SA
During the busy hours of the restaurant, this is a tool that we should be regularly using while making laps on the floor.
A tray!
If you are running food and there is a moment where the pass is empty, this is the first task that you should do
Check to run spoons through dish
You're SA'ing during a busy service and notice a big push of food coming out of the kitchen. You overhear a server alert a food runner that we are yama spoons everywhere.
This is how you can assist your team.
what is help push spoons and grab spoons on your way out of the kitchen,
You are on the floor and overhear a table talk about an exotic piece or dish that they find interesting but are a little scared to order.
find their server and alert them of their table's interest in the dish.
The four sections of the restaurant that are often the most overlooked but should be included in everyone's laps all night.
The Patio, Wine bar, Sushi bar, and the PDR
For large parties that are sat in the 400's on the patio this seat would be considered seat 1.
The seat on the side closest to the restaurant and is farthest to the right towards the host stand?
You are food running, and things are starting to slow down at the pass. You look out at the floor, and several tables are getting up. This is what you should do on the way back from running food to a table
Help buss a table or give extra maintenance to tables you are running food to while the SA's reset the floor.
A table asks you if they could order a dish or two through you while their server is talking to another table. This is what you do.
Take the order and ring it in with your initials and put it on hold. If you can quickly find the server, verbally let them know. If not, the initial will alert them to who rang it in if they have further questions.
You notice a good portion of the restaurant has desserts or a check on their table
You do this while waiting for tables to start getting up.
Alert the other SAs about which tables are getting up.
Distributing glassware, place settings, and trays to fill all of the credenzas.
Switching to a fresh groshie.
Anticipate if there are any builds for large tables or the PDR.
The pass is full, and there are hot dishes, hot pieces, nigiri, and desserts waiting to be run. This is the order you should offer hands and run the food in.
1. Hot pieces
2. Desserts
3. Hot dishes
4. Nigiri
You are on the floor and notice that a server has a tray and is currently dessert clearing a table that is full of plates, glassware, bottles, etc. This is what we should and shouldn't do.
We shouldn't stand behind them and wait to take what they could grab out of their hands.
We should grab a tray and come back to finish bussing the rest of the table, allow the server to follow you to dish and drop on you.
You are on the floor on a busy night and notice that there's a table with just water glasses and a carafe left on the table that needs to be bussed and set. Instead of just taking back that table's glassware to dish, these are steps to improve your efficiency.
Grab a tray and buss the table, and because it's a light carry, you can also wipe the table.
Take the tray and scan the floor for any other tables that you can clear.
If there is any more space on the tray, pre-buss any tables on your way back to the kitchen
You are running food, and you catch that you misdropped an item to the wrong table, and they are currently eating it. These are your next steps.
Go back to the pass and alert the chef on expo that you misdropped so they can refire the dish. Then, Alert both the server you misdropped on and the server who is missing their item.
There is a half-room in the PDR, but the first round of tables pushed the limits of their out time, and the complete party is waiting at the host stand.
This is how the SA team can most efficiently get the table ready
Ideally, all SA's would be aware of any large parties in the PDR and what time they are sitting. So they would be aware of the need for a quick flip
The SA who is bussing the table can get any further info from the PDR server and alert other SAs of any chairs that need to be taken in or out of the PDR, and how many settings to grab.
You notice a server is weeded and could use some assistance with their section maintenance
This is what you would do
Pick up dirty dishes, silverware, and flatware
Do a plate change
Crumb the table
Offer another round of drinks
Top their glasses if they have a bottle
you scan the floor and notice:
43 has multiple empty cocktail glasses and crumbs on the table
54 has no dishes on the table but they need a plate change
32 is getting ready to leave, with just a check and water glasses left on the table
and 45 has just taken the last sips out of their wine glasses with a half full bottle of wine and an empty water carafe
This is an efficient game plan to assist the floor
Grab a tray and put 4 plates on it to plate change 54
By the time you have finished, you can go to 32 to buss and wipe the table
With the space left on the tray, you swing by 43 to pick up their glassware, and while crumbing their table, you ask if they would like another round
If they have drinks already on the way or it's simple drink order, head to 45 to the top of their glasses and pick up their water carafe to refill
Once everything is put away in dish, either tell the server the drink order or ring it in under please run
You are running these pairings of nigiri:
Otoro - Hamachi
Kuradai - Kinmedai
Chutoro - Akamutsu
Kasugadai - Itiyori
The guests ask which pieces to eat first. These are your recommendations
Hamachi then Otoro
Kuradai then Kinmedai
Akamutsu then Chutoro
Kasugadai then Itiyori
You are assisting a server run a bottle of wine to their table. This is what to say when presenting the bottle.
vintage
region
Bonus:
any fun facts
tasting notes