Foodservice generally refers to any food prepared and eaten outside the home -- usually, it makes us think of restaurants.  While fast-food restaurants often require customers to pick up their own food at the counter and bus their own tables, fancier places normally bring food to the customers’ tables; this is often known as “table service”.  While most people understand the basics of casual dining, a large amount of time has been devoted over the centuries to developing complex etiquette around table service for formal dining. A fine dining experience in a gourmet restaurant should evoke the atmosphere of a meal served by experts in the fancy dining hall of an extravagant mansion, with careful rules of timing for courses and placement of utensils, and guests’ manners moderated accordingly.

This book sets out the rules for professional table service in a commercial environment -- not just which fork goes where and when, but also preparation that happens even before the table is set and the food is cooked.  Perhaps most importantly, the subject of proper and professional communication with customers is delivered in a straightforward manner. No matter how good the food itself may be, many customers won’t return to spend their money in a restaurant with unfriendly or inept service staff.  Well-trained and informed waitstaff not only reduce headaches for customers and increase revenue for restaurant owners, but they can also learn to save themselves hassles by improving efficiency and coordination.

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