Service SOP's (UPDATED 5/28)

Question 1

PF Menu Intro

Answer 1

Servers and bartenders introduce the PF menu to tables after they take an initial drink order and before guests order food.
“This is a copy of our PF dinner menu which features any 3 dishes for 40 dollars. You’re welcome to order the PF menu individually or for the table to share”.
You can also highlight our one dessert - the Sundae at that point.

Question 2

Food Coursing Logic

Answer 2

As a general rule, cold courses should precede hot courses. Try to group everything into two courses when possible. Oysters and seafood plateaus can be their own course when appropriate.

Question 3

What do you do when you are waved down by a table that is not in your section?

Answer 3

Assist them and then let the server who’s section it is know what has taken place. It’s important that each server feels in control and knows what has gone on in their section.

Question 4

If two tables are combined, how do you ring in the order?

Answer 4

You ring in the order on the lowest tables number, ex: 32+33, you would ring in 32.

Question 5

How do position numbers work on the floor?

Answer 5

Position numbers are #1 on the left hand side on the approach and proceed clockwise.

Question 6

How do position numbers work at the bar?

Answer 6

Bar seat positions count left to right from the bartender’s perspective.

Question 7

How do you inform the kitchen when a guest has an allergy?

Answer 7

1. Put the type of allergy AND the seat number of the guest with the allergy in the tab name.
2. Add an allergy modification to each dish you ring in on that table.

Question 8

What is open-handed service?

Answer 8

Do not cross in front of the guest midline when it can be avoided. Move your body around a table, not your hand around the table.

Question 9

What should you do if a table has communicated a specific request to you to not remove a nearly-finished dish, not re-light their candle, etc?

Answer 9

Communicate this info to your support staff and MOD so the table is not repeatedly asked the same question. Clear and constant communication between staff is the foundation of good hospitality.

Question 10

If a table asks you for another round of the same drinks they just finished, do you have to ask them what they were drinking?

Answer 10

No. Don’t ask guests what we can learn from the POS. A round of drinks can be reordered in the POS whether we remember them or not.

Question 11

What do you do when you make a service error?

Answer 11

When mistakes happen, do not run away. Stay involved, especially when errors occur. The recovery is more important than being perfect.
Keep management informed of any service errors in your section so they can help to smooth things over. Inform a manager even if the error seems minor - one error might not warrant recovery efforts, but the next one might and the way we respond is dependent on the context of their experience as a whole.

Question 12

When do we ring things in?

Answer 12

Always. Ring in everything without exception. Anything we comp must first be rung in, every time.

Question 13

What should you do when you want to send a comp to a table?

Answer 13

Staff must ask a manager prior to sending comps to tables. If an item needs to be split off the check and comped due to a service error, this also needs to be communicated to a manager.

Question 14

How do you respond when owners, investors or management are seated in your section?

Answer 14

Do not change service standards when owners, investors or mgmt are seated in your section. I.e. don’t serve lemon with water when it isn’t requested when an owner is seated in your section. All standards remain the same for all guests so we can evaluate those standards objectively.

Question 15

What belongs in your apron/pockets during service?

Answer 15

Wine key, pens, notepad, lighter and cash sales.

Question 16

What is the SOP for running drinks?

Answer 16

Always run wines btg and cocktails together, not individually. Run all drinks on one ticket at the same time (ask for someone to follow you if necessary). Stab drink tickets every time you run drinks.

Question 17

What is the SOP for dropping the check?

Answer 17

Always drop a paper check on a postcard to give guests a minute to look it over and decide how they want to pay. Don’t show guests itemized checks on the handheld screen. Once they provide a method of payment, you can use the handheld to close them out.

Question 18

When should I collect a signed receipt copy?

Answer 18

Before the guests depart.

Question 19

What is the SOP for taking an order?

Answer 19

You know yourself and your capabilities best - if you need to write down an order, do so.
Repeat orders back to your table and let guests know how you will be coursing the order.

Question 20

When should menus be removed from the table?

Answer 20

Directly after the guests have placed a food order or their drink order if they are not dining. If guests ask, leave one menu on the table. Otherwise, let them know you will bring back a menu if needed. Do not leave more than one menu.

Question 21

Marking tables and re-setting for additional courses

Answer 21

Mark tables with the appropriate setups as soon as the order is taken. Mark using a marking tray and not bare hands. Re-set with new share plates and silverware after each course if necessary. Use your best judgement. Crumb tables into a share plate with a clean, dry rag folded into a triangle between courses as needed.

Question 22

How many staff members should be at a table at one time?

Answer 22

One. If someone is already speaking to a table, wait for them to finish before dropping drinks, food, checking in, etc to avoid overwhelming guests and making them feel rushed.

Question 23

How do we bus and re-set tables for new guests?

Answer 23

Tables get wiped with a towel soaked in sanitizer in between seatings. We wipe the top and sides of tables and clean off seating surfaces and the surrounding floor area at that time. Re-set with water glasses inside. Re-position chairs and re-space tables if they have been moved.

Question 24

When do you bring guests the check?

Answer 24

When they ask for it, or when further service is declined. “May I bring you anything else?”
“No”
“Wonderful. I‘ll bring the check.”

Question 25

Splitting checks

Answer 25

Checks will not be split item by item but can be split on multiple cards. We have no maximum card number for split checks. Take your time here and make sure each credit card is charged the correct amount on the correct table. If splitting a check more than two ways, remember to press the “split by X” button on Toast after processing each card to ensure every card is charged the same amount. One check presenter and one pen per credit card when giving guests paper receipts.

Question 26

What do I do when I need an item to be voided?

Answer 26

Let the MOD know at the time you realize you need a void. Ideally, do not wait until the end of the night to go through voids/comps without communicating them during service.

Question 27

Clearing courses mid-meal

Answer 27

Do not clear tables until every guest is finished eating that course. Communicate this to support staff as needed. There will be exceptions to this, but treat this as the general rule. It makes people feel rushed and uncared for. This is especially true if guests have individual dishes rather than shared ones. Even if one guest has finished their dish, do not clear the table until everyone has finished eating.