefixes like Ms.,Mr.,Sir,
Madam, Dr., (ex. Mr. Cy )
 Project confidence and always maintain an eye to eye contact when
conversing with the guest.

Check details of reservation.

2
 Ask guest if they have a prior reservation or booking. There are two
types of guests – the expected guest/s and walk-in guest/s. Expected
Guests are customers who have table reservation, while walk-in
guests are customers with no reservations.
 If the guest have prior reservation, confirm and check reservation
details including the name of booking, confirm number of guest,
smoking and non-smoking area and special request.
 If the guest has no reservation, check the floor plan to see if they
can be accommodated.
Remember! Greeting guests on arrival and accompanying them to their table to seat them is
known in the industry as ‘greet and seat’. ASEAN (2013)

ESCORTING AND SEATING THE GUEST

According to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (2013) that service staff
should be proactive in assigning the guests to their table and be alert on their special
needs and offer the following:

 Alternative easy access to their table because of

a disability.
 A high chair for infants.
 Warming of a bottle for babies.
 Appropriate food for those with special dietary needs as
indicated in the reservations book.
 Privacy for romantic couples, and business people
 Room on a table to spread out where business looks as if it
is going to be conducted.

Guidelines in Escorting and Seating the Guests

Escort and seat guest according to table allocation and number

1
of party.
 Show guests to their table at a moderate pace that would
be comfortable for the guests to keep up with.
 A couple for table good for two and a table with four seats
to three to four guest.
 Assist guest with their hats, coats, umbrellas or parcels.

Assist guest while being seated.

2
 Pull out one chair to signal the guests that they are free to
claim a seat and sit, and gently push the chair back.
 Seat ladies before gentlemen with the best view; older ladies
before young ladies.

After the guests have been seated, lay napkins if required – from
3
the right-hand side
 Unfold the guest table napkin and re-fold it into a triangular
shape and drape it across the guest’s lap, pointed side
facing away from them.
 Do not forget to say “Excuse me Madam/Sir”, because some
guests will prefer to place their own napkin, so be aware of the
guest’s body language at all times, and certainly don’t force
this service on anyone.
PRESENTING MENUS AND DRINKS

A menu plays an integral role in the food and

beverage services. It creates an impact on all aspects of
food service operation for the following reasons. (Tumbali,
2017)
1. It builds an image of operation in the mind of the guests.
2. It satisfies the needs of the guests.
3. It influences the purchasing decisions.
4. It promotes the products.

Two Main Types of Menus

1. A la carte menu.
 A la carte means ‘from the card/menu’.
 A la carte is the term used for a menu that has individually priced dishes.
These dishes are divided into entrées, salads, mains and desserts.
2. Table d’hote menu.
 ‘Table d’hôte means ‘table of the host’.
 Is a menu that has a set price for a number of courses. All courses are
included in the price and must be paid for by the guests even if they don’t
eat every course.
 A typical set menu may have two to four choices of an entrée, two to four
choices of a main and two choices of a dessert.

Other Types of Menus

 Selective menu includes two or more choices in each menu category, such as
appetizer, entrée or main course, salad, dessert, and beverages.
 Non-selective menu offers no choice of food items.
 Static or fixed menu is used in regular operations of restaurants.
 Single-use menu is planned specially for special events.
 Cycle Menu consists of meals that are rotated at definite time intervals. It could
be weekly or monthly. It is commonly used in school cafeterias.
 Plat du jour (Card of the Day) menu shows the menu of the day. It can be
offered together with the other types of menu.
 California Menu is a menu where all items are available throughout the day. For
example, eggs and bacon which are usually served for breakfast are available in
the evening.
 Children’s Menu is a type of menu that will keep children occupied by providing
them some sort of activity.
  Club Menu consists of short-order items and a few specials. Club members
expect full service for lunch with wider selection for dinners. Service is more
familiar and pricing does not reflect large profit margins.
 Ethnic Menu includes items which reflect a particular geographical area and
may be traditional in terms of designs with translations in English for a wider
audience.

