How to Talk Like a Seasoned Restaurateur

The hospitality business has developed its personal vernacular—one that’s distinctive and environment friendly (and sometimes peppered with expletives). Whereas every restaurant can have its personal distinctive jargon, many restaurant phrases are generally used throughout the business.

We reached out to cooks, bussers, servers, hosts, line cooks, homeowners and managers to construct out our checklist of restaurant phrases, lingo and slang—from the most typical to probably the most obscure. Right here’s your definitive information to restaurant phrases.

 2-top, 4-top, and many others…

That is the variety of visitors you seat at a desk. The host will usually use this time period when informing the server their desk has been sat with new visitors. A 2-top has 2 folks, a 4-top has 4, and so forth and so forth. 

“I simply sat you with a 4-top close to the bar.”

86

Typically, the kitchen will run out of an ingredient in a menu merchandise (no extra cinnamon sugar rims on the autumn cocktail), a drink or a whole menu merchandise. This implies it’s 86ed. Often, the supervisor or the kitchen employees will alert servers so that they don’t provide it or can inform visitors. 

“We’ve got to 86 the surf and turf particular for the remainder of the dinner service.” 

Adam and Eve on a raft

This refers to 2 eggs—poached or scrambled—on toast. 

“I want these eggs straight away. That’s the third Adam and Eve on a raft in a row we’ve had ordered!” 

All-day

This refers back to the whole quantity of a selected dish wanted at a particular second in time. So should you’re cooking three burgers and three extra tickets are available in with 5 extra burgers between them, you’ve acquired eight all day. Consider it as one other method of claiming “whole”. 

“Chef, can I get an all day?”

“Eight all day—5 medium uncommon, kill three.”

À la carte

This French time period means a menu merchandise is offered by itself. In a steakhouse, for instance, it’s frequent for steaks to be offered with sides à la carte. This implies the steaks don’t include a aspect included.

“Does the steak include mashed potatoes or is it à la carte?”

Again of home (BOH)

The again of home refers to employees who work at the back of the restaurant, out of sight of diners. These of us are the cooks, kitchen prep, and storage space employees. 

Bev nap

A small, sq. serviette for drinks.

Busser

That is the employees member who cleans up the dishes, napkins, and different particles from a desk, wipes it down and clears it off for the subsequent visitors.

“We’d like a busser to desk 5.” 

Bump it

Eradicating an order from the cook dinner’s kitchen show system display screen as soon as it’s made.

Campers

These are visitors who linger at their desk after they’ve completed their meals and paid the test. For a restaurant server, this isn’t nice—they’d fairly flip their desk to a brand new set of visitors. Campers will also be irritating for visitors ready to be seated.

“These campers at desk 12 paid half an hour in the past and our waitlist is rising by the minute!” 

Clopen

When a employees member is scheduled for the closing shift and opening shift the next day. 

“I’m not going to hassle wiping down that desk earlier than leaving, I’m clopening anyway.”

Comped

When an merchandise or meal is given to a visitor at no cost, it’s “comped”. This will occur for a lot of causes – the merchandise wasn’t up the restaurant’s requirements, or possibly the restaurant does it as a gesture to an necessary visitor, or to a visitor celebrating a big day. 

“I comped the appetizers at desk 5 as a result of their meals got here out chilly after the kitchen misplaced their order.” 

Cowl

Refers to every visitor within the restaurant. 

“Holy guacamole, we did 300 covers tonight.”

Lower

When a server has been lower from serving extra tables. As soon as they’re “lower”, they concentrate on ending up their present tables and doing their aspect duties earlier than clocking out.

“Yeah, I used to be going to work the late service however then I acquired lower.”

Useless plate

This time period is commonly heard at the back of home. It refers to a plate that’s been sitting within the window below the warmth lamps for too lengthy. There are few issues extra irritating than losing meals and disrupting the kitchen as a result of a plate sat for too lengthy within the window.

