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FOOD & BEVERAGE

SERVICES NCII
Learning Module
Preparing the Dining Room/
Restaurant Area for Service
Module Title

Unit of Competency
COC1- Prepare the Dining Room/Restaurant Area for Service

Sector
TOURISM

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES NCII

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 320 Hours
Contents of this Learning Module

No. Unit of Competency Module Title Code

1 Prepare the Dining Preparing the dining TRS512387

Room/Restaurant Area for room/restaurant area for
Service service

2 Welcome guests and take food and Welcoming guests and take food TRS512388
beverage orders and beverage orders

3 Promote food and beverages Promoting food and beverages TRS512389

products products

4 Provide food and beverage services Providing food and beverage TRS512390
to guests services to guests

5 Provide room service Providing room service TRS512391

6 Receive and handle guests concerns Receiving and handle guests TRS512392
concerns

CURRICULUM
CONNECTION

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 Welcome to the module in FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES NCII
QUALIFICATION. This module contains training materials and activities for you to complete.
The unit of competency “Prepare the Dining Room/Restaurant area for Service” contains
knowledge, skills and attitude required for TRAINEES.
You are required to go through, a series of learning activities in order to complete each
learning outcome of the module. In each learning outcome are Information Sheet, Self-Checks,
Task Sheets and Job Sheets. Then follow these activities on your own. If you have questions, don’t
hesitate to ask your facilitator for assistance.
The goal of this course is the development of practical skills in supervising work-based
training. Tools in planning, monitoring and evaluation of work-based training shall be prepared
during the workshop to support in the implementation of the training program.
This module is prepared to help you achieve the required competency, in “FOOD AND
BEVERAGE SERVICES NCII”.
This will be the source of information for you to acquire knowledge and skills in this
particular competency independently and at your own pace, with minimum supervision or help from
your facilitator.

Remember to:
 Work through all the information and complete the activities in each section.
 Read information sheets and complete the self-check. Answer keys are included in this
package to allow immediate feedback. Answering the self-check will help you acquire the
knowledge content of this competency.
 Perform the task sheets and job sheets until you are confident that your output conforms to the
performance criteria checklist that follows the sheets.
 Submit outputs of the task sheets and job sheets to your facilitator for evaluation and
recording in the Accomplishment Chart. Outputs shall serve as your portfolio during the
institutional competency evaluation.

A certificate of achievement will be awarded to you after passing the evaluation. You must pass
the institutional competency evaluation for this competency before moving to another competency.

LIAISE BETWEEN KITCHEN AND SERVICE AREAS

Relay information in a clear and concise manner using appropriate communication techniques

Introduction

Communication is critical in providing a link

between kitchen and service areas.
This section provides the context for providing a link
between kitchen and service areas gives examples of
information which may need to be relayed, identifies
the staff that may be involved and presents
appropriate communication techniques.

Unit context

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This unit deals with the skills and knowledge required to provide a link between kitchen and service
area in a range of settings within the hotel industry workplace context.
A person studying this unit will provide general assistance in food operations where the staff who take
orders are supported by others who deliver the food to, and collect used items from, food service
points.
The unit addresses the work of a ‘bus boy’ or ‘food runner’ in an establishment.

Information to be relayed

Information from services areas to kitchen

Information which may need to be relayed from waiting staff to the kitchen
can include:
 General food orders – as given by guests to waiters. The
information may include:
 Table number
 Number of guests (‘pax’)
 Dishes ordered
 Name of waiter – or your name

 Specific guest requests for general orders which can relate to:
 Timing requirements for the overall meal, for certain
courses, for certain individuals, for co-ordination of service
(with other tables in the same group and with beverage
service, speeches, dancing and other activities which may
be part of the dining experience)
 Special requests as they to dietary/health needs, cultural
requirements, religious issues and personal preferences

 Additional or side orders for the table or individual guests:

 Rice
 Chips
 Salads

 Details of complaints made by guests so kitchen is aware of problems as they relate to certain
foods or dishes
 Requests for additional items such as more bread rolls, butter or extra salad and/or vegetables
 Questions about how long food for a certain table will be
 Questions from guests about menu items asking about the commodities used in dishes.

