Front of the House:
The term, “front of the house,” refers to all actions and
areas that a customer will be exposed to during their stay at a restaurant.
Entry- The most
critical moment toward creating a great first impression for your customers is
when they first walk through your front door. The entryway should capture the
theme and feel of your restaurant and create a natural flow leading to other
areas. Don’t forget about the outdoor appearance as well! Outdoor restaurant signs will help capture attention and increase traffic
Waiting Area-
Having too many customers at one time can sometimes lead to negative
experiences for customers. In order to alleviate this, waiting areas should
provide as much comfort as possible to customers while they wait to be seated.
Chairs andbenches can
be placed to give patrons somewhere to sit, as well as extra menus nearby so
customers have something to do while waiting. It’s also smart to display boards
or flyers within the waiting area to promote specials or events, such as happy
hours, unique menu items, or tastings.
Restrooms- Most guests who visit a restaurant will end up using the
bathroom at one point during their visit, especially if they have children,
which is why it’s important to not overlook this small area. Cleanliness should
always be the most important priority here, but modern fixtures and tile can
dramatically dress these small spaces up with just a few touches.
Bar- If your restaurant
plans to serve alcohol, make sure your bar is as inviting as your main dining
area. It should feel welcoming, and be functional enough for customers to eat
at, but also allow waiters to pick up their drink orders.
Dining
Room-
The main part of a restaurant where the customer will spend the most time is
the dining room, and also where many front of house employees will work during
their shifts. Dining rooms can be laid out and organized however you’d like to
suit your restaurant’s concept, but there should be a natural flow from room to
room. Servers should be able to maneuver freely, and customers should be able
to access their seats and table with enough space to feel comfortable.
Outdoor Seating-
Deck and patio tables and seating should also flow seamlessly from the
dining area to the outdoors, giving guests a different atmosphere to take
advantage of while visiting your business.
Back
of House:
The
term, “back of the house,” encompasses all the behind-the-scenes areas that
customers will not see. This acts as the central command center in a restaurant
because it’s where the food is prepared, cooked, and plated before making its
way to the customer’s table. The back of house also serves as a place for
employees and managers to do administrative work.
Kitchen- The kitchen is usually the largest part of any back of
house and can be divided into smaller sections, such as areas for food storage,
food preparation, cooking lines, holding areas, and dish washing and sanitation
areas.
Employee Area- Break rooms and employee bathrooms give employees
somewhere to place their belongings, take breaks while on shifts, and look over
work schedules and notes from managers.
Office- Managers should have a small area in which they can do
administrative work that is away from the hustle-and-bustle of the kitchen or
dining room.
Roles in a Restaurant
Both
Front and Back of House:
These
roles are responsible for overlooking the entire restaurant, not just the front
or back of house.
Restaurant
Owner-
Person(s) who legally own the business. There can be multiple owners, silent
partners, and unique business arrangements dividing up ownership of the
restaurant. In most circumstances the owner is responsible for maintaining and
running the restaurant’s finances, public relations, advertising and marketing
strategies. They usually are the ones who need to smooth out any big conflicts
that arise since they are the head of command. Owners also develop ways to
reach new customers and maintain current ones
General
Manager-
The eyes and ears of a restaurant. This person usually manages the business for
the owner, and organizes the finances, payroll, human resources, inventory, and
ordering.
Assistant
Manager/Supervisors-
Hires and trains employees, creates schedules, and is responsible for all
opening and closing procedures of the restaurant.
Front
of House:
Providing
a customer with a great experience and making them want to come back is the
main goal for front of the house employees. They act as liaisons between guests
and the kitchen, and have many job titles and functions.
Host/Hostess- Works directly near
the entry way and greets customers as they enter and leave. They also take
reservations, answer phones, show customers to their seats, and provide menus
to guests.
Headwaiter/Captain- Manages wait staff
and the overall management of service, is usually responsible for multiple
servers in a particular section of the restaurant.
Server- Takes customers’
orders, is knowledgeable of the menu and makes suggestions to customers,
interacts with kitchen staff, prepares checks, and collects payment.
Food
Runners-
Delivers food to the guests’ tables from the kitchen
Bartender - Responsible for making all drink
orders taken from servers or directly from guests. They pour beer and wine,
create mixed drinks, and serve other beverages like soft drinks.
Bar-Backs- Assistant to the
bartender, stocks inventory and helps make drinks
Sommeliers - In more formal restaurants,
Sommeliers are wine specialists who are knowledgeable in all aspects of wine.
Busser- Fills customers’
water glasses, takes away any dirty dishes remaining, brings bread and butter
to the table, and prepares table for new customers
Back
of House:
Roles
for employees in the back of house usually have a strict hierarchy in which
each person has a specific job to fill and chain of command to follow.
Executive Chef/Head Chef- The most senior member of the kitchen staff, makes the big
decisions, does hiring and firing, supervises kitchen staff, creates menu and
specials, orders food, determines costs, and takes care of administrative
tasks.
Sous Chef-
Receives orders directly from the Head Chef, oversees everything so plates come
out perfect, often works in opposite shifts of the Head Chef, and supervises
line cooks.
Line Cooks-
Employees who have specific responsibilities and focus on one area where they
have expertise. Line cooks work at different stations along the kitchen line
and can be divided up by cooking type or food type, such as fry cook, grill
cook, salad cook, pastry chef, etc.
Expeditor- Non-cooking role,
person in charge of organizing orders by table so everyone sitting at a
particular table is served at the same time. They should know what dishes need
to look like before they are served.
Dishwasher- Responsible for all
dishwashing equipment, cleaning tablewares, and maintaining dishes and other
supplies in the kitchen.
Common Terminology from the Front and Back of House:
- 86- When the kitchen runs out of
ingredients to make a specific dish and can no longer serve it, the dish
is “86”.
- In the weeds- When the kitchen is
extremely busy and are having a hard time keeping up with orders
- On the Fly- When something has to be
cooked last minute
- Sections- Restaurant dining rooms are
divided into sections, and each section is maintained by a certain server
- Turnover Rate- The rate of how often a
table is filled during a shift. High turnover rates are desired since it
means more people have been served and gone, and are not waiting long
periods of time to be served.
- Rollup- Silverware
that is placed into a napkin and is rolled up
- Window- A shelf ,
heated by food lamps that keep plates warm while waiting
to be delivered to tables.
- Sidework- Tasks performed by front of
house staff including rolling up silverware , refilling condiments,
cleaning off menus, and cleaning restrooms .
- Campers- Customers that do not leave their
tables, even after being served and paying their check
- Brigade System- Kitchen hierarchy
organization system that was created so each staff position has a station
of specific responsibilities .
- Comp- To give something for free as a way
to smooth over problems.
- Word of Mouth- The
best form of publicity and can occur when customers tell other people
about their experiences at a restaurant, whether they may be good or bad
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