5. Review, Organize, and Verify Equipment

Review, Organize, and Verify Equipment and Inventory

After reviewing relevant documentation and conducting an area walkthrough, the buffet captain should review, organize, and verify equipment and inventory using the rental list.

First, the buffet captain should carefully review the rental list. In this they should attend to details on rented equipment, house equipment, inventory, and any additional instructions.

Then, the buffet captain should organize rented equipment for check-in, grouping items by type. This will streamline the process of check-in.

Next, the buffet captain should verify all rental equipment during check-in. This involves ensuring every item is present, functional, and in good condition. This requires documenting and reporting discrepancies immediately. They, should also check beverage and food inventory levels (communicating with the BOH culinary team).

The buffet captain should be familiar with all essential buffet and station equipment.

Essential Equipment

Safety Equipment and Fuel and Electricity Sources with Associated Instruments

• Fire extinguisher: A device used to extinguish small fires

• Sterno: A gel-based (canned) fuel source that is commonly used to keep food warm during an event

• Sterno lighter: A long-stemmed lighter for igniting the sterno

• Electrical outlets: The termination point where an appliance plugs into the wall

• Food prep gloves: single-use, disposable hand coverings designed to maintain hygiene and prevent cross-contamination between hands and food in kitchens and food service settings

Serving Furniture and Equipment

• Tables: Large tables for buffets and/or smaller tables for stations

• Linens: Linens for boxing tables or possibly table top design

• Chafing dishes: A portable serving dish that maintains food at a determined temperature

• Serving utensils: Individual serving utensils (e.g., tongs, spoons) for serving food from the chafing dish

  • B&B (bread-and-butter) plate: A small plate to hold individual serving utensils

• Plates: Large plates for guest entrees, smaller plates for lunch and dessert.

• Individual utensils in guest napkins: Guest dining utensils in rollups (napkin-wrapped silverware for guests)

• Cloth napkins: Cleaning napkins

• Signage: Signs for buffet labeling, menu labeling, and individual food labeling

  • In this, assign numbers to the buffet or stations for easy replenishment communication between the BOH and FOH

• Reference menus: Small menus for buffet attendants to reference (placed behind the buffet)

• Post-it Notes: Light adhesive notes used by the buffet captain to mark menu item positions on the floor layout

• Numbering system: System used to manage and replenish food items

• Garbage can: Can for waste disposal, Slim Jim or 30 gallon.

In this, ensure that if there are any planned transitions (e.g., between dinner service and coffee or dessert service) that all equipment is available, properly stored for the switch, and readily accessible.

Coffee and Dessert Service Equipment

Common equipment includes:

• Coffee machines, percolators, brewers

• Coffee urns or carafes

  • Samovars: A specific kind of coffee urn that stores and holds liquid at a specific temperature (but does not brew it). Sternos are used to maintain the temperature of the coffee, but the sternos should be lit only after the coffee has been added.

• Specialty cups

• Specialty spoons

• Cream carafes and pitchers

• Sugar caddies

• Coffee and tea selections