Guidelines in Presenting Menus and Drinks

1 Ensure there are adequate menus for everyone

to read.
Provide menus suitable for the customers. For
2 example you may wish to provide menus in different
languages or a children’s menu as appropriate.
Distribute menus to the guests from their right-hand
3 side.

4 Leave the wine list with the host or place in the centre of the table.
The wine list is often presented after guests have decided what they
5 want to eat, but many establishments present the menu and the
wine list together so that guests can better match their food and wine
combinations.
6 Ask customers if they would like any starters, if applicable and
according to available menu items.
7 Serve any complimentary starters if appropriate.
Point or direct customers to other menus that may be applicable. This
8 can include fixed menus on walls, daily specials or tent card
displays on tables.
You may tell customers you will be back in a minute to discuss the
9 menu.

Source: ASEAN 2013. Trainee Manual in Provide Food and Beverage Services

TAKING FOOD AND BEVERAGE ORDERS

Customers will identify the food and beverage item they desire and the preferred
style of preparation during the ordering process. Checking guest preferences makes an
excellent sense of customer service. ASEAN (2013)
Types of Guest Preferences

1. Food Preferences. It is important to note on the order how the guest wants
their steak cooked.

Degrees of ‘doneness’ of Steaks

Blue - steak is seared on both sides then

served

Rare - steak is served when browned on

both sides, and meat still contains
blood

- steak has less blood than a rare

Medium rare steak, though blood is still just present

Medium to well-done - steak is cooked all the way through,

no sign of blood

Well-done - steak is cooked very well – a little

burnt on the outside and definitely no
sign of blood.

Basic food questions that may need to be asked include:

Do they want a light meal, snack or something

substantial?
What type of food are they looking for?
Is there anything they want to try – local or
international?
 2. Beverage Preferences. Some customers are devoted to a specific brand
of drinks although it does not complement with the food they ordered.

A ‘pour’ brand If the customer simply

sometimes referred to
as a ‘house’ brand. It is
the brand of beverage
that will be poured if
someone doesn’t
specify a brand name.
asks for a ‘Scotch’, then
they haven’t indicated a
preference for one
particular brand, so it
doesn’t matter what
brand you pour them just
so long as it is Scotch. In
these cases the ‘pour
brand’ will be supplied.

A ‘call’ brand is the Instead of just asking

brand ’called out’ by
the customer.
for a Scotch, the
customer would ask for
a specific brand,
perhaps a ‘Dewar’s’ or
‘Chivas Regal’.

Basic beverage questions that may need to be asked include:

Do they want an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink?
Do they want a beverage that they can share with others?
If they want wine, do they prefer red or white? Still or sparkling?
What have they selected in the way of food?
Do they want to try something local?
Are they looking for a new experience or do they want to stick with something they
know they like?

Remember! Do not forget to apologize the guest when the brand of drinks they asked
is unavailable and offer any alternative.
Wine to Complement Food. When complementing food with wine, try to select wines
that will harmonise well with the dishes and their ingredients. General guidelines are:
 Whites with fish, chicken, veal and pork
 Reds with dark meat
 Reds with cheese
 Delicate wines with delicate food
 Full-bodied wines with full-bodied food
 Sweet wines with sweet food
 Champagne can generally go with anything
and with any course.
Basic Food and Wine Combinations

Food Wine
Salads Chenin blanc, verdelho, chardonnay, riesling
Antipasto Chardonnay, rosé
Seafood Semillon, sauvignon blanc, Riesling
Game Cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, chardonnay, semillon
Red Cabernet merlot, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, malbec
meat
Poultry Chardonnay, chenin blanc, Verdelho
Pasta Chardonnay, riesling, shiraz
Cheese Cabernet merlot
platters
Desserts Dessert wines

Specials of the Day. Food and beverage service staff must inform the customers on the
“specials of the day’ that includes the following but not limited to:

 Soup of the day

 Fish of the day
 Roast of day
 The vegetables for the session and how they are cooked
 Any other specials that are available.
Types of Guest Request
 Speed of service. A guest or table may request:
o To be served straight away
o To have a break of X minutes between the service of courses
o To be served and out of the room by a given time

 Variations to menu items to:

o Add or exclude certain ingredients from a dish
o Substitute nominated ingredients in a dish
o Accommodate cultural, religious or dietary/health-related requirements
o Can the pepper crab be served as chilli crab?