Information from kitchen to service points

Information which may need to be relayed from chefs/cooks can include:
 Advice regarding timing of meals such as delays to service
 Notification regarding availability of food such as “Only two
serves of pepper crab left”, or “The beef has run out”
 Requests for action – “Push the soup” or “Try to sell the red
curry”
 Clarification of orders placed to interpret written or verbal orders
so kitchen knows exactly what is required
 Notification certain requests cannot be accommodated
 Requests for certain crockery and cutlery to be returned

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  Responses to questions asked by guests.

Staff involved

When relaying information and liaising between kitchen and service areas
you will need to interact with:
 Chefs and cooks who can seek clarification of orders and/or ask
you to pass on directions to waiters
 Dishwashing staff who can ask for nominated (used) crockery
and cutlery to be returned immediately from service to the
dishwashing area so they can be cleaned and re-used or returned
to service
 Stillroom staff who you may need to ask for extra butter, rolls
and condiments
 Cleaners who you may have to ask to perform clean-up duties in
the event of a major spill or a cleaning-related need in, for
example, the foyer area/entrance, the washrooms, or an area of
the kitchen
 Food waiters whose directions and requests you will need to pass on to the kitchen or relevant
others
 Servers – staff who are involved in serving fast food to customers
 Beverage waiters. Even though this unit applies directly to ‘food’ it
is a reality that in the workplace you work as part of a team and
need to be prepared to assist any other staff member as required.

For example, you may pass on requests or information from drink

waiters to the bar, and work with bar attendants to facilitate drink
service where necessary
 Dining room/restaurant supervisor, manager or owner. This person
has overall control of service and may ask you to undertake certain
tasks to optimise service, prepare for reservations which have been
received or enable service recovery after an incident or problem.

Appropriate communication techniques

The following are techniques which you can use to help ensure proper and
effective communication occurs when relaying information:
 Using the most appropriate method of communication. This is
usually ‘verbal’ in a face to face setting (the telephone may also be
used in some cases as a better option) but may be sign language or a
hand-written note or food order
 Writing clearly. When producing written communication make sure
it is clear enough for others to read and interpret
 Using open and closed questions to gain required information about
the topics being talked about
 Paying attention and concentrating on what others are saying
 Never interrupting the other person and instead allowing them to finish what they are saying
 Asking questions to clarify information and directions you are unsure
of
 Not trying to guess what the other person will say or infer what they
will say based on their first few words.

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  Repeating back what they have told you to verify understanding of what has been said
 Speaking slowly and clearly but naturally
 Being concise. This means giving only the required information and avoiding unnecessary
words and unnecessary information
 Using appropriate language. This can mean using simple words, choosing your words
carefully and avoiding complexity in the words used and the phrasing. When communicating
with other staff this can mean using industry and venue-specific terminology and/or
abbreviations.

Tips on relaying an order to the kitchen

When delivering an order from wait staff or servers to the kitchen, details about any special orders
must be passed on to the appropriate person quickly and unambiguously.
You need to bear in mind the person you will be speaking to will have more staff than you to deal
with. You are likely to be just one of many. For this reason you have to take the time and make the
effort to get your message across correctly, first time, every time.
To achieve this you need to make sure you:
 Have got their full attention when relaying the order.
The kitchen may require you to say ‘Ordering chef’ or
‘Order in’ when placing the order at the pass
 Point out the special request on the actual docket,
physically locating the written information you have put
on the docket or order. It is standard practice in
establishments using a manual ordering system for
special requests to be circled on the docket to highlight
them
 Verbally describe what is needed clearly and accurately. A response should be heard from the
chef after you have placed the order. If no response is heard, repeat the order.
If possible get them to repeat it back to you to verify they have understood what is required.
While you need to ensure your special order is understood, you must be sensitive to the other things
going on in the kitchen or at the pass. It may pay you to delay for 30 seconds or a minute while the
kitchen person clears some meals which are ready, helps with plating a large order, or remedies an
immediate problem.

Tips on relaying information to waiting staff

Generally the following should be observed when providing information to
wait staff:
 Never interrupt a waiter when they are talking to guests
 Never interrupt a waiter when they are taking an order or serving
 Talk to waiter away from guests so only the waiter can hear what is
said
 Use hand signals if possible to provide short and obvious
communications
 Understand when you give information to a waiter there is often a
need for them to give you information and direction as a result
 Keep communication brief but accurate
 Try to give waiters options where possible. For example, if one dish is unavailable provide
them with relevant alternatives (as recommended by the kitchen) to suggest to guests.

