Must Follow Food & Beverage Service Rules

There are millions of Food & Beverage Service workers working in the industry. Many of them don’t have any sort of idea about basic f & b service rules or guidelines. So today, I will discuss some basic food and beverage service rules. Waiter or waitress working in hotel and restaurant should try to follow this basic rules to provide an wonderful service to their guests.

Food & Beverage Service Rules you Must Follow

Training Video: Watch this amazing training video from YouTube Basic Food and Beverage Service Rules and Guidelines

General Service Rules

  • Handle silver flatware by the handle.
  • Handle clean chinaware by the edge.
  • Handle glassware at the stem or base.
  • Never place your thumb on the plates.
  • Always carry silverware, chinaware, linen, glassware on a clean tray when approaching guest table.
  • Never walk back to the kitchen empty-handed, take along dirty dishes.
  • Dishes should not be stacked too high on the trays.

Meal Service Rules

  • Always serve the ladies first.
  • Always serve guests from the right and clear tables from the right.
  • Before each course is served, remove soiled chinaware and replace with clean chinaware.
  • Complimentary starter (if available) is to be served to all guests after the food order is taken.
  • Chinaware and towels are to be changed throughout the meal.
  • Always change ashtrays when one cigarette stub is in it.

Beverage Service Rules

  • Always open wine bottles in front of the guest.
  • Leave the bottle (if white wine or champagne) in the ice bucket while opening.
  • Always display the label and repeat the name of the wine when presenting to guest.
  • All alcoholic drinks must be served with mixers and ice on the side.
  • When serving alcoholic drinks, request the guest to advise how much ice and mixer they would like.

Rules after Having Main Course

  • Crumbs are to be swept away using a folded napkin on to a clean B&B plate before dessert is offered.
  • Coffee and varieties of tea are to be offered when taking the dessert order.
  • Cream and sugar are to be served on silver tray and placed on the table before coffee or tea is served.
  • Coffee or tea must only be served in silver pots.
  • Tray with dirty dishes to be removed immediately from the public area to the kitchen.
  • Dirty dishes are to be cleared only after everyone at the table has finished that course.
  • Checks are always to be presented in the check folder.
  • Checks are to be presented to guests on demand only.
  • Tables are to be reset as per table top specifications as soon as the guest departs.
  • Complimentary meal-end items (if available) are to be offered when presenting the guest check.

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47 COMMENTS

  1. appreciated!!!! this is my first time i searched on google about basic of food and beverage service.. and yeah i came in the right place and it maked me remember about my old job. thank u man. and i would like to know more about beverage service by u. so if u have more idea trick and tips to b a perfect waiter then plz do a share on my mail id

  2. I just want to ask if I am wrong, as I know serving the food for the customer is always on the left side and not in the right. Thanks!

  3. Hi
    My name is Prof.Diana and very recently i have accepted to do training program for Hospitality Service and my first training program would be for Food and Beverages staff and they are chinese . I would be doing program in English and would have chinese teacher to assit me and i have done Hotel Mgt but i have not done training program before,so could you advice and help me with your expertise knowledge. My Training program will start from December 10th 2011. I have limited tome

  4. Hi This is suren mohanty working as a Food & Beverage Service Department. i would like to Improve my service as well as bar about the good service and new style of taking order from the guest, dialogue with guest who becomes angry due to high charge and quality of food. knowledge about the standards of Service And Bar. please kindly mail to me on my mail id please.

  5. Please may you sent me how I can contact you and also some free and some payable manuals or books that can be useful to me I do have passion in F&B SERVICE that is my area of interest. Please I am in Zimbabwe how can i do payments if i have to pay for something books I want from you. We USD as our payment money.

    Your quick reply will help me.

  6. good day! I am a student and would like to ask what are the training module needed for f and b service staff .
    thank you in advance

  7. Can you please tell me if it is legal to have employees who clean guest rooms in a hotel alternate between cleaning rooms and then serving breakfast in the restaurant? Our housekeepers were recently told they now have to clean sleeping rooms and after each room they clean, they must go down to the restaurant and replenish food items, take out garbage, do dishes and cook any food items or prepare any items and then go right back to cleaning guest rooms as they have let the restaurant staff go to cut back.

  8. dear sir,
    sir if you can send me the basic rules of food & beverage, also telephone ettiquites.

    yours

    alok bhatnagar
    F & B Manager

  9. hi ,
    my name id hiyasin from philippines.
    I am a student,can u send me the 7 rules of service i would appreciate if u send me that in my email.
    Thank you very much.

  10. I’m a new instructor in Food and Beverage Services. As of now I’m looking for a good references and I think your website can provide me this. I would appreciate If you sent me the following by email:
    1. How to serve tea or coffee in restaurant
    2. How to serve different Beverage items
    3. Detail food and beverage service training for Waiters(SOP)
    4. Dialogue in serving the wine in table service
    Thank you and more power!

  11. hi tanji,
    i am ume..sh i am a pantry boy in IT company.. so please send me a tutorials about Board Room SET-UP, pantry service and etiquietes.. please help me for my career

  12. I’m a hospitality faccilitator, I Would appreciate if you sent me the following by email:
    + Hygiene & Sanitation
    + F & B Service
    + Handling guest Complaints
    + Hotel Video training
    Thank for your concern.

  13. i m looking for a training plan,for f and b service staff in a restaurant bar . i shall b thankful to u for this assistance.

  14. Hi,

    I would like to put together a training plan for food and beverage dept for restaurant waiters and bar staff. It would be great if you could help me. Motivation and upsell tehniques are interesting me as well.
    Thank You!

  15. im in operations handling food and beverage department i am in charge of training the staff on all aspect of the operations. may ask for assistance in building up a training module so i can use this forthe betterment of our service?

  16. I am a student, I like to make a contribution, but can’t afford much. I would appreciate if you send me the following by email.
    GOOD SERVICE RULES.
    ENGLISH FOR HOTELS
    DETAIL FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE FOR WAITERS.
    HOW TO TAKE FOOD ORDER IN RESTAURANT
    DIALOGUE WITH GUEST WHO BECOMES ANGRY DUE TO HIGH CHARGE.
    BASIC FOOD AND BEVERAGE TOUTORIALS.

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