Food Service Methods

Lesson 7
5 Categories of Food Service Methods,
certain factors have to kept in mind:
1. The type of establishment
2. The time available for the meal
3. The turnover of customers expected
4. The cost of a meal served
5. The site of the establishment
Food service methods can be categorized
under the following 5 guest processes:
1. Table Service
2. Self-Service
3. Assisted Service
4. Single Point Service
5. In Situ or Specialized Service (service in full)
1. Table Service

 This type of service provides plated service or silver

service where customers are served at a laid table.
 This type of service is usually found in cafes, restaurants,
and banquets.
2. Self-Service

 The guests are required to help themselves from the buffet

or counter.
 This type of service is common in canteens or cafeterias.
3. Assisted Service

 In this type of service, guests are being served at a table

and are sometimes required to obtain self-service when
getting food from the display or buffet.
 This type of service is typically found in carvery and
catering functions, and is often used in hotels for
breakfast.
4. Single Point Service

 Guests order food or drinks, receive the item, and pay.

 This type of service is usually offered by fast-food
restaurants, licensed bar premises, or vending machines.
5. In Situ or Specialized Service (service in full)

 This type of service is where food ad drinks are taken or

delivered to the customer.
 This type of service can be found in aircraft, trolley
service, tray service in hospitals, home delivery, and room
service.
Table Service- food and beverage are served to the guests
on a laid table in a restaurant that offers table service.
Laid table

 Means a table is set with required dinnerware, flatware,

glassware, and the like to be used while eating.
The different table services can be classified
into the following:
1. American Service/Plated Service
2. English or Silver Service
3. French Service
4. Russian Service
1. American Service/Plated Service

 It is the most prevalent style in restaurants.

 In American or plated service, food is prepared in the
kitchen and presented on a plate to the guest.
Rules in American Service

 Foods are served from the left of the guests moving

counterclockwise.
2. English or Silver Service

 Is also known as service á l’anglaise (“English service”

in French).
 This kind of service is also known as family service in
specialty restaurants where guests spend more time
staying on the premises.
 Foods in this kind of service are not plated but presented
on a platter to the host of approval.
Rules in English or Silver Service

 The guest on the host’s right side is served first, usually a

lady, and the host is served last; the service continuous
clockwise.
3. French Service

 There are two types of service in this kind of service

method:
a. Cart Style Service
b. Banquet Style of Service
a. Cart Style Service

 Foods brought in the dining room are unprepared or

partially prepared and placed on a cart called “gueridon
trolley.”
 Only foods that can be prepared in a short time are
prepared in front of the guest.
Flambé

 Items can be served in a French cart style of service.

 Is a cooking technique wherein an alcoholic liquid is
poured on a food to produce flames.
 b. Banquet Style of Service

 Foods are placed on a heavy platter, put on a gueridon, and brought

from the kitchen to the dining room.
 This kind of service requires two servers.
 Chef de rang, who seats the guests, takes the order, serves the
drink, prepares some of the food, and presents a check for guest
payment.
 Commis de rang- assists the chef de rang in bringing food from the
kitchen to the dining room.
Finger bowls

 Are bowls of warm water with rose petals or lemon slices

in them.
 These are served with all finger foods (such as lobster and
chicken) and at the end of the meal.
Rules in French Service

 Serving and clearing of food are made on the guests’ right

side, except for bread and butter and salad, which are
placed on the left side of the guests.
4. Russian Service

 In this type of service method, courses are served to the

table sequentially.
 The server places a heated plate before each guest from
the left side, going around the table counterclockwise.
Rules in Russian Service

 The service staff stands on the left side of the guest.

