mrs sippy sequence of service

1. Greet incoming customers

i. Acknowledge all customers that enter Mrs Sippy with a warm smile and greeting. Even if you are
unable to attend to them at that instant in which case advise them that they will be looked after
shortly.

2. Ascertain guests intentions

i. DRINK ONLY
 show guests to courtyard
ii. DINNER ONLY
 Ascertain the total number of guests and organise table, all tables must be completely ready
before guests sit down.
 if dining room is full, fill in waiting list details & suggest a drink in courtyard.

3. Guests are seated in Dining Room/Drinks Order

i. Menus, winelist, cocktail list are placed on the table as guests are seated.
ii. Ask whether the guests would like a drink from the bar to start. If yes, take the order and ask
about water. If not, still ask about water.
iii. Ascertain whether tap water or mineral water is required. If mineral is required, clarify whether
still or sparkling.

4. Drinks order if not taken at Sit Down

i. On return to the table with water, take drinks order. If they are still not ready, return within 5
minutes. When taking a wine order please inform guests of what is not available and what the
designated replacement is (and any specials that may be available).
ii. On return to the table with water/drinks take this moment to draw the guests attention to the food
menu and verbal all specials/out of stock/menu changes to the guests. Explain the menu is
‘designed to share’.

5. Food Order
i. Take the food order, make sure to read back the order to the guests to double check with them
the nature of their order. Make sure you write the order down (as good as your memory may be,
but this avoids dispute should the customer claim they ordered something different).
ii. Ensure Kitchen/Food Runner know of any dietary restrictions/allergies at the table by making a
‘special instruction’ on the POS and also verbally communicate with the kitchen. Keep
communication with the kitchen brief & clear
iii. Enter into POS promptly; check the correct amount of dishes per customers before sending the
docket to the kitchen.
iv. Set the table immediately after the order has been taken with cutlery buckets (with required
cutlery) and share plates if necessary. Remember soup spoons, steak knives, cheese knives,
oyster cutlery.
v. Monitor drinks and wine service.
mrs sippy sequence of service

6. Monitor Food Arrival

i. As the food runner delivers the food, the section waiter must monitor the dishes to ensure they
are correct (take extra care with guests with allergies). All dishes must be announced when
placed.
ii. Check if drinks need to be topped up or replaced.
iii. A courtesy check must carried out within the first few minutes of all the food arriving at the table.
Is the food ok? Do they need anything else? This is where we can resolve issues and shows that
we are attentive, courteous and professional. It also avoids a resolvable issue becoming a
complaint.

7. Table Maintenance

i. Clear the dishes as they are finished from the table to maximise room (especially if there are
more courses to follow). Ask the guest if there is anything you can take away for them.
ii. Keep the table clutter free – remove empty glassware, empty bottles, used napkins, dirty plates.
iii. Clear the table when all guests have finished.
iv. Adjust mise en place for settings - change share plates if necessary or on request.
v. Crumb/clear/wipe tables in between courses
vi. Monitor drinks, keeping topping up of water and wine. If a drink is almost finished, ask if the guest
would like another (this also goes for when an empty glass is cleared).
vii. Clear empty glassware from table and sell more drinks, a change of wine, upsell spirits/wine as
required, know your guest and pick the right moment.
viii. Most importantly, anticipate when the guest will need you back at their table with your
attentiveness

8. Clearing Table
i. All plates and everything relating to savoury courses are cleared – S&P, butter etc
ii. All empty glasses are cleared.
iii. Table is brushed down or ‘crumbed’ in between courses and also as soon as the guests leave.
iv. Desserts are offered. If no for desserts, coffee/tea is offered.
v. When the guests finally leave there should be nothing left on the table other than their water glass
and the last drink they had (this ensures the tables look neat, clear and tidy but also allows for a
quick turnaround and reset of the tables during a busy service).

9. Dessert Menus Offered

i. Verbal any specials/out of stock/menu changes to the table.
ii. Take dessert order and set immediately with cutlery buckets accordingly. Set with share plates if
required.
iii. Offer an appropriate accompaniment to dessert – sweet wine, digestifs, coffee/tea.
iv. Monitor arriving desserts and co ordinate dessert wine/tea/coffee promptly (Repeat Step 6 & 7 but
for the desserts).
mrs sippy sequence of service

10. Final Clear

i. Clear all plates and all items not required. ‘Crumb’ down table again.
ii. At this point the customer will be sub consciously thinking about the bill, the overall experience
and the tip. If you took care to keep the table impeccably presented, particularly at the final clear,
you will maximise both your tip potential and the overall impression of yourself, your colleagues
and the restaurant as a whole.
iii. Review the bill before it is presented at the table.

11. The Bill

i. Be prompt with bill requests. Only present the bill if it has been requested.
ii. Check whether guest has an untransferred Bar Tab.
iii. Some guests may want to retire in the Bar areas post dinner. If they wish to relocate to the bar
area, their restaurant bill MUST be paid before they move. It is your responsibility to ensure this
happens and to avoid ‘losing’ a table.
iv. Accepted payments are:
 CASH - deliver promptly to the cashier. Make mention that you will get them their change
(hoping they may say no change is required as a tip). Otherwise, unless specified by the
guest, always return the change.
 CREDIT CARD (Visa, Mastercard) (AMEX attracts a 2% surcharge) - swipe credit cards and
on both receipts:
o write the TABLE NO. on the top left corner
o write a $ on the top centre if there is cash added to the C/C payment
o if there are multiple C/Cs, write 1/2, 2/2 etc (max of 3 cards per transaction)
 EFTPOS
 NO CHEQUES
 Prepare any cloak room items for when the guests leave.

12. The Conclusion/Finishing

i. After payment it is professional to maintain attentive service until the guests leave.
ii. Always farewell your guests.
iii. When the guests leave there should be nothing left on the table other than their water glass and
the last drink they had (this ensures the tables look neat, clear and tidy but also allows for a quick
turnaround and reset of the tables during a busy service).
iv. Table Maintenance all the way, Anticipating when the guest will need you, Attentiveness,
Speedy bill delivery, Speedy Processing and a Big farewell (these are the memories the
guest will take with them!)

13. Table Reset

i. Wipe and reset table promptly.
ii. Communicate with host for reset requirements.
iii. Check chairs are crumbed. No food/used napkins are under or around tables.
mrs sippy sequence of service

NB: Some guests may have waited a long time for their table, please ensure they are looked after
promptly and with care.