“I want a salmon on the fly, this one’s useless.” 

Drop

To begin cooking an accompanying merchandise. 

“The steak is sort of prepared, drop the fries into the fryer.”

Drop the test

That is when the server presents the visitor with their test on the finish of the meal. 

“I’ve simply gotta drop the test to 60, then I can run the salads to 16!”

Double-sat

That is when the host seats a server’s part back-to-back. This may be tough timing-wise for a server to greet, take drink orders, take meals orders and run meals at primarily the identical time. 

“Can you’re taking these drinks to desk 7? The host double-sat me.”

Double shift/double

When a restaurant worker works two shifts again to again. 

“I’m glad to have tomorrow off, I’ve labored doubles the complete weekend.” 

Deuce

This can be a desk in a restaurant that solely has two seats.

“I’ve a deuce ready and a celebration of three that simply was sat.” 

Dupe

Brief for “duplicate”. It’s the order ticket given to the kitchen.

Entrée

So this one is enjoyable. Exterior of North America, an entrée is normally a dish served earlier than the primary course—a starter or appetizer. However, in the US and most of Canada, the time period entrée refers back to the important dish or the one dish of a meal.

Expo

The meals expeditor, or “expo”, is the particular person answerable for prepping the plates and ensuring their presentation is on level earlier than they depart the kitchen. This position is commonly rotated between servers, hosts and managers. 

Household Meal/A household

A communal, family-style meal offered for the employees earlier than or after service. 

FIFO

FIFO refers to First In, First Out (correct inventory rotation). Primarily, it’s a listing administration technique that assumes the primary items bought are the primary items offered. This makes numerous sense in eating places the place you’re coping with perishables. Learn more about restaurant inventory management. 

Hearth

The top chef within the kitchen makes use of this time period to let everybody comprehend it’s time to start out cooking or prepping a dish.

“Hearth these steaks for desk 15!” 

Flash

To rapidly warmth or cook dinner one thing partially. 

“Flash these veggies earlier than plating.”

Meals runner

Precisely the way it sounds: this particular person’s job is to run the meals to the desk. Meals runner is commonly an entry degree job for somebody new to the business, or a brand new server would possibly work a number of shifts as a meals runner whereas they’re in coaching and getting accustomed to dishes. 

“The meals runner simply dropped desk 20’s apps so it’s time to fireside their mains.” 

Entrance of home (FOH)

That is the entrance of the restaurant—the eating room, ready space and the bar. Front of house staff are the customer-facing workers, together with servers, hostesses, bartenders, and many others. 

    FSR

An acronym for a full-service restaurant.

Fingers

Whenever you hear “fingers!” coming from the kitchen, it means a plate is completed and able to be delivered to a visitor. It’s a sign for the server/expo/meals runner to seize the dish and run it to the desk. When “fingers” don’t arrive in time and the plate sits for too lengthy, you’ve acquired your self a useless plate.

Heard

When the FOH and BOH are completely in sync.

Within the weeds

When a server is swamped or overwhelmed, they’re “within the weeds”. There are numerous issues that may push a server into the weeds, whether or not that’s a big occasion, too many tables, inefficient workflows, being double or triple-sat or not having sufficient help employees (e.g. bussers, runners). 

“Are you able to get the drinks from the bar for desk 12? I’m within the weeds with this occasion of 16.” 

Within the window

When an order is able to be taken out from the kitchen to a visitor’s desk, cooks will put it “within the window”, which is a heated shelf or warming space within the kitchen or between the kitchen and eating room. 

“I’ve acquired two penne à la vodka dishes within the window.” 

KDS

This stands for Kitchen Display System; a system in kitchens that shows orders on a display screen to cooks. It’s usually built-in with the restaurant level of sale in order that orders get pushed to it as quickly as they’re taken.

Kill it

“Kill it” means to overcook one thing (normally by the shopper’s request). For instance, when somebody orders a well-done steak. 