 Request for variation to size of serve such as a request for:

o A small serve
o A large serve
o Entrée to be served as a main course
o Main course to be served as an entrée
o Extra serve of nominated items – meat, vegetables

 Request for information

o Are certain dishes fresh or frozen?
o How long will it take to prepare a nominated dish?
o Where does the beef come from?

Methods of Taking Order

1. Manual Ordering System

 The food and beverage service attendant may use a blank paper,
docket, checklist or guest check.
o Guest Check is a form used to record the orders of the guest by
themselves and is presented afterward to the food and beverage
attendant for payment.
o A docket system of order taking contains information to be filled
in, such as date, table number, number of guests, food orders and
signature of the server.
o A docket book can either be triplicate in copies to be distributed to
the kitchen staff, cashier and food service attendant or duplicate
in copies to be distributed both for kitchen staff and cashier only.
 A Sample of Easy To Read Food Docket

Date Time Table Number Server

7/5 7:30 6 6 Mary

Qty Item Cover No

2x Garlic Bread

2x D/F Calamari 1, 3

1X Beef Kebabs 2

2X W-Chicken Salad 4, 5

1X Seafood Basket 1

2X Spaghetti Mar 2, 3

1X Chick-Avocado 6

Electronic Ordering System

The food and beverage service attendant enters the orders in an electronic order pad or a
cash register to transmit the information to the kitchen and print the receipt for
customers’ payment. This process is known as point of sale (POS) system.

Cash register is an electronic equipment that provides a

menu list to make efficient ordering and produce dockets
or receipts quickly.
POS system involves the process of taking orders,
recording data and displaying or printing receipts which is
commonly used in fast-food restaurant.
 Guidelines in Taking Food and Beverage Orders

Be aware of signs given by the guests

1 that they are ready to order - guests
looking around for attention, guests who
have closed their menus, guests looking
anxious.
Ensure all orders are recorded accurately and legibly - make
2 sure that the written order does not omit any important parts of
the order such as how the steak is to be cooked, whether the
main course is to be entrée size or the fact that the main meal is
to be
served with mash potato rather than French fries.
Orders should be taken with minimal disruption and
3 interruption to guests taking the order from the female first.-
there needs to be sensitivity in how the table and the customers are
approached so that they don’t feel they are being pressured or their
private conversations are being listened to.
Recommend or suggest to the customers to assist them with
4 drink and meal selections - even where you have provided
assistance when the menu or drink list was presented, there can
often be a need when it comes to actually taking the order that
guests need extra help or need you to repeat information previously
given.
Service staff should always take the guest’s order from the
5 right – unless there is an obstruction such as a wall that prevents
you standing to the guest’s right-hand side and the guests are
involved in conversation or looking at something between them that
would make it impractical, rude or otherwise difficult to take the
order
Guest should be numbered. The host of the party or table or some
6 other person, as identified by you as being Guest No 1, becomes
number one and the numbering is worked clockwise around the
table allocating every person who orders a number.
Leave adequate space on hand-written food dockets - between
7 the entrées and mains, to clearly define the break in the order.
Note that dessert orders are usually taken after the mains have
been served and cleared away, unless otherwise stipulated
Repeat the order to the guest – this will ensure you have got it
8 right. Always ask for clarification if unsure of a particular order.
LIAISE BETWEEN KITCHEN AND SERVICE AREA
Communication is critical in providing a link between kitchen and service areas.

