Types of service (seated service)

Words and word combinations

 

Neglect	Нехтувати
Fail	Провалюватись
Frequent	Тут: часто відвідувати
Deliver service	Тут: надавати (послугу)
Availability	Можливість
Fairly	Тут: достатньо
Rolls	Булочки
Lack	Не вистачати
Elaborate	Складний
Chafe	Тут: нагрівати, підігрівати
Mount	Встановлювати
Platter	Дерев’яне блюдо
Tray	Таця
Setting	Місце клієнта
Fold	Згортати навпіл
Edge	Лезо
Ashtray	Попільничка
Season (v)	Приправляти
Proceed	Продовжувати(сь)
Dish (v)	Розкладати по тарілках
Clear (v)	Тут: виконувати дії у певному порядку
Table setup	Тут: сервіровка
Blend	Суміш
Appeal	Тут: подобатися
Dispatch	Тут: виконання
Recipient	Одержувач
Counter service	Обслуговування клієнта, що сидить біля прилавку чи стійки бару
Tray service	Обслуговування, коли усі страви поставлені на тацю, тобто уся їжа подається одразу

 

Service

If all functions in an operation are correctly done, but service is neglected, the establishment will fail. This is because service, more than any other single attribute of a food service operation, is identified by customers as the reason for frequenting a foodservice. The staff meets the customers one on one and delivers the service that customers remember, but management defines what form of service will be used throughout the system: how food is to be served, by whom, and in what manner.

Generally, they divide all service into two large groups: seated service and self one. The type of the service delivered depends on the menu, the desired atmosphere, the availability and skill of workers, and the desired market.

Seated service

Seated service (in some other resources it is known as assisted service) occurs when a guest remains seated throughout the meal. The principle types of seated service used in food service establishments are American, English, French, Russian, banquet, counter, and tray.

American service

An inexpensive and fairly fast form of service is called American. The food is portioned in the kitchen and brought to the guests on plates or dishes, from which the guest eats. To add a bit more finesse to the service, personnel may include the bread and butter plates on the place setting and may serve rolls in a basket or plate covered with a napkin.

The service is simple. All solids are served from the guest’s left with the server’s left hand. Beverages are served from the guest’s right with the right hand. Placemats or tablecloths are used. Simple service makes easier to introduce personnel who lack training in service.

English service

English service is also known as family, host, or holiday service. It is an adaptation of the service found in English country homes. English service differs from other types of service in that the food is served on large platters or in bowls that are placed on the tables for service throughout the meal. Of course, if they become empty, they may be refilled or removed to the kitchen. English service is not used often, but it may be found in clubs and some other types of food services.

 

French service

French service at one time was extremely elaborate. Because of the high cost of labor the service has grown less popular. The equipment used is also expensive: a table-high rolling cart (gueridon) from which food is served; a chafing dish (rechaud) typically mounted on the gueridon and designed to prepare special dishes and keep food warm; and silver platters and trays used to bring food from the kitchen.

The setting for French service is a silence cloth, tablecloth, and a top. The top is another tablecloth, easily removed after a meal and replaced for the next guests. In very formal French service no bread is served, so the plate is not used. A service plate is placed directly in front of the guest and hors d’ouevre plate may be placed on it, and then the folded napkin. To the right of the service plate are the spoons and knives (with cutting edge toward the plate); forks go on the left. Above the service plate there is a dessert fork and a spoon. Wine glasses may be present on the table or placed just before the wine is served.

Coffee is served after dessert. Fresh napkins may be given during the meal or immediately after finger bowls are used. Finger bowls – small containers holding liquid for cleaning the hands – may also be used during the meal, with fresh napkins. It is not considered proper to have ashtrays on the table, since smoking during the meal in French service is disapproved. Salt and pepper-shakers are not on the table either, because the seasoning is supposed to be correct as served. Dining should proceed in a leisurely manner.

Russian service

Russian service differs from French in that all food is dished onto platters or serving dishes in the kitchen and brought to the table for service. Hotels use this service much more than any other for their higher quality service. It is simple, yet elegant. Guests may direct the waiter on the size portions they want. Clearing is the same as for French service. Coffee is served from the right, following dessert, and a finger bowl and fresh napkin are presented to the guest at the close of the meal. Russian service is excellent for banquets, since all foods are the same. The table setup for Russian service may be very much like French service, or it may be unique to the menu offered.