Final name

This can be a warning that bartenders and servers use to inform prospects when the kitchen or bar is about to shut.

“Final name earlier than the kitchen/bar closes. Would you wish to order something beforehand?”

Lowboy

A low fridge positioned below the kitchen prep space.

Market worth

Value of an merchandise based mostly on its present price out there, usually seen with seafood gadgets. The market worth is topic to vary based mostly on elements equivalent to availability, seasonality and market fluctuations.

Mise en place

This can be a French culinary time period that immediately interprets to “putting in.” It refers to making ready your entire elements and cooking instruments prior to truly cooking a dish and is often achieved earlier than service begins.

Misfire

A misfire is successfully a mistake leading to a wasted dish that received’t be offered to a buyer. This can be a cook dinner by chance cooking or making ready an merchandise earlier than it’s wanted, or a server punching within the mistaken merchandise.

No-show

A buyer who makes a reservation however doesn’t flip up.

On the fly

Errors can occur. A server could neglect to punch in an order or a visitor could not like what they ordered. In these circumstances, the kitchen could have to make a dish as quickly as they probably can—that is “on the fly.” The kitchen will not be a fan of this… however it occurs. 

“I forgot to place within the order for desk 5. I want two pasta specials on the fly!” 

One star

A buyer who makes it their mission to seek out detrimental issues to say in a overview. Learn the right way to respond to bad restaurant reviews.

Celebration

Refers back to the dimension of the group eating at your restaurant.

“Incoming occasion of six.”

Decide up

That is when one server takes over one other server’s tables. For instance, a server who’s been lower shortly after beginning a brand new desk. If the desk appears like they’re going to be there some time, it usually makes extra sense to switch the desk to the server who’ll be taking up the part. 

“I simply acquired lower, are you able to decide up desk 15? They’ve their drinks however you’ll have to take the meals order quickly.” 

POS

An acronym for level of sale; the system that wait employees use to put orders and the place every sale is recorded. Sturdy POS options equivalent to Lightspeed Restaurant do extra than simply document gross sales, offering a single touchpoint from which you’ll handle your workforce, stock, advertising and marketing campaigns and extra.

Not like disconnected options that may’t scale together with your rising enterprise due to their restricted options, clunky workarounds and DIY onboarding and help, Lightspeed offers eating places with timesaving instruments and integrations, information that helps them serve quicker and higher and help from business specialists who know what it takes to succeed out there at this time. Learn more about Lightspeed Restaurant.

Push it

Actively promote a selected merchandise or dish. A restaurant would possibly wish to push a selected merchandise to stop it from going to waste, to encourage visitors to strive new menu gadgets or to promote gadgets with higher revenue margins.

“Be sure to push the salmon particular tonight. We don’t wish to see that fish go to waste!”

Prix fixe

Prix fixe refers to a menu with a set worth and restricted choices.

QSR

An acronym for fast service restaurant.

Run

The act of bringing one thing to a desk.

“Run these entrées to desk 3.”

Runner

The particular person “working” meals to the desk.

Scripting

Informing diners of the particular and promoting the particular.

Shadow 

When a brand new worker is studying by intently observing one other, they’re “shadowing” that worker.

Aspect work/Aspect duties

That is nobody’s favourite… however it has to occur. That is prep work carried out by the FOH employees to make sure that issues run easily throughout service or to arrange the subsequent service for achievement.

“Be sure to roll the silverware tonight, that aspect work needs to be achieved.” 

Silent service

Serving visitors unobtrusively and anticipating their wants with out being requested. Each visitor is completely different and could also be roughly open to partaking with the entrance of home employees. Studying a visitor’s physique language is a vital talent, particularly for servers. 

SOS

An abbreviation for “sauce on the aspect.”

Sous chef/Sous

Second-in-command within the kitchen, immediately below the top chef.

