Pre-Event Preparation and Setup
Staff Lists and Plated Dinner Service
As just noted, a staff list is a document that provides the names and relevant details of staff (members of the service professional team) working a given event. It lists information including positions, contact information, start and end times, and total hours. In a previous module, it was mentioned that the floor captain uses this document (in conjunction with others) to understand
The number of staff members, including captains, wait staff, bar staff (if applicable), and sanitation staff
If the number of staff members is sufficient for the event and service style
Now, it is important to clarify how to know if the number of staff members is sufficient for the event and service style. The floor captain does this by remaining attentive to common assignment delegation and par levels.
Assignment Delegation
The floor captain must delegate assignments for plated dinner services, where effective delegation requires a clear sense of the following items:
Guest Count
Number of tables
Service styles (sweep, synchronized, clear and serve)
Dining room layout
Number of service professionals
To ensure excellent (which is to say, smooth and efficient) service, it is helpful to delegate assignments according to standard par levels. Par levels consider the ratio of guests to service professionals (wait staff).
A high standard of service will assign 1.5 service professionals per table (assuming tables are comprised of 10 guests).
1 service professional per table should be dedicated to taking orders and offering wine service
1 service professional shared between 2 tables ensures continuous floor service
Calculation: Number of tables x 1.5 = number of service professionals
Example: A seated dinner for 100 guests has 10 tables. 10 x 1.5 = 15. 15 service professionals will provide full coverage, where there is 1 service professional per table and additional support shared between every 2 tables.
There are several factors that may cause a client to request a different, which is to say, insufficient, ratio of guests to service professionals. Most often these factors are related to clients working with limited budgets and/or without staffing experience. This complicates the par levels.
Given this, sometimes floor captains must make adjustments.
A lower standard of service will assign 1 service professional per table (assuming tables are comprised of 10 guests).
1 service professional is dedicated to taking orders, offering wine service, and coursing tables.
In this case, the floor captain should ensure the service professional completes the tasks above and then services their table before returning to the kitchen to line up for a course.
A low standard of service will assign less than 1 service per table (assuming tables are comprised of 10 guests).
Less than 1 must take orders, offer wine service, and course tables
In this case, the floor captain should should attempt to:
Assign service professionals to adjacent tables, such that the distance they must travel in executing service is minimal and they can execute more efficient service.
Position service professionals close to service stations, such that they can retrieve food and beverage offerings quickly, ensuring proper course timing.
A Note on Synchronized Service
Synchronized service requires specific considerations with respect to assignment delegation and par levels.
In synchronized service, there is ideally a high standard of service. Again, a high standard of service will assign 1.5 service professionals per table (assuming tables are comprised of 10 guests).
1 service professional per table should be dedicated to taking orders and offering wine service
1 service professional shared between 2 tables ensures continuous floor service
However, during the course serve-out phase, there must be assigned teams. Follow these general protocols for defining teams:
Determine the number of tables. There will be 1 team per table.
Determine the number of guests per table. There will be 1 service professional for per 2 guests.
Example: There are 12 tables, and each table has seats for 10 guests. Because there is a 1:1 ratio of tables to teams and a 2:1 ratio of guests to service professionals, this will require 12 teams and 5 service professionals per team.
Notes for the Floor Captain
As the dining room table counts and guest counts increase, it is important to engage in strategies that ensure a smooth service.
Designating Tables and Teams. Divide teams and tables into even and odd numbered groups. This ensures the teams are distributed throughout the room. (A captain may also choose to use “north” and “south” or “side a” and “side b.”)
Using Quadrants. Divide the floor into four quadrants. Assign teams to these quadrants (as one might a dining room at a restaurant). This ensures service is equally distributed throughout the room.