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Monitor and attend kitchen service points to ensure prompt pick up of food

Introduction

In order to ensure prompt service of food you must monitor the kitchen and be ready to pick plated
food up when it is ready and take it to the wait staff or food service points.
This section discusses what is involved in this most important part of your job.

Monitoring and attending duties and activities

Monitoring and attending kitchen service points are your primary duties with tasks which may
comprise:
 Collecting meals from the service point and
delivering them to the service area or wait staff
 Clearing away food service items from service areas
and returning them to the kitchen, dishwashing area
and/or stillroom or larder
 Cleaning food service areas to maintain appearances
and safety (picking up spilled food and beverages)
 Maintaining food service areas to ensure all
requirements for service (food and non-food items)
are kept supplied
 Performing any ‘one-off’ food-related duties as trade, staff shortages, demand and requests
from wait staff dictate. This may include:
 Obtaining foodstuffs from the cool room, freezer or dry store as required by
kitchen staff or wait staff
 Dishwashing including the scraping, cleaning and storing of crockery and
cutlery
 Performing very basic food preparation duties such as, for example, washing
fruit and vegetables, peeling fruit and vegetables, opening cartons, preparing
basic salads, chopping and slicing food, preparing butters
 Setting up plates and trays which may include adding vegetables to plates,
placing garnishes on menu items, adding sauces to foods, preparing trays and
requirements for gueridon cookery
 Watching what is going on at these points and being ready to take action when required to
address identified ‘situations arising’
 Being available for other colleagues so you can provide them with assistance when needed
 Being alert to the on-going potential to use your initiative to prevent a potential problem
developing into an actual problem
 Remaining as a visible presence in the area so colleagues and guests can contact you, talk to
you, give you instructions or ask for help
 Paying extra attention to the kitchen when you have placed an order so you are ready to
transfer the food from there to the required service point.

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Being called for pick-up
Individual venues or kitchens will have their own method of calling you to
collect food which is ready for service.
Options include:
 Ringing a bell which simply indicates something is ready for collection
but does not indicate who the food is for, or what the dishes are
 Calling out your name – such as “Daniel – take away” (meaning Daniel
is needed to collect dishes for service)
 Calling out a table number – “Take away table 11” (meaning food for
table 11 is ready for collection)
 Calling out both a name and a table number – “Daniel, take away table
11”.

Important point
Never, ever take a dish unless and until specifically directed to do so by whoever is running the pass.
Just because a dish you have ordered is ready for service does not mean it is your dish. It could be for
another table and if you take it you will cause confusion and service disruption for your table and to
the table the dish was originally intended for.

The need for prompt pick up of food

It is important for you to pick up food as quickly as possible after it has been
plated and is ready for service for the following reasons:
 Prompt collection of dishes enables the quicker service of food to
guests and most guests do not want to be kept waiting for their food
 Quick service enhances the guest service or dining experience which
encourages them to return for another meal, and to recommend the
venue to their friends, families and others
 Removal of food from the pass creates space for the next order to be
processed, thereby speeding up general service across the kitchen
 Prompt collection of the food optimises the likelihood food will be
served at its best, for example:
 Hot food will be served hot and not allowed to cool down
 Cold food will be served cold and not allowed to warm up
 Frozen foods will be served in a frozen state and not permitted to melt
 The appearance of dishes only decreases the longer it sits and waits to be served. Eye
appeal of dishes is critical because guests will always see the food before they taste it
and they will start forming impressions about what it will taste like from the moment
they see the item
 Taste of food items is potentially compromised by long delays in service
 Immediate collection of food when it facilitates integration of food service with wine and
beverage service which again enhances guest satisfaction and dining experience
 There is an increased chance food may become contaminated the longer it sits at the pass
waiting to be collected.

Service points/areas

Depending on the venue where you work you may be required to provide service-related monitoring
and responses to the following areas.

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Note: not all venues will have all of the following areas. The list is provided to give you an
understanding of the potential for you to service.

Kitchen service areas

You need to be aware of two main service or dispensing points found in a kitchen as follows:
Hot food area
This is where plated food (entrées, main courses, desserts) are served
or collected from – also known in some places as the ‘pass’.
Most food for a dining room or restaurant will be served from and
collected from this area.
Orders are commonly also placed at this area.
Cold
This area does not exist in all properties being limited mainly only to large commercial kitchens
catering for high volumes.
The cold larder area will prepare and serve items such as cold entrées, salads, cold desserts, and
cheese platters.

