Different types of food services
The success of the hospitality industry depends mainly on the service provided. Foodservice is the process of preparing, presenting, and serving ordered food to guests. This food service could include a variety of cuisines, styles, and more, depending on the hotel or restaurant. Moreover, it is mainly categorized into three main groups: waiter service, self-service, and assisted service. Read on to know more about these categories and the types of services that are available.
Waiter service
In this food service method, the waiters serve food to the guests at the venue chosen by the customer. It may be a table in a restaurant, private house parties, or corporate events.
- Silver service
It is also known as English service, a formal service style. In this method, the food is presented and served to guests from the left-hand side using the service spoon and fork, and beverages are served from the right-hand side. The clearance is also conducted from the right-hand side. The advantages of this service are it offers utmost customer satisfaction, highly personalized service, and there is no plate wastage. The limitation of this food service style is that it requires more staff, increasing the labor costs. - American service
It is also known as plated service and is a quick-service method.
It is also called cart service or trolley service. It includes the mobile service or trolley wherein the dish may be cooked, dressed, prepared, and flamed near the guests. This food service method is offered in fine dining restaurants where an a la carte menu is provided. Also, here the average spending power is much higher. The benefits of this service method are that it is highly personalized, and the serving staff may exhibit their high culinary, serving, and carving skills. The limitations are that it is slow service and there is a low seat turnover. Also, cooking in the area may leave an uncomfortable odor.
In this food service method, the dishes are neatly organized, portioned on a special tray, and taken to the rooms or seats of the guests. The trays are capable of maintaining and retaining the temperature of the dishes. This method is practiced in room service, flights, and institutional catering. It involves less labor cost, but waiters may not be able to show off their service skills. Sometimes tray area is not adequate to accommodate more dishes or food items.
It is also called sideboard service and is a very elaborate service. In this method, the food, which has an elaborate garnish, is neatly arranged on a platter. But this service is not practiced or offered in most dining setups.
Self-service
Self-service is more common in cafeterias, where the guests collect an empty tray from the service counter and move along the counter to choose their food and pay for it. Then they collect the required cutlery, such as forks, spoons, etc., for their meals and other ancillary items. Menus are usually displayed at the entrance of the food service area so that the guests can choose their preferences. The other style that comes under self-service is the buffet style.
Assisted service
In this service style, some food or dishes are served at the table, and guests are required to get a few other items through self-service. It is further classified into the following types:
- Single point service
It is mainly found in takeaways and vending. - Counter service
The tray stand is placed near the service counter so that guests can collect the tray before reaching the counter. - Lounge service
It may include the service of morning coffee, afternoon tea, continental breakfast, dinner, as well as evening snacks. This service style is generally used in premium hotels and established restaurants as it requires high-quality service standards. - Room service
As the name suggests, the guest’s food is provided directly to their rooms for convenience. The room service method is mainly used in hotels.
With the multiple types of services available, finding the right one may create a more enjoyable food experience. Besides the listed food services, others include takeaway, mobile pantries, automatic or conveyor belts, and robotic services. The hospitality industry uses these services as per the standards and requirements.