Staging 

A type of an internship the place a cook dinner or chef works briefly, at no cost, in one other chef’s kitchen to study and be uncovered to new strategies. Pronounced “staahj”, it’s based mostly on the French “stagiaire” which means trainee or intern.

Sub

To substitute one menu merchandise for one more.

“Sub fries with Caesar salad.” 

Stretch it

That is when the kitchen is working low on a sure ingredient and so they do no matter they will to “stretch” no matter is left of it to final by means of the push or the remainder of the evening.

“We solely have 5 onions left… stretch it to the top of the evening!”

Starter

The identical factor as an appetizer.

Desk turns

Desk turns refers back to the variety of occasions {that a} particular desk has been sat and settled throughout a shift. Principally, what number of occasions did a visitor or group sit there, order and pay over the course of a shift? 

This is a vital restaurant metric, for servers and administration. For servers as a result of it usually dictates how a lot they will earn throughout their shift. If a desk sits empty for many of the shift, or if campers settle in for a lot of the evening, the potential to generate gross sales and ideas goes method down. How lengthy it takes to show a desk—or “flip time”—is commonly out of the server’s management, however generally it comes all the way down to a server’s inexperience or lack of sense of urgency.

For instance, let’s say you’re a supervisor utilizing Lightspeed’s Advanced Insights. Within the Server Experiences, you discover that one server often turns fewer tables than the others on any given shift. This indication that they might use some teaching on the best way to higher handle their part.

Desk/Ticket stacking

That is when servers take orders for a number of tables after which punch them in unexpectedly. This isn’t nice for visitors—who find yourself ready longer to get their orders—or for the kitchen. When the kitchen is slammed, service slows down for everybody within the restaurant. 

Correct pacing in eating places is essential to sustaining management within the kitchen and guaranteeing a constructive visitor expertise. Tableside ordering will help guarantee good pacing by enabling immediate order sending and eliminating journeys backwards and forwards to a central POS.

Prime

The variety of folks in a eating occasion.

“You’ve acquired an eight-top at desk 6.”

Ticket

When an order is entered into the restaurant POS, it prints out a ticket that alerts the kitchen of the order.

“I’ve 10 tickets within the window.” 

Flip and burn

Rapidly turning over tables in a restaurant.

Upsell

Upselling is a gross sales approach by which a server/bartender/supervisor suggests dearer gadgets to visitors to extend test dimension. Completed correctly, upselling appears like nice customer support, requiring top-tier product data, instinct and subtlety. 

Upselling is an efficient method for eating places to spice up their earnings, and an necessary talent for servers to have. It’s a good suggestion for eating places to establish their prime sellers and those that may use some additional teaching to develop these abilities. Lightspeed’s Server Reports provide a quick and straightforward method for restaurant managers to establish data gaps and construct a top-performing crew.

Use first

The stock that should get used first in order that it doesn’t go to waste.

Stroll-in

Mostly refers to a walk-in fridge.

Walkout

A diner who leaves the restaurant with out paying. (Ugh, the worst.)

Waxing the desk

A time period used to deduce giving VIP remedy to a desk.

“Are you aware who that’s? Wax the desk.” 

Effectively

This refers back to the home, non-premium alcohol. So when a visitor orders a primary gin and tonic, for instance, except they ask for (or are upsold to) a premium gin, they’ll obtain the usual gin from the “nicely”. 

“Are you positive they needed nicely for these martinis?”

It’s necessary for your entire employees to know the distinction to allow them to make acceptable solutions and to stop pricey errors. 

Wheelman

The kitchen expeditor.

Working

Meals that’s within the strategy of being ready.

Your definitive information to restaurant slang

What number of of those restaurant phrases did you already know? Are you aware any restaurant phrases that didn’t make the checklist? Tell us within the feedback or shoot us a message on social.

In the event you’re searching for a know-how companion to assist streamline and handle your operations, speak to certainly one of our specialists about how Lightspeed can help.