Waiting stations
You may also be required to ‘fetch and carry’ to waiting stations situated in dining rooms/restaurants.
A waiting station is a place or a piece of furniture which a waiter uses as their work base to do things
such as storing items, a location to clear plates from the guest table to, to rest items on.
They may sometimes feature heating elements and be known in this instance as ‘hot boxes’.
You will be required to take prepared dishes from the kitchen to the appropriate waiter stations from
where wait staff will serve the dishes to guests at table.
You will also take the dirty dishes back from the waiter’s station to the kitchen/dish washing area for
scraping and cleaning.
See the following for examples of waiter’s stations:
 http://www.forbesindustries.com/food-beverage-catalog/service-carts-tray-stands/bussing-
carts-and-waiter-stations.html.
Note, some rooms will use a simple table or other item of furniture for a ‘station’ in which case the
area may simply be known as a ‘rest’.

Buffet areas
You may also be responsible for tending (attending and monitoring)
buffets.
In these situations, you will be required to ensure dishes are kept topped up
and kept presentable and hygienic.
Tasks will involve both food items and beverages which are included along
with the buffet (beverages such as water, juices, tea, coffee and milk).
Duties will also include removal of empty, or near-empty dishes, removal
of empty or dirty guest dishes and removal and replacement of service
items and food which has been dropped on the floor or which has become
contaminated as a result of unsafe food handling practices by guests.

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Room service collection areas
Most venues will have dedicated room service staff but, depending on the venue and the organisation
of staff, you may be required to perform various room service functions such as:
 Clearing trays and trolleys from floors, when necessary. This involves checking corridors on
accommodation floors and returning dirty dishes, trays and trolleys to the room service area
for take-down and cleaning
 Returning room service crockery and cutlery to other areas, such as the main kitchen or
servery, where they may be needed
 Setting up room service trays and trolleys for specific room orders, or for generic delivery o,
for example, Continental breakfasts.

Online videos

The following online videos provide some insight into what is involved in being a food runner and
allows you to gain an insight into the kitchen and service areas:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59JC8al46Pk (‘A food runner’s world: 2 mins 31 seconds)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXFs3Iy4s6Y (‘Chef Kurfürst at HTMi, Culinary
management: 12 mins 53 secs).

Check food in accordance with enterprise standards

Introduction

Before you take any dishes or trays of food out of the kitchen and give it to wait staff or to guests you
must undertake a series of checks to ensure the food being served is acceptable and to make sure all
necessary requirements have been met.
This section identifies practices to follow to help make sure guests receive exactly the food they
ordered, and to ensure smooth and professional service is provided.

Enterprise standards

In relation to checking food prior to service ‘enterprise standards’ may refer

to:
 Size of the meals – the volume or quantity of food provided as an
entrée, a main course or as ‘extra’
 Placement of items on a plate. Some venues will require, for
examples, vegetables for certain dishes to be placed in a nominated
sequence or location on the plate to optimise the visual appeal of the
dish. Some dishes may be centrally located in the middle of the plate
whereas other menu items will feature the main component (meat,
fish, chicken) located at a constant position on every plate
 Use of stipulated serviceware for given items. For example, it may be a requirement a certain
type or size of bowl is used for nominated food items or accompaniments, or an underliner
may be required for identified dishes
 Service of sauces. Some venues may add sauces to the meal (directly applying the sauce to
the food), while others may provide a small jug of sauce, a bottle of sauce or a sauce boat.

Checking the food

Before all food is taken from the kitchen you must check it (that is, visually inspect each dish) to
ensure:

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  The right meal has been prepared and any requested changes have been made to the item or
dish. This means comparing the food presented by the kitchen against the order given to them.
Never assume the kitchen will automatically get the order correct. Remember the kitchen is a
busy place and accidents and mistakes can happen. If the order is for four meals, are there
four meals being given to you? Do the dishes you are being given match exactly the
requirements of each guests as stated in the order? It is your job to make sure incorrect meals
are not taken into the room or to the service point. Every
service plate is clean and presentable. This means checking
to ensure there are no marks, spills and drips on plates. In
some cases you may be able to clean the plate and in other
cases it may need to be returned to the chef or to the person
operating the pass
 The quality of all items served for consumption. This
includes checking all food served on the plate to ensure it is
of an acceptable quality. For example:
 A whole fish should not have tears in the skin
 Fresh fruit must not be over-ripe
 Salad vegetables must be crisp
 There should be no obvious blemishes or visible
impediments to any food items on a plate
 The appearance of the food on the plate. Issues to look for
are:
 All dishes of the same type must be of the same size. There should not be a difference
in serve sizes unless requested by the guest
 Same dishes must look the same in terms of layout of vegetables, accompaniments,
serviceware, garnishes
 An appealing and appetizing appearance
 The edible portion of a steak is at the outside of a plate as opposed to having the
fat/gristle component at the rim of the plate
 Guest requests have been taken into account. This means directly comparing the dishes
against the orders. Check to ensure, for example, rare steaks are indeed rare; dishes with
vegetables do not go out with salad on them, ‘extra chips’ do have extra chips and ‘Thai
salad’ is provided where requested.

Additional points to note

 Some establishments have photographs of each dish at the pickup point or pass to help service
staff plate dishes correctly and consistently and to give you a means by which you can check
dishes prior to taking them
 The person operating the pass should check all dishes before they are called but you still
ALWAYS have to conduct your own independent check
 Note it is much, much easier for a problem or mistake to be identified at this stage, than it is
for the dish to go out to the dining room, be presented to the guest, be complained about and
then be returned to the kitchen.

Checking the service ware

In addition to checking the food to be served you must also verify the required serviceware is
available as required to meet the needs of the menu items being served.
Serviceware is a generic term for crockery, cutlery and other service-related items.

Serviceware may include:

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  Plates and bowls
 Platters and cake stands
 Service utensils such as tongs, carving forks, large
spoons and forks (for silver service)
 Glassware. Some sauces and desserts are presented in
glasses
 Oven-to-tableware allowing food items to be taken
directly from the oven and served in the dish in
which they were cooked
 Lids and covers for pots and other containers
 Condiment containers
 Flatware including knives, forks and spoon, lobster crackers, cake lifters
 Sizzle plates for steaks
 Tureens, ramekins and coupes
 Boards for service of dishes such as fruit and cheese
 Pots, jugs and sauce boats
 Sugar bowls
 Bread baskets.

Let’s begin to Learn

RULES IN DOING THE ACTIVITY

1. Find a place in your home where you can study well.

2. Have a chair and table. Make sure you have the materials you need like paper, pen, pencil,
etc.
3. Read carefully and understand the lesson. Then, you can start answering the activity.

WRITTEN TEST

Directions: Read & Understand the question below, choose the correct answer. Write your answer on
the space provided.

1. Food is the reason a guest picks out a restaurant, but great customer service is why a guest
____________.
a. leaves unhappy b. comes back
c. doesn’t come back d. complains to the manager

2. _________ are the reason we can keep opening our doors every day.
a. Our guests b. The menu items
c. The hosts d. Bad reviews

3. The most critical part of service in the hospitality industry is simple: _________.
a. Tell a joke b. Laugh
c. Smile d. Know all the prices on the menu

4. Restaurants run on ______________.

a. Yelp reviews b. upset customers
c. no sleep d. teamwork

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 5. The first part of teamwork is to ask your coworkers ________.
a. when their birthday is b. if you can take a break
c. when their next shift is d. if they need assistance

6. The second part of teamwork is to ask your coworkers ____________.

a. for help when you need it
b. if they need extra shifts
c. who the manager on duty is
d. how many guests are in the dining room

7. Which one of these tables will most likely want slower--paced service?
a. A couple sharing a romantic meal.
b. Business people out on lunch.
c. Parents with a fussy child.
d. People trying to catch a movie.

8. Pre--bussing means___________.
a. kindly reminding the guests to clear the table themselves
b. clearing the table after the guests have left
c. keeping the table neat while the guests are still seated
d. None of the above

9. What is the most common complaint at restaurants?

a. The music is too loud.
b. That the food doesn’t taste good.
c. It takes too long to be greeted or to pay.
d. The restaurant is too cold.

10. If a diners meal is delayed you should ________________________.

a. give them an accurate estimate of when it will arrive
b. tell them it’s almost ready even if its going to be ten more minutes
c. say that you don’t know when it will be ready
d. mention that it’s the kitchens fault

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