Information that need to be relayed:

A. From Service Areas to Kitchen
 General food orders
o Table number
o Number of guests (‘pax’)
o Dishes ordered
o Name of waiter – or your name

 Specific guest requests

o Timing requirements for the overall meal, for certain courses, for certain
individuals, for co-ordination of service (with other tables in the same
group and with beverage service, speeches, dancing and other
activities which may be part of the dining experience)
o Dietary/health needs, cultural requirements, religious issues and personal
preferences
 Additional or side orders for the table or individual guests:
o Rice
o Chips
o Salads
 Details of complaints made by guests so kitchen is aware of problems as they
relate to certain foods or dishes
 Requests for additional items such as more bread rolls, butter or extra salad
and/or vegetables
 Questions about how long food for a certain table will be served
 Questions from guests about menu items asking about the commodities used in
dishes.

B. From Kitchen to Service Points

 Advice regarding timing of meals such as delays to service
 Notification regarding availability of food such as “Only two serves of pepper
crab left”, or “The beef has run out”
 Requests for action – “Push the soup” or “Try to sell the red curry”
 Clarification of orders placed to interpret written or verbal orders so kitchen
knows exactly what is required
 Notification certain requests cannot be accommodated
 Requests for certain crockery and cutlery to be returned
  Responses to questions asked by guests.

Staff Involved when Relaying Information

 Chefs and cooks - who can seek clarification of orders and/or ask you to pass
on directions to waiters
 Dishwashing staff - who can ask for nominated (used) crockery and cutlery
to be returned immediately from service to the dishwashing area so they can
be cleaned and re-used or returned to service
 Stillroom staff - who you may need to ask for extra butter, rolls and condiments
 Cleaners - who you may have to ask to perform clean-up duties in the event of a
major spill or a cleaning-related need in, for example, the foyer area/entrance,
the washrooms, or an area of the kitchen
 Food waiters - whose directions and requests you will need to pass on to the
kitchen or relevant others
 Servers – staff who are involved in serving fast food to customers
 Beverage waiters - even though this unit applies directly to ‘food’ it is a
reality that in the workplace you work as part of a team and need to be
prepared to assist any other staff member as required.
 Dining room/restaurant supervisor, manager or owner - this person has
overall control of service and may ask you to undertake certain tasks to
optimise service, prepare for reservations which have been received or enable
service recovery after an incident or problem.

Kindly visit the following online videos, this will give you more insight about the kitchen
and service areas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59JC8al46Pk (‘A food runner’s world: 2 mins 31
seconds)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXFs3Iy4s6Y (‘Chef Kurfürst at HTMi, Culinary
management: 12 mins 53 secs).
 Guidelines in Relaying an Order to the
Kitchen

 Have got their full attention when relaying the order.

The kitchen may require you to say ‘Ordering chef’ or
‘Order in’ when placing the order at the pass
 Point out the special request on the actual docket,
physically locating the written information you have put on
the docket or order. It is standard practice in
establishments using a manual ordering system for
special requests to be circled on the docket to highlight
them
 Verbally describe what is needed clearly and accurately. A response
should be heard from the chef after you have placed the order. If no
response is heard, repeat the order.
 If possible get them to repeat it back to you to verify they have
understood what is required.
 Ensure your special order is understood.

Guidelines in Relaying Information

to Waiting Staff

 Never interrupt a waiter when they are talking to guests

 Never interrupt a waiter when they are taking an order or
serving
 Talk to waiter away from guests so only the waiter can
hear what is said
 Use hand signals if possible to provide short and obvious communications
 Understand when you give information to a waiter there is often a need
for them to give you information and direction as a result
 Keep communication brief but accurate
 Try to give waiters options where possible. For example, if one dish is
unavailable provide them with relevant alternatives (as recommended by
the kitchen) to suggest to guests.
 See the following for examples of waiter’s stations:
http://www.forbesindustries.com/food-beverage-catalog/service-carts-tray-
stands/bussing-carts-and-waiter-stations.html.

Now that you had learned about how to welcome guest and take their food and
beverage orders, kindly do the succeeding learning activities. If you have
questions regarding the activity, you may visit our google class with this code:
If you had poor connectivity, you are given another week to accomplish
the tasks.

Learning Activities

Activity No. 1 (FACT OR BLUFF)

Write FACT if the statement is true and write BLUFF if the statement is false.

