The following are terms you may encounter in this blog.
#-top (1-top, 2-top, etc.) - The number of people seated at a given table. Ex: "They just sat a one-top at table 46; there goes any money I was planning to make." Ex: "Calvin, you and Martha can take that twenty-top large party together once they've all arrived." ALSO: the standard capacity of a given table. Ex: "Astrid, you just got a five-top at table 68." "Isn't that a four-top?" "Usually, but they capped it."
86 - Completely out of. None in the store, period. Cannot produce from ingredients unless you can wave your magic wand and make said ingredients appear out of THIN AIR. If a shrimpmonger asks for (demands) something that is eighty-sixed, it is the one moment of pure pleasure a server can eke out by saying, with full legitimate rights, "We don't have that." Which really means, "I don't have to bring you that today, you selfish, heartless jerk."
Alley - The kitchen area where servers prepare food to be walked to their guests. It's also where we make salads, prepare desserts, and get drinks and biscuits.
Alley Coordinator - A member of the staff whose job it is to prepare the food for transit to tables. That is, this guy (or gal) dresses the food with any necessary garnish, like parsley and Parmesan cheese, and then puts the plates on a tray for the servers to carry out. There's probably more to it than that, but it's all it ever looks like they do. All of the A/Cs at my restaurant are fantastic people, which is great because we servers see them more than any other staff member throughout the day. Also, they control the presentation of our food, so we really should appreciate them.
BD - Business-decline. A point in the evening where restaurant traffic has slowed and fewer guests are entering the lobby hoping to be seated.
Busser - A member of the staff whose job it is to clear and clean the tables when guests leave.
Capped - A capped table has an extra chair on the end (for instance, allowing a seven-top at what would normally be a six-top).
Cash out - Restaurant slang for paying your bill. No, you don't have to use cash. If you pay with a credit card, gift card, dish-washing, or licking my filthy seafood-crusted shoes, we still call it 'cashing out'.
Check - Also known as a bill. It's an itemized notification of how much money you owe the restaurant. If it's brought before you ask for it, you may take that as a hint unless I tell you not to.
Dish - The place in the restaurant where dishes are cleaned. Yes, it really is that simple a definition.
Double-seated - An unfortunate event consisting of having two tables in your section seated simultaneously. This means getting drink orders for one table and then going to the next table before you can fill them. It means cutting guests' questions short so you can maintain contact with your other table so they don't go wondering where you've been. It means you're not getting a breath of air for at least twenty minutes.
Drop - To place down on a guest's table. (Usually used with "food" or "check".)
Galley - An inconvenient area between the main dining area and the bar dining area, adjoining the bar, where servers may get fountain beverages or bar drinks for guests.
Pre-bus - The act of clearing unused dishes from a table. This frees up space for new, food-filled dishes during the course of the meal.
Seater - Also called a host. Staff member whose job it is to seat guests at tables when they enter the restaurant.
Sidecar - A shot that rides on the rim of the glass. Some people shoot it before sipping their mixed drinks, others just pour it right in and make the drink stronger. Some people are really weird and pour it into their eyes.
Silent Service - The practice of surreptitiously checking up on tables without disturbing them. I usually just walk around the area where my tables are. If they want me, they'll let me know - otherwise I let them do their thing.
Tip - The monetary gratuity left for wait-staff by dining guests. No, it is not optional; I work extremely hard so you don't have to cook or clean tonight to get a tasty meal, with excellent service, and I don't make any money off my over-taxed hourly wages that are less than half of the federal minimum. So please be considerate of your servers. Thanks! And no, your advice is not a tip, nor is it welcome. You can eat it, along with the extra lemons you want in your tap water.
Tray up - Verb. To place items on a tray for the purpose of serving said items to guests. I don't know why we don't "tray" them "down", considering that we don't usually have to reach up to set them on the tray - rather, we lift the trays up once we've put the items down - but I suppose such a question is akin to asking why we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway. (The answer is because the English language, both proper and colloquial, is majorly effed up. Or is it effed down?)
Triple-seated - A highly unfortunate event consisting of having three tables in your section seated simultaneously. This means you have to bust your butt even harder to get orders written down and punched in or your tables will wonder what the hell you've been up to for all this time. It means you're in deep and not getting a breath for at least a half hour. Possibly more. Good freaking luck.
VIP service partner - Another server whose section is adjacent to yours. Partners are expected to help each other out by introducing themselves to one another's tables and assisting each other with anything their guests need.
Wait - How much time a new guest will need to wait to be seated. Ex: "What's the wait?" "Roughly forty minutes." "Wow, we're pretty busy right now."
Zip - A string of booth tables in the bar area. To this day I do not know why we call it that. If you figure it out, please let me know. I'm also open to amusing etymology suggestions.
No comments:
Post a Comment