Food and Beverage Service
Service styles and sequence
F&B service questions test your grasp of service styles - table service (silver, plate, family, butler), counter, buffet, and casual or quick-service - and the sequence of service: greeting and seating, taking orders, serving food and beverages, checking back, clearing, presenting the bill and farewelling. You should be able to explain when each style suits a venue's menu, price point and staffing model.
Beverage and table knowledge
Know the difference between table d'hôte and à la carte, the order of courses in a classical menu, and basic beverage service: glassware matching, wine presentation and tasting ritual, and responsible service of alcohol principles (refusing service, offering water and food, monitoring intoxication). Non-alcoholic and hot beverage service - coffee styles, tea brewing - often appears in short-answer items.
Traps to watch
- Serving from the right with the right hand for food, and drinks from the right - but clearing and presenting bills follow venue policy; state the policy when asked.
- Confusing cover (a guest place setting) with covers (number of guests served).
- Forgetting allergen communication and dietary requests when taking orders.
- Mixing up upselling with suggestive selling and with pushing unsuitable items.
Worked example
A table of four orders two entrées, four mains and three desserts, plus two bottles of wine and four coffees. Counting covers = 4. Counting items sold = 2 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 4 = 15. If average spend per cover is $45, revenue = 4 × $45 = $180. Always separate covers from items when a question asks for either.
Rule of thumb
Serve and clear from the guest's right where the style requires it, and always announce dishes as you place them so allergens and dietary needs are confirmed at the table.