The Golden Rules

• Always have correct body language — never lean on the furniture, never cross your arms.
• Come to duty always groomed and clean.
• Never take initiative — ask, ask, and ask.
• Never leave the restaurant without informing your superiors.
• If a guest asks you something you don’t know, kindly ask them to wait for your superior — never lie to a guest.
• When walking the floor, always give way to the guest.
• Food and drinks always have priority.
• Keep to the right-hand side when walking and passing a colleague.
• Always notify your presence when passing behind a colleague — say “Behind.”
• Never use a piece of equipment you haven’t been trained on.
• Never gather in a group on the floor during service.
• Never point your finger at a guest.
• Only English is allowed between colleagues.
• Never touch your face, hair, or nose while on the floor.

Body Language

Physical presence in the dining room is extremely important. A guest’s first impression of us as professionals is shaped largely by our body language.

• Walk through the dining room at a steady pace, with good posture and purpose. Be confident.
• Keep your hands by your side or in front — no extreme or sudden movements.
• Be aware of physical habits like touching your hair, clicking pens, or checking your pockets.
• Never check your watch in view of guests — time is available on the Micros terminals.
• Don’t touch the tabletop or a guest’s chair unless helping them in or out. Only move items on the table when needed for food or wine.
• Look in the direction you’re about to move before moving, especially around guests walking through the room.
• Stay aware of your surroundings even when busy. If a guest looks like they need help and you can’t stop, acknowledge them politely and ask a manager to assist.
• Never lean or slouch against a wall, item, or furniture.
• Never fold your arms across your chest.
• Always make eye contact with everyone you speak to.
• Smile sincerely.
• Keep a confident look on your section — the guest needs to feel everything is under control.

Communication with Guests

The way we communicate with our guests sets the tone for the entire experience — from the reservation to the moment they leave.

• Your voice is your primary service instrument.
• Be mindful of what and how you say things — your tone carries everything.
• Never talk in monotone.
• Always let guests finish their sentence.
• Kill with kindness — if they are difficult with you, be wonderful back.
• Be enthusiastic in your speech.
• Be heard — nothing feels worse to a guest than a timid server.

Communication with Teammates

• Don’t chit-chat loudly or raise your voice.
• No audible shop-talk on the floor — e.g. table numbers.
• Always communicate with teammates clearly, concisely, and respectfully.
• Hold one another accountable, but always in an enlightened and respectful way.
• Never communicate with a colleague while they are at a table or speaking with a guest.
• Any non-verbal communication should be natural and should never distract the guest.

Communication with Kitchen

Keeping the kitchen informed is everyone’s job — the service team is the kitchen’s eyes and ears in the dining room. To avoid confusion, everything goes through management. You must:

• Let the kitchen know when a guest is away from the table or eating at an unusual pace — use the fire / hold-fire buttons in Micros, plus verbal communication via a manager.
• Direct all other communication through a manager to minimize traffic and confusion in the kitchen.
• Runners: gather at least 2 new pieces of information about your tables before entering the kitchen.
• Waiters should share guest information with the kitchen through a manager, and rarely leave their station — except to walk guests to the restroom, bid farewell at the door, clear tables, or when the Chef calls them personally.

Daily Briefing

Each day, at a set time before service, we hold a 30-minute briefing for front-of-house waiters and bartenders, covering:

• Beverage knowledge & education.
• Food knowledge, education & tasting.
• Service notes for the evening.

You are expected to:

• Bring your notepad and food/beverage book.
• Be punctual.
• Be participative and ready to answer questions about our product.

Recommended Verbiage

Italian Vocabulary