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Restaurant Lingo
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Runner
A staff member responsible for transporting food from the kitchen to the guests' tables.
Mise en place
French for 'everything in its place', it refers to the setup and preparation of ingredients before service starts.
Hands
A request for assistance in carrying plates or delivering food to a table.
Covers
Refers to the number of guests that a restaurant serves in a meal service.
Sell
To inform the kitchen that an order is ready to be taken out to the customer.
Under
Undercooked; the food hasn’t been cooked to the correct or desired doneness.
Window
The space where ready food is placed by the kitchen to be picked up by servers.
Bev nap
Short for 'beverage napkin', the small napkin placed under a drink to prevent condensation rings on the surface.
Pass
The counter where dishes are plated, garnished, and picked up by servers for delivery to guests.
Prix fixe
A French term for a fixed-price menu offering a limited number of options at a set price.
Sidework
The various tasks that servers are assigned outside of directly serving guests, such as restocking condiments or folding napkins.
On the board
An order that has been written down or placed in the queue to be cooked but hasn't been started yet.
Ticket time
The time it takes from when an order is placed to when it is delivered to the table.
Fire
The command to start cooking a dish, signaling that it's time to begin prep for an order.
Double
Working two shifts in one day, often back-to-back with a short break in between.
Front of house (FOH)
The area of a restaurant where guests are served, including the dining room and bar.
Trailing
Following closely behind another staff member when moving through the restaurant to avoid collisions.
Back of house (BOH)
Refers to the kitchen, prep, and storage areas not seen by guests in a restaurant.
Deuce
A table set for two people.
No-show
A reservation that doesn't arrive without notice.
Stiff
When a server receives no tip on a table that they served.
Table turn
The process of a table being vacated and then prepared for new guests.
VIP
A very important guest, often recognized for higher status, frequent visits, or potential for publicity.
Up-sell
Encouraging a customer to buy more expensive items or to add additional selections to increase the sale total.
Food cost
The cost of ingredients and supplies required to make menu items, usually expressed as a percentage of the sales price.
Re-fire
To make an item again from scratch, usually because of an error in preparation or a guest's dissatisfaction.
Comp
Short for 'complimentary', it refers to providing a free item or service to a guest, often as a good gesture or to make up for a mistake.
In the weeds
When a staff member is overwhelmed with work and falling behind.
Side work
Tasks that are not directly related to food preparation or service, such as setting tables or replenishing supplies.
Top off
Adding more beverage to a guest’s glass without them having to ask for it, usually with coffee or water.
Walk-in
A customer who arrives at the restaurant without a reservation.
86
A term meaning to remove an item from the menu because it's no longer available.
Campers
Customers who stay at a table long after they have finished eating.
All day
The total number of a particular dish that needs to be made at any given time.
Back
A response to let someone know you've heard their request and are complying with it.
Top
The number of people a table can seat; a 'four-top' is a table for four.
Dupe
Short for 'duplicate'; a copy of the original order that's usually kept in the kitchen for reference.
Straight up
In bartending, an alcoholic drink that's been shaken or stirred with ice and then strained and served without ice.
On the fly
An urgent request to make a dish as quickly as possible, often due to an error or last-minute change.
Turn the table
To get one party to leave and reset the table for the next party as quickly as possible.
Stage
An unpaid internship where a person works briefly in a restaurant to learn new techniques and cuisines.
Family meal
A meal that the staff eats together before service begins.
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