Butlered Hors d’ Oeuvres Service

Food is put on trays in the kitchen and passed by servers.

Guests serve themselves, using cocktail napkins
provided by the server. This is a typical style of service
used for upscale receptions. This style of service is only
appropriate for “finger food.”

Reception Service

Light foods are served displayed buffet-style on a table.

Guests usually stand and serve themselves. They
normally do not sit down to eat. These type of events
are sometimes referred to as a “walk and talk.” Food is
“finger food” and/or “fork food.” It is inappropriate to
serve food that requires a knife or is difficult to eat while
standing.

Buffet Service

Foods are arranged on tables. Guests usually move along

the buffet line and serve themselves. When their plates
are filled, guests take them to a dining table to eat.
Servers usually provide beverage service at tableside. A
very elegant buffet would have servers carry guests’
plates to their tables for them.

Action Stations

Similar to a buffet. Chefs prepare and serve foods at the

buffet (rather than in the kitchen). Foods that lend
themselves well to action station service include wok
stations, mashed potato bars, fajitas, pastas, grilled
meats, omelets, crepes, sushi, flaming desserts and
spinning salad bowls. These stations are sometimes
called “performance stations” or “exhibition cooking.”
Cafeteria Service

Similar to a buffet. Guests stand in line but do not help

themselves. They are served by chefs and/or servers
from behind the buffet line. This is a way to control
portion sizes. Sometimes the inexpensive items, such as
salads, will be self-service, and the expensive meat items
will be served by an attendant.

Plated Buffet Service

Selection of pre-plated foods, such as entrees, sandwich

plates and salad plates, set on a buffet table. They may
also be placed on a roll-in (i.e., rolling cart or table) and
then moved into the function room at the designated
time. Because of individual plates, trays are usually used.
This is a particularly good idea for groups who want to
continue “working” meals while they eat.

Plated (American) Service

Guests are seated. Foods are pre-portioned in the

kitchen, arranged on plates and served by servers from
the left. Beverages are served from the right. Used
dishes and glasses are removed from the right. This is
the most functional, common, economical, controllable
and efficient type of service. However, if foods are
plated too far in advance, they could run together,
discolor, or otherwise lose culinary quality.

Family-style (English) Service

Guests are seated. Large serving platters and bowls are

filled with foods in the kitchen and set on the dining
tables by servers. Guests help themselves from a lazy
Susan or they pass the foods to each other. Occasionally,
a host would carve the meat.
Pre-set Service

Food that is already on the dining tables when guests are

seated. Since pre-set foods will be on the tables for a few
minutes before they are consumed, you must pre-set
only those that will retain sanitary and culinary qualities
at room temperatures. Most common are bread and
butter, but often the appetizer will be pre-set as well.
For lunches with a limited time frame, occasionally salad
and dessert will be pre-set.

Hand Service

Guests are seated. There is one server for every two

guests and all guests at a table are served at precisely
the same time. Servers wear white gloves. Foods are
pre-plated and the plates are fitted with dome covers.
Each server carries two servings from the kitchen and
stands behind the two guests assigned to him or her. At
the direction of the captain or maitre d’ hotel, all
servings are set in front of all guests, and their dome
covers are removed, at precisely the same time. This
procedure is may be followed for all courses. This is a
very elegant style of service that is sometimes used for
small gourmet -meal functions. This style is sometimes
called “service in concert or synchronized service.”
The Wave

This is a ‘quick and dirty” method of serving where all

servers start at one end of the function room and work
straight across to the other end. Servers are not assigned
workstations. In effect, all servers are on one team and
the entire function room is the team’s work station. The
wave is typically used in conjunction with plated and
pre-set service styles. Large numbers of guests can be
served very quickly, usually using less labor. It does not
provide individualized service for attendees.