CHAPTER 7

STYLE OF SERVICE
 CATEGOR
Y
Broadly we can categorize the service methods in
five types:
A. Table Service
B. Assisted service
C. Self service
D. Single point service
E. Specialized or in site service
 A. Table Service
In this category, the guest enters in the area and is seated. Menu lists are
given or displayed for orders. The orders are been taken by waiter. Then the
service is done using a laid cover on the table.
The following are types of service come under this category:
1) American or Plate Service: The American service is a pre‐plated
service, which means that the food is served into the individual plate in
the kitchen itself and brought to the guest. The kitchen predetermines the
portion and the accompaniments served with the dish.
The food will be served course by course:-
• Appetizer
• Soup
• Main course
• Dessert
2) Russian service: Generally used for banquets that involve table seating for 6- 12
guests. All food fully prepared in kitchen and arranged on serving dishes.
Servers bring food to table and distribute by portion to guests with the help of a
serving gear (fork and spoon). The service always done from the left hand side
of the guest.
3) French Service: It is a very personalized service. Food is brought
from the kitchen in dishes and salvers, which are placed directly on
the table. Or the food is partially cooked brought from the kitchen
on a cart for final cooking. The food is completed in front of the
guest. The plates are kept near the dish and the guests help
themselves.
4) English Service: Known as family service. Main courses plated (but
may be sliver served) with vegetables placed in multi-portion
dishes on tables for customers to help themselves; sauces offered
separately.
5) Gueridon Service: This is a service where a dish comes partially prepared
from the kitchen to be completed in the restaurant by the waiter. The cooking is
done on a gueridon trolley, which is a mobile trolley with a gas cylinder and
burners. The waiter plays a prominent part, as he is required to fillet, carve,
flambé and prepare the food with showmanship.
 B. Assisted Service
In this type of category, the guest enters in the dining area and helps himself
to the food, either from a buffet counter or he may get served partly at table
by waiter and he collects any extras he needs from the counter. Eating may
be done on either at table, standing or in lounge area or banquet hall.
1) Carvey service: Guests will go to the carving counter and cooked meat is
freshly sliced for guests; other parts are collected by the customers from
a buffet.
2) Buffet Service: A self service, where food is displayed on tables.
The guest takes his plate from a stack at the end of each table or
requests the waiter behind the buffet table to serve him. For sit‐
down buffet service, tables are laid with crockery and cutlery as in
a restaurant. The guest may serve himself at the buffet table and
return to eat at the guest table laid out.
 BUFFET SET UP
• There are 5 main ways to set up a buffet for an event. The type can
be formal or informal depending on the décor and concept used.
1. Standard Buffet – This buffet set up is best for 75 guests or
less. It consists of a very simple set up using two 8ft banquet
tables. This set up is a good option when space is limited.
Putting the buffet table on a wall of the room, will help to use
the vent space more efficiently.
 BUFFET SET UP (cont…)
2. Serpentine Buffet – This buffet set up is great option for 100 or more guests.
It allows for guest to utilize both sides of the buffet table at the same time.

3. Chef’s carving station – This

buffet is used for larger
events, but can also be
scaled down and used
anytime. This set up need
two 8ft banquet tables and
one 60” round table for the
carving stations.
 BUFFET SET UP (cont…)
4. Stall Buffet – This buffet set up is great option for 300 to 500 guests at one
time. Every stall will offers different types of food. Suitable for big events such
as festival, open house or wedding.

5. 2 Way Buffet – This buffet set up is

ideal for 100 – 250 guests. Guests
can queue-up at both sides in one
time to take their food.
 C. Self Service

In this type of service, the guest enters in the dinning area, selects his own tray
or from the food counter and carries food by himself to his seating place.
1) Cafeteria Service: This service exists normally in industrial canteens,
colleges, hospitals or hotel cafeterias. To facilitate quick service, the menu
is fixed and is displayed on large boards. Foods are arranged and
displayed on a counter and customer can choose for themselves.
The customer is required to help him
or herself from counter. Counters can
be:
Straight line counter
with payment point at end
 Free-flow - customers
move to
random service points
 Echelon - series of
counters at
the corner to save space
Supermarket - Island
 D. Single Point Service
In this category, the guest orders, pays
for his order and gets served all at a
single point. There may be may not be
any dinning area or seats.
The different types are:

1) Take Away: Customer orders and

is served from single point, at
counter or snack stand; customer
consumes off the premises.
2) Vending: Provision of food service
and beverage service by means of
automatic retailing.
3) Kiosks: Used to provide service for
peak demand or in specific location
(may be open for customers to order
or used for serving the staff only)
4) Food Court: series of different
counters where customers may
either order and eat or buy from a
number of counters and eat in
separate eating area, or take away.
5) Drive-thru: Form of takeaway
where customer drives vehicle past
order, payment and collection
points
6) Fast food: Commonly used
nowadays to describe type of
establishment offering limited range
menu, fast service with dining area,
and takeaway facility
7) Bar: Term used to describe order,
service and payment point and
consumption area in licensed
premises
 E. Specialized Service
In this category the food is taken to where the customer is. Customer is
served at their place.