There are many queries that come to us in reference to the type of table service and staff that our clients would need to organize their events since there are still many who are not clear which of the ways to attend a table is the one they would need in relation to their needs and the type of personnel required. So we will try to give some clarity on this issue.
There are several ways to attend diners during an event, depending on whether it is formal, informal, more private or massive so we will break down each type of service to have it a little clearer:
American service
It consists in taking to the table the plated food in its corresponding plate from the kitchen or room. It will be served on the right and with the logo of the dish in front of the diner. It will be performed by the waiter dedicated to serving the table and it is not necessary to be highly qualified as it does not have to interact much with the diner, it is almost limited to serving. It can be used for lunch or dinner depending on the time of the event. This type of service has the advantages of:
- Be quick, easy to serve and very efficient: It must be done in a coordinated way both by the waiters and the kitchen staff as it could happen that the food arrived cold at the table, also must reach all diners almost at once. It should also be removed at the same time and from the left side
- When arriving the food emplatada to the table in a proportionate ration produces less waste of food since the portions are served in kitchen in a measured way.
- It is very required in events with many diners for its speed and efficiency. It can also be adapted to both informal and formal events, required of some protocol.
This type of service requires less staff in the room, since it comes all plated although it will need a reinforcement of personnel in kitchen. If there are many diners you will need the figure of the Head of room being responsible who will be giving the guidelines at all times. - The American service does not require a highly qualified staff, since interaction with the diner is minimal.
Some of its disadvantages are:
- Lack of coordination. There must be a perfect harmony between the waiters and the kitchen staff so that everything is used at the same time and removed to the room at the same time because it could cool the food in addition to taking into account that all diners should eat at the same time.
- More informal. Despite being widely used this method for its speed is considered less formal or elegant, less protocol.
- The food preferences of diners are limited: In the event that a diner needs the need to change dishes this will disturb the service because you have to go back to kitchen and order change of dishes to go back to room which will do quickly and discreetly.
At all this drinks will be served in advance, will be on the table merely necessary utensils and if any requirement is needed will be solved as quickly as possible to not alter the rhythm of the room.
English service
In the English service the way to proceed changes. The waiter will take the food to the table in a tray with capacity of about 10-12 plates and will serve the diner from the left side with some tweezers or spoon and fork as a clamp to each guest with dexterity and agility. It will start with the host and continue on the left. It is very popular to use this type of service in events of many diners for its speed, effectiveness and order. This service has such advantages are:
- Fast and effective: The waiters when carrying the trays can quickly serve the diners, will serve in the center of the dish the main food and the side garnish. Care should be taken if there are sauces or liquid foods so that they do not spill.
- Like the diner: because it sees directly what the waiter serves on the plate and there is more interaction.
- Faster in kitchen: since they only have to serve the trays to send to room, this implies the need not to reinforce the staff for plating in the kitchen since they serve it directly the waiters.
Some of the disadvantages are:
- More staff cost: More staff will be needed for the attention of the room since the waiters must serve quickly and efficiently diners.
- Specialized personnel. – More trained and trained personnel will be required since they will have to serve properly and interact in some way with them.
- Dexterity and effectiveness. – The waiters must serve with dexterity, agility and speed the food from the trays while being careful not to burn or stain the diners. Serve on the left with the tray in the left hand and with the tongs in the right hand.
- You do not choose the food: the diner should settle for what is served on the plate, you will not be able to choose.
All dishes will be removed at the same time and from the right starting from the host.
Russian service
Or also called Gueridon Service, it is a service form more technical and formal, usually used in table of few diners and accommodates very well to celebrate something special. It is characterized because the preparation and emplatado is made directly in front of the diners by the chef or cook in charge. It is made on an auxiliary table, light and easy to move, which is placed in front of the table of the diners so they can see it well. They incorporate wheels for easy handling, called gueridon, which are equipped with everything necessary, such as stoves, utensils, plates, trays, glasses and usually decorated; in it the chef prepares, short, short, flambé and feather the food chosen by diners. Some of the advantages of the Russian service:
- Attention to the guest. The interaction with the diners is very direct, as everything will be prepared in front of them so you can communicate directly to the chef your preferences when preparing the menu.
- Plating. It will be served one by one to each guest, from the right, this will be done by a cook or the Chief of room. Everyone can choose the amount of food they want and their preferences.
- Staff. When performing the technique directly by the chef no additional staff is needed, only when removing the dishes and picking up the table.
- Show. When held directly in front of the diners will enjoy the whole process.
Some disadvantages are as follows:
- Qualified personnel. The preparation of the whole process will require a highly qualified staff to be able to properly attend to all the details since if any mistake is made it would be seen by diners.
- Time: As it is done at the same time it will take a little longer since the diners will have to wait for everything to be ready.
In this case it is the diners who set the tone to be few and be with them directly the Chef or Chef Room. All this will be accompanied by a table well decorated with tools and flowers.