In both French and Russian service, there is a trend toward simpler table settings, with the necessary silver and glassware placed on the table only as needed for each course rather than the entire setting being used.

 

 

Banquet service

Banquet service may be American, French, Russian, or a blend of these. Organization and speed are important, so foods are served at every table at the same time. The service should be based on this need, plus that of giving the quest the feeling of elegance and luxury.

Counter service

Counter service is economical in labor cost, quick, and efficient. It appeals to guests who are in a hurry and will be found in fast-service operations – coffee shops, department stores, and others.

Guests are served at the counter. The menu is presented with a glass of water at the right hand side of the cover. The place setting, known as the cover, may or may not be present. If the cover is not set, it can be set while the guest is deciding what to order. Speed and dispatch are desirable.

Tray service

Tray service is used in health facilities or in places where the food must be delivered. A meals-on-wheels program furnishes such delivery service to elderly people. Some boarding houses and homes also use the service. Hotel room service is a variation of tray service. Food is dished onto plates, placed on trays, and then distributed to recipients.

 

Unit 6

Types of Service (self-service)

Words and word combinations

 

Buffet service	Буфетне обслуговування
Dispense	Тут: роздавати
Silver	Тут: столові прибори (ножі, виделки, тощо)
Military installation	Військова частина
Drive-in service	Обслуговування автомобілістів
Carhop service	Обслуговування в автомобілях
Tacos	Шматочки курятини чи яловичини з чілі та рисом
The tour	Тут: група туристів
Pickled	Маринований
Herring	Оселедець
Gjetost cheese	Норвезький сир з коров’ячого та козячого молока
Tangy	Гострий, різкий (розсіл, маринад)
Congestion	Тут: переповнення (натовп)
Vending service	Продаж їжі з автоматів
Utilize	Використовувати
Patron	Постійний клієнт
Passerby	Перехожий
Convenience service	Обслуговування у магазинах, де пропонуються готові та напівготові страви (напрклад, у кулінаріях)
Accommodate	Тут: задовольняти
Scrambled eggs	Яєчня зі збовтаних яєць

Self-service is called informal service, and it is becoming more popular. The guest often dishes up the food and either eats it in a place provided or takes it elsewhere to eat. Depending on where the food is eaten and the rules of the establishment, guests may or may not return dishes to a central area. The different types of self-service are buffet, cafeteria, drive-in or take-out, and vending.

Buffet service

In buffet service, food is put out for guests to select. Frequently, a long table is provided on which a quantity of food is displayed.

Good merchandising effects are possible by presenting a mass of varied food types in a colorful display. Often cold foods are first and hot foods last.

Many operations today are combining buffet with seated service. Guests are allowed to select cold foods (which are largely salad materials) from a buffet. Then they order the rest they want from a menu.

Many operations today use buffets to get a lot of people served in a short time. Breakfast buffets may range from one in which guests can get only hot beverages, juice, and sweet bread products (continental breakfast) to one in which they can get scrambled eggs and other cooked food (English breakfast). The tour may be catered at the hotel at one time in a separate dining room, using buffet service.

A smorgasbord is a buffet featuring Scandinavian foods, but a true one must have pickled herring, rye bread, and gjetost cheese. A hot entrée may be ordered from a menu. Service personnel serve the entrée after buffet foods are eaten. Russian buffets are used at receptions. These feature hors d”oeuvre foods. Caviar in an ice bowl, rye bread, and butter are typical foods along with many other tangy types.

Often, if a buffet is used to serve the main foods, waiters later pass among seated guests with trays of food and beverages. This helps to reduce congestion at the buffet.

Cafeteria service

Cafeteria service may not be entirely self-service because the food is dispensed to guests, who carry it to a cashier or checker and then to a table where the food is eaten. The most usual system is to pay at the end of cafeteria line.

Normally, guests pick up a tray and their silver and napkin at the start of the cafeteria line. They then select the foods they wish.

Usually, cold foods are first and hot foods last, but this can vary. A menu board plainly indicates the foods available and their price.

Cafeteria service is popular because it reduces labor costs, thus allowing more food to be given for the money. It also is speedy service, and guests can see what they are getting.

Cafeteria service is most frequently used in mass feeding situations, such as at schools and military installations. Today, many large corporations provide in-house cafeteria-style service for their employees, either on the contract basis with an outside foodservice operator or trough their own foodservice department.