“Table service” can be defined as the way that a restaurant serves food to customers. counter service restaurants are those that do not offer either. This category includes most fast-food chains. Customers must place orders, collect food and then pick up any utensils they need at a centrally situated counter. Although table service is usually more costly, it requires more effort on the part of the restaurant to both set up and clear tables as well as to prepare and serve food.
Service as Place Settings
Service is often understood to refer to place settings. It typically includes utensils and a napkin as well as a water glass, or goblet, and usually includes a few utensils. To complete the setting, customers are served a filling dish after they have ordered food. You may be offered more depending on the type of meal you are ordering.
The traditional Western table service uses a variety of sizes and types of spoons, knives, and forks. For soup, larger spoons can be used while smaller spoons are used to eat dessert or stir coffee. For salad and dessert, all place settings use a standard-sized dinner knife. You may find duller butter-type bread knives and steak knives included.
Cultural Variations
A bowl is more appropriate than a plate in some restaurants like a Vietnamese Pho restaurant, where the main dish is noodles soup. For many Asian restaurants, chopsticks as well as a spoon are used for table service.
Delivery to the Table
Waiters are the ones who deliver meals to customers in all kinds of table service restaurants. While specialty dishes can be delivered individually, it is more common to have entire tables served at once. This can often be done with the help of trays and carts.
Both carts and trays can pose challenges. It can be difficult for waiters to keep a tray of food or drink upright while navigating through tables and looking out for others. A cart that is wheeled can hold more food and drink than a tray, but it is not always easy for waiters to navigate the dining room. To ensure perfect delivery, waiters need to spend lots of time training.
Table-Side Cooking & Presentation
Some restaurants cook food right at the table, making them stand out. Guerilla service is also known as “gueridon,” and usually involves a portable stove or hot skillet. This type of preparation is only suitable for certain dishes, but some dishes, like cherries jubilee create quite the spectacle. A waiter can set fire to cherry jubilee during cooking.
Although it is time-intensive, Gueridon has many benefits. It can make customers feel special and well-cared for. This is especially important in a high-end restaurant. It attracts attention. Customers surrounded by tables can be a part of the action and create an energetic, fun atmosphere.
Cost and Ambiance Considerations
Restaurants spend a lot of time thinking about how their service will impact customers. It is more difficult to prepare dishes in front of customers and takes longer. It is often worth it if it promotes a certain atmosphere.
This is also true for wait staff appearance. Servers who arrive at the table dressed in formal attire or tuxedos often project a professional image. Restaurants design their tables to reflect the atmosphere they are trying to create.
A family restaurant may have used cutlery as its table service. However, more expensive restaurants tend to use eleganter tableware. Restaurant decor is important as customers are not only eating for the food but for the experience. Every aspect of the decor, from the color and quality of the tablecloth to the availability of flowers and durability of flatware or goblets, plays a role in establishing the overall image and feel of the establishment.
Across the street from the Museum of Fine Arts, you’ll find a different kind of artistic masterpiece. Discover divine culinary works of art within the realm of Tryst, designed to delight your gastronomical senses. Standing apart from the other upscale eateries on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg, this award-winning dining destination brings eclectic dishes to the table and pours on the charm with a full bar featuring a dazzling menu of uniquely designed signature cocktails.
Gourmets Food 