French service
This service is more formal, elegant and expensive. It will be used in highly formal and honorary guest events. The technique is that the waiter takes on a tray the dishes to serve and will be the diner himself who is served to taste. It will be done simultaneously, that is, all diners will be served at the same time. It will be served starting with the diner of more rank and successively, it will be done by the left and it will be removed by the right. When used in a formal and formal event the table will also be presented and adorned in a luxurious way with both tableware and ornaments. It will always be taken into account that the flowers and other objects used to decorate the table should never be higher than the chin so that they do not inconvenience the diners when talking or even the table is seen overloaded. Drinks, bread, sauces will bserved by the waiter previously. Some of the advantages of the French service are:
- Formality and protocol. Being a form of formal and elegant service will be used in very protocol events, at the table you can put a card to indicate to diners where they have to sit. These will also be arranged in a formal manner and labeled previously indicated by the protocol.
- Exclusivity. In this case each guest will have at their service a waiter to serve you what gives you a range of exclusivity. Sometimes you can put a waiter for 3 or 4 diners to not lose the status of personalized attention.
- Order of service: It will be in charge of the Chief of the Room that marks the times for the attention of the table. In this case you will start serving by the highest ranking lady and continue to the left ending by host.
- Uniformity: Being a form of protocol service the waiters will be dressed in elegant uniform and white gloves will arrive to serve.
- Qualified personnel: To perform this service that requires protocol, formality and order will need highly qualified personnel, trained not only in table service but also in rules of protocol and etiquette.
Some of its disadvantages are:
- Staff: Being a personalized service will require a large number of staff to attend the table and not lose is state of service excellence.
- Qualified staff: It will be necessary to have a skilled staff when handling trays, as they are heavy and must walk between diners. They should be careful not to burn any diners because they are hot. They should also have knowledge of protocol and etiquette.
- Slow. As the diners are those who serve themselves could be that the service was a little slower.
- Space. A larger number of staff will require ample space for staff to flow.
Keep in mind that the room should never be without staff, even if you are picking up the table, going and coming to the kitchen to take the trays, there will always be staff in the room pending what any diner may need or set the guidelines in the
Buffet service
It is another way of table service, is to present the food in trays properly classified on a table where diners can serve themselves or a waiter can do so can be classified buffet, depending on the type of event taking place, informal or formal.
Informal: The food will be displayed in trays on some exhibitors or tables and classified by salty or sweet starters, salads, hot dishes, sauces, desserts drinks, with option to vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian or others. The tables, depending on the number of diners and space of the enclosure or room can be placed in individual tables classified or in elongated table in order of emplatado. Each tray will have its own serving utensil. If the table is lengthened will take the order from left to right for diners when serving themselves so that there is no disorder and everyone can do it in an orderly and simple way. Then each diner will sit at the table you want to enjoy the meal as opposed to eating standing up that would be a lunch. There will always be a waiter looking for food sources because you will have to fill as it is finished or in case any diner needed something. Some of the many advantages would be:
- Staff. For this type of self-service and informal service will require little staff, since the functions of serving make the diners themselves therefore there will be so much cost in staff.
- Staff training: In this service the staff interacts minimally with the diners as they serve and feel as they want. Nor will highly qualified personnel be required since it is a less formal Service and the food is prepared beforehand and would not be necessary to be trained in label or protocol although it can not be forgotten that it will always be performed professionally, Effective and always accompanying the diner if you need any requirement.
- Fast. It is an option of service increasingly resorted in informal celebrations, even corporate and family events, it is easy to attend since the guests at the time to eat only have to be served.
- Flexibility of time: This type of service is widely used in celebrations that last many hours which will allow diners to eat when they want and what they want since the food to be in display case will always be available.
- Social interaction. It is ideal for diners to interact with each other because being able to move freely facilitates communication between them and interpersonal relationships.
- Variety of food: In this type of service there will always be dishes of all tastes so diners will always have.
Some drawbacks would be:
- Disorder: In this case there could be a sense of disorder when there are many diners and they are at the same time taking food.
- Hygiene: Sometimes diners do not maintain the rules of care with food, mixing the same cutlery to serve in different meals altering hygiene and good manners at the table.
- Food: Many are the occasions where diners are served more food than they can eat leaving it on the plate which causes more food waste.
Formal: It would be the same way but when serving would always a waiter, diners would tell the waiter that they want to eat and they would serve it, sometimes prepare meals like pizzas, hamburgers, grilled meat or others at the same time and with the ingredients that the diner chooses.
Some of the advantages would be:
- Order and cleanliness: In this way the cleaning of the trays in the cabinets is better maintained since they do not mix serving utensils between different meals or sauces and does it directly to the waiter or cook who serves him.
- Ingredients: sometimes they prepare at the moment fast food with the ingredients chosen by the diners as pizza, hamburger even the grilled meat which makes the diners eat what they prepare to their taste.
In this almost has no disadvantages, the waiters should be more qualified as they have to know all the ingredients and ways to prepare the food that is exposed.e choice for their culinary tastes.
If you need staff to cover any of these positions at your event or restaurant, do not hesitate to contact us.
