PRE-PLATED OR AMERICAN SERVICE:
DESCRIPTION
Service of pre-plated food direct from the kitchen.
USES
Semi-formal outlets, café, coffee shops, fast-food
outlets.
ADVANTAGES
Economy of equipment, speed & simplicity, saveslabour, increases turnover, labour
may be semi skilledbut it reduces cost.
DISADVANTAGESKitchen timings & staffs are increased. Appearance may
be affected due to over crowding of plates
BUTLER SERVICE:
DESCRIPTION
Presentation of food & beverage by the highly skilledstaffs to the V.I.P. resident guests in
their room or inthe V.I.P. lounge.
USES
High class establishments and in Royal functions
ADVANTAGES
Personalized and good presentation.
DISADVANTAGESRequired highly skilled staffs, increases costs, suitable
for small gathering
RUSSIAN SERVICE:
DESCRIPTION
Table is laid with food for guests to help themselves.
USES
At functions and private parties but limited use.
ADVANTAGES
Staff requirements & skills are decreased. It istimesaving. Customers can decide portions
andaccompaniments.
DISADVANTAGESService is impersonal and wastage may occur
GUERIDON OR FLAMBÉ SERVICE:
DESCRIPTION
Food is served from the side table or trolley, mayinclude carving, cooking and flambéing,
preparation ofsalads and their dressing.
TROLLEY TYPE
Gueridon or flambé, horsd`oeuvre, salads, sweets or
pastries, deserts, cheese, wines & liqueur, cold cuts.
USES
Specialty restaurants, high-class establishments,
nightclubs.
ADVANTAGES
Help in merchandising, foods are spectacular and classy.
DISADVANTAGESRequired highly skilled staffs, time consuming, special &
costly equipments, Portion control is difficult
BUFFET SERVICE:
DESCRIPTION
It is a service where guests select food & beverage fromthe display; consumption is either
at the table orstanding or in the lounge area.
USES
Banquets, private parties.
ADVANTAGES
Staff requirements are low.
DISADVANTAGESPossible queue, delays and erratic food control
SELF SERVICE:
It is a service by the customers themselves. It is also known as counter service or cafeteria
service.
CAFETERIA OR COUNTER SERVICE.
DESCRIPTION
The guest·s queue passes by a service counter, selecttheir menu requirements and pay the
cashier at the endof the counter.
USES
Institutional catering, fast food establishments.
ADVANTAGES
Clean, quick and economical for the staffs.
DISADVANTAGESSpeed depends on the cashier and the back up staffs,
cost of equipment is high
FRENCH OR SILVER SERVICE
The fundamental of true French service is that here the guest gets the opportunity to be
helped to the restaurant staff. To the dishes. In French service the waiter fulfils the rule
thatis he serves the food and divides the potion for the guests.Generally French service is
alsoknown as silver service. The portion are individually served from electroplated silver
orearthenware containers and served on the plates placed on the table before the guest.
This form of service can also be done from a gueridon trolley. In this case the waiter
placesthe dishes on the cover immediately after it is prepared. Sometimes flambé dishes are
alsoserved from the gueridion trolley.
For this type of service movement space is required inside the restaurant, which adds to the
luxury. It requires more number of waiters hence this is a very expensive type of service.
ENGLISH SERVICE OR HOST OR FAMILY SERVICE
The basic of the English service is that it gives the opportunity to help themselves to
theservice of the dishes. This form of service originates from the English tradition of the
masterof the family or the host carving and portioning at the table. For large parties
certainly, for afamily of four or more, a sideboard should be used. But for a small party the
food may beplaced directly on the table. In this case the waiter brings the plates and dishes
to thesideboard or to the table and sets them in front of the host. The host then portions the
foodand distributes it. Sometimes this service is also known as the carving and the service
of thefood is the responsibility of the host.
Note:- It is interesting to note that silver service is claimed to be of French origin by
theBritish as well as the French people and hence is the point of controversy regarding
theactual origin of silver service.
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RUSSIAN SERVICE
The basic element in Russian service is derived from the old Russian style of having
largejoints, whole fish or whole birds, often decoratively treated in dishes with their
elaboratesgarnishes kept on the side board visible to the guest to help themselves as an
Englishservice. The Russian service is still seen for the service of whole birds, meat joints
and wholefish to be presented in large portion after carving from the sideboard. Otherwise
Russianservice as a distinctive and separate form of service of this style no longer exists.
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AMERICAN SERVICE
Fundamentally, this is a simplified form of service evolved in recent years
(Depending upon the pre plating and pre setting of tables with the silver needed
throughoutthe meal). Plated food is brought from the kitchen by a waiter on a tray, which
is then placedon a tray stand, beside a guest·s table.
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PLATE SERVICE
This service cuts down the cost of labour (and there by its high priced). The clients or
guestshere get pre-plated food. The food is directly served from the kitchen. This is also a
form ofpersonalized service as waiters serve the guests. This kind of service is usually used
incanteen, boarding houses and fast food restaurants and coffee shop.
