Sections and positions




We'll be looking at the following points: sections, position numbers, why sections are important, and teamwork. Let's start by asking what are sections.
Each restaurant is sections of tables. If you look at the floor plan or of a restaurant, it shows where each table is situated. Basically, it's a map of the restaurant. The tables are into sections of three or four tables that are usually close together. A waiter is then assigned to a section.
These are the tables they will be serving during service. Each table is given a number to help you and your colleagues easily communicate and to the table. For example, if you need a colleague to water at a table, you can say ‘table 1 needs water topped up’. If the table didn't have a number, you'd have to say something like ‘the table next to the table in the right corner by the window needs topping up’. By that time, you could have done it yourself.

Now let's look at position numbers. Just as each table is given a number, each at a table is also given a number. This is so that you know which dish is for which guest, and your colleagues can also know. If you ask a colleague to help you deliver and you say ‘The lionfish is for Mr Phillips on table 3’, he might not know who Mr Phillips is, and won't know where to put it when he gets there. But if you can say ‘Lionfish Mr Phillips table 3 position 2’, they will know exactly where to place the dish.
To position numbers at your establishment, pick a major feature in your dining room and make the seat that is closest to that feature position one, then count the remaining chairs to assign numbers to the rest of the table. For example, use the to the kitchen as a feature and then position one will be the seat at the table that is closest to that sign.

Let's ask the question why are sections important.
Sections are important both for the of foot traffic and the staggering of orders.
Let's start with flow. Sectioning the tables helps to the flow of foot traffic in the dining room. If you look at this floor plan, imagine a waiter had one table here, another here, and another here, he'd be running around like a headless chicken trying to all his tables and his colleagues would be doing the same. But by having all his tables in one area, he simply needs to move from one area to the back of house and back, no knocking into other waiters or constantly walking past other tables and sections.

Now let's move on to . By grouping the tables into sections, the reception can rotate the seating, seating the guests in the different sections as they arrive. You don't want one waiter to have four tables at the same time in their section and other waiters having no one to serve in theirs. Rather, the seating is and staggered so that if there are six parties arriving at seven, they are assigned to different waiters. This also that within one section, the different tables are at different of the dining experience. Some guests have just ordered while others are receiving their meals and others are just about to finish their meal. The waiter can then give to each table at the different stages. Imagine if all the table's food was ready at the same time and the waiter had to deliver them all, that would be a . So instead, the sections are staggered.

Finally, let's finish off with teamwork between sections.
Your section is obviously your . You must look after the guests in your section and ensure that they have everything they need. You are their guide through the dining experience but this doesn't mean that the other sections aren't also your responsibility. Whenever you walk through the dining area, you should the tables and other sections to ensure that there are no empty plates to or glasses to fill. If a guest signals to you, make sure that you approach them. a guest and never ever tell a guest or a colleague ‘this isn't my section’ or ‘it's not my responsibility’ because it is your responsibility to see to it that all the guests at your establishment are happy and have everything they need.
Let's take a look at a practical example: what should you do if you're busy tending to the guests in your section and a guest from a colleague section requests something from you too? Should you
a) politely ask the guest to wait until their waiter comes around to help them
b) inform that section's waiter of the guest's request or
c) try your best to tend to all the guests.
If you do a and ask the guest to ask their waiter, they will feel and neglected and if you do c, try to do everything yourself, you may very well end up disappointing all the guests but if you chose b to the information over to your colleague, you can continue to serve your guests and your colleague can look after their guest's request.