1. Walk-in guests are customers who have table reservation, while

expected guests are customers with no reservations.
2. Guests are greeted promptly with a smile upon arrival and address
them using their first name with prefixes like Mr. and Ms.
3. Service staff should be proactive in assigning the guests to their
table and be alert on their special needs like giving high chair for infants.
4. Menus are distributed to the guests from their left-hand side.
5. A ‘pour’ brand is sometimes referred to as a ‘house’ brand.
6. Orders should be taken with minimal disruption and interruption to
guests taking the order from the gentlemen first.
7. Lay napkins from the guest right-hand side.
8. When seating the guest do not forget to pull out one chair to signal to
the guests that they are free to claim a seat and sit.
9. Service staff should always take the guest’s order from the right.
10. Advice regarding timing of meals such as delays to service is one
of the information that should be relayed by the kitchen staff to the service staff.
11. Always repeat guest orders for confirmation after taking their
orders.
12. Special guest request and general food orders are some of the
information that should be relayed from the kitchen to the service areas.
 13. Docket system involves the process of taking orders, recording
data and displaying or printing receipts.
14. In relaying information to waiting staff, keep communication brief
but accurate.
15. Cash register is an electronic equipment that provides a menu list
to make efficient ordering and produce dockets or receipts quickly.

Thank you for completing the first task. If you have not completed the task, or you
have difficulty in accomplishing the activity, please send me a message to our google
class or you may ask clarifications through a text message or phone calls on the
contact number included in your course guide.

And now, you are ready for the second learning activity.

Activity No. 2 (ESSAY)

Write a 100-word essay about how should Food and Beverage Service Attendants
approach guests without reservations during peak hours?

Thank you for completing the second task. If you have not completed the task, or you
have difficulty in accomplishing the activity, please send me a message to our google
class or you may ask clarifications through a text message or phone calls on the
contact number included in your course guide.

And now, you are ready for the third learning activity.
Activity No. 3 (COMPARISON AND CONTRAST)

Interview two Food and Beverage Attendants in different food establishment. Ask
them the procedure on how they welcome guest, take orders and link kitchen and
dining areas. Assess whether the procedures in each food and beverage
attendants is in accordance with the standards you have learn in this unit. Write the
result of your interview depicting its similarities and differences, including your
recommendations.

SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES Recommendation

Thank you for completing the third task. If you have not completed the task,
or you have difficulty in accomplishing the activity, please send me a
message to our google class or you may ask clarifications through a text
message or phone calls on the contact number included in your course
guide.

And now, you are ready for the last learning activity.
Activity No. 4 (WRITING A SCRIPT)

Write your own script following the standard operating procedure in welcoming and
escorting the guest, taking orders and linking kitchen and dining area. Choose only
one among the given situations:

1. A VIP without table reservation and have a dietary requirements.

2. A couple with and infant who have table reservation.
3. A group of young noisy individuals (2 ladies, 1 gentleman) with table
reservation.

_
 Congratulations! You did a great job! You may now take the assessment. If you have
not completed the task, or you have difficulty in accomplishing the activity, please
send me a message to our google class, or you may ask clarifications through a text
message or phone calls on the contact number included in your course guide.

Assessment

Performance Task

Objective: Provide real-life, simulated or video evidence of you demonstrating the

following:

 Welcoming and greeting of the guest.

 Escorting and seating of the guest.
 Taking Food and Beverage service orders.
 Liaising the information to the Kitchen

Role: You are expected to play the role of a Food and Beverage Service Attendant.

Situation: As a food and beverage service attendant, you are expected to give your
excellent service from the moment the guest enters the restaurant until you will
relay guest orders to the kitchen.

Performance: Table Service

Standards: Your output will be evaluated by your instructor using the

checklist/rubrics in Welcoming and Taking Food and Beverage Orders.

Congratulations! You did a great job! If you have not completed the task, or
you have difficulty in accomplishing the activity, please send me a message
to our google class, or you may ask clarifications through a text message or
phone calls on the contact number included in your course guide. You may
write your insights or thoughts about the activity on the space provided found
on the next page.

You had just completed this unit. You are now ready to take Unit 3