Organisation of F & B Department : Department Organisation and Staffing

Defined duties and responsibilities for every profile in the industry helps people to understand their role and provides clarity about the aims and expectations of the industry and how to reach them. It is important to run the industry properly and systematically as each person can’t do everything. It also helps in the growth of the industry.

Duties and Responsibilities of Various F & B staff are as under:

Restaurant Manager

Reports To: Food and Beverage Manager / General Manager

Job Summary: To recommend and meet budgets and goals by leading a service “I” with personalised guest attention.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Recommend and monitor a budget and plan for the year.
• Lead, train and motivate a service team.
• Conduct daily briefings ensuring two-way communication, training and policy information
• Check mise-en-scène and mise-en-place done by the team.
• Control expenses of the restaurant.
• Develop innovative ways to create sales of the restaurant by up-selling menu items, food promotion merchandising, etc.
• Meet and greet guests and develop a personal guest database to ensure continued patronage.
• Schedule staff rotations and duties and organise extra hands when required.
• Ensure the safety and hygiene of the restaurant.
• Maintain discipline and conduct staff appraisals
• Coordinate with the chef for menu offers and operational coordination.
• Coordinate with other departments for the smooth supply of operational supplies.
• Responsible for proper billing and cash recovery for services rendered.
• Resolve guest and staff complaints and grievances
• Represent the restaurant in Food and Beverage meetings.
• Conduct periodic competition analysis

Coordinates with

• Kitchen: on food preparation matters.
• Kitchen Stewarding: for the supply of clean service-ware.
• Housekeeping: for cleanliness and supply of linen and flowers.
• Accounts: for budgets and depositing daily sales.
• Engineering: on matters of maintenance and safety.
• Security: on matters of security and safety.
• Marketing: on matters of sales and promotions.
• Stores: for the supply of alcoholic beverages, operational supplies.

Supervises:-  Senior captain, captain, hostess, Servers, and apprentices

Senior Captain (Restaurant Supervisor)

Reports To: Restaurant Manager/ Food and Beverage Manager

Job Summary: To organize, supervise and train all service personnel in the restaurant with a view to providing quick and personalized food and beverage service to guests.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Deputise in the absence of the Restaurant Manager and ensure the smooth functioning of the restaurant.
• Schedule weekly/fortnightly staff duty shifts