MERION DINING WORKFLOW

Server

Objectives The Server is the liaison between the guests and the Chef. As such, the Server’s responsibilities include:

1. MAINTAINING A PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE AND HOSPITABLE DECORUM

• Look good. Stay clean.

• Be respectful and congenial to everyone—guests and co-workers.

• Hospitality = making people feel safe, welcome and taken care of.

• Proper server decorum = Casually Formal / Formally Casual.

2. DEVELOPING A DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF THE MENU

• MEMORIZE THE MENU and the specials, including the prices. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Lounge (including alcoholic beverages).

• PRACTICE describing menu selections with co-workers—like actors running lines with each other before a show.

• LISTEN! Make sure you understand what is being communicated to you.

• SPEAK CLEARLY. Make sure others understand what you are communicating to them.

3. MANAGING ASSIGNED SECTIONS AND STATIONS

• YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF THE TABLES IN YOUR SECTION! That means you are responsible for taking the orders from those tables and entering them into the POS. Do not take orders from tables outside of your section unless directed to do so by a supervisor.

• CHECK YOUR STATION before the service, making sure everything is clean and in place.

• GREET TABLES in the order in which they arrive. Wait for guests to be seated before greeting them. Make sure they have water and menus. Sometimes a hostess or busser does this, but not always.

• SELL THE SPECIALS. If they don't want the specials, recommend other menu items based on their mood and taste.

• WRITE DOWN ORDERS before punching them into the POS. It becomes all too easy to forget order details when busy. Plus, it is important to SPEND AS LITTLE PAGE ��� OF ��� 1 2

MERION DINING WORKFLOW

TIME AS POSSIBLE IN FRONT OF THE POS, so that other servers can use it without getting behind in their workflow.

• WHEN SPECIALS ARE ORDERED, wait until soup is almost finished before sending the next course through the POS. If soup is not ordered, go ahead and enter the next course right away.

• IF AN APPETIZER (OR SMALL SALAD) IS ORDERED along with a special, then the protocol is the same as with soup. Send the appetizer through the POS first. Wait until the appetizer is almost finished before sending the next course through the POS.

• IF AN A LA CARTE ITEM IS ORDERED (any entree other than a special), then try to time sending the order so that it will arrive soon after the appetizer is finished. We want to avoid, as much as possible, the entree arriving before the appetizer is finished.

• REMOVE MENUS FROM TABLE after orders are taken!

• Generally speaking, COMPLETE ONE TABLE’S ORDERS BEFORE TAKING ANOTHER’S. In other words, take all the orders from one table AND get them into the POS BEFORE taking another table’s orders.

Other Duties • HELP EACH OTHER. We are a team. If you aren't busy, help someone who is.

• TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. If something needs to be done, make sure it gets done.

• RESET YOUR SECTION so that it is completely ready for the next service.

• ALWAYS BE DOING SOMETHING. Things to do when you can’t think of anything else to do:

✦ Polish silver and glassware on tables.

✦ Refill sugars and salt-n-pepper shakers.

✦ Sweep (or wipe) table bases.

✦ Wipe chairs. Make sure they are properly aligned.

✦ Vacuum or swiffer carpet.

✦ Clean and organize the servers’ station.

✦ Wipe doors, doorjambs, picture frames, molding, baseboards, etc.

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