 The foods are served counterclockwise around the table,
and then the server returns the unserved food to the
kitchen.
Self-Service- in this kind of service, the guests must pick up their food from the
counter or buffet. This kind of service is usually used in fast-food outlets, canteens,
and cafeterias, where guests bring food from the counter to their tables.
1. Counter

 guests pass through a service counter in a line formation to

select menu items and put them in a tray
2. Free-flow

 guests can move and select foods and drinks to any service
points where food items are presented by dishes in
different counter areas and exit through the payment point
3. Echelon

 it is where a series of counters is positioned in angles to

save space where guests can freely and randomly select
food items and drinks and exit through the payment point
4. Supermarket

 island service points are arranged where guests can select

foods and drinks within a free-flow area and exit through
the payment point
Assisted Service- it is a mixed service method of table service and
self-service. This type of service is most common in functions,
events, banquets, and lounge areas.
1. Carvery

 Guests come to the table where cooked meat is presented.

 The guests may either serve and cut the meat by
themselves or let the chef or server cut it fro them.
 Foods are not served to the guests, the guests get up and
choose their food from the buffet.
2. Buffet

 Comes from a French word that means a “refreshment

table.”
 In English, it refers to “service from a side table.”
 In this kind of service, guests help themselves in selecting
and getting food from the common table. It is considered
more self-service than assisted service.
Types of Buffet

a. Sit-down Buffet- foods are displayed where guests help

themselves, then sit down to have their meals.
b. Stand-up or Fork Buffet- foods served must be easy to
eat and eaten by a fork.
c. Display Buffet or Finger Buffet- guests come to various
buffet service points, select food items, and return to their
tables to consume their meals.
Single Point Service- guests order food or drinks at the counter,
receive the item, and pay. The guests consume their food or
beverages in the premises or take away at a single point.
1. Fast-food

 It is where the guest at a single point orders at the counter,

receives the order, and pays for the ordered food and
drinks.
2. Food Court

 It is where guests select from the numerous counters that

offer different food items.
3. Takeaway

 Guests order, wait, and pay at the counter, then takeaway

the ordered foods and drinks off-premise for consumption.
 Example: drive-throughs.
4. Self-kiosk

 It is where the guest places the order in a point-of-sale

(POS) system and pays at the kiosk.
 It helps to handle orders, service, and payments during
peak hours to prevent long queues.
5. Bar

 Guests can order, receive drinks, and pay at a single point

or counter within the licensed premises, and they are
expected to consume beverages within the premise.
6. Food Stand or Food Booth

 It is where the guests place an order, get service, and pay

at the counter.
 It is a temporary setup located in busy areas to sell food
and beverages to the general public and is usually found in
parks or malls.
7. Vending

 This type of service is prevalent in railways and airport

terminals and other institutions or organizations where
guests can take food and drinks through automatic
retailing.
In Situ or Specialized Service- offered in areas where services
are not primarily designed for food and beverage service. It is where
foods are taken to where guest is.
1. Grillroom Service

 In this type of service, various meats are grilled in front of

the guest.
 Grilled meats, vegetables, and accompaniments are then
served to the seated guest.
2. Tray Service

 In this type of service, foods are pre-portioned and placed

in a tray, and servers bring the tray to the guest’s seat.
 This type of service is expected in hospitals, airlines, and
in some countries with railway catering.
3. Trolley Service

 Cooked or prepared foods are placed in a movable trolley

and presented to the guest.
4. Home Delivery Service

 In this service, prepared and cooked food is delivered to

the guests’ home, workplace, or wherever they want it to
be delivered.
5. Lounge Service

 Can be available in a hotel or any independent place in a

lounge area.
 This type of service can provide breakfast, lunch, snacks,
dinner, and beverages to the guests.
6. In-room Dining Service

 In this type of service, the guest places an order with room

service personnel. Foods are delivered to the guest’s hotel
room.
Types of In-room Dining Service

a. Centralized Room Service- all foods offers delivered are from the
main kitchen of the hotel.
b. Decentralized Room Service- order takers take the guest’s order
from the central point and transfer the order to the respective floor’s
pantry.
c. Mobile Room Service- in this kind of service, one elevator serves
as pantry and is designated only for room service. Guests’ orders are
also taken and prepared in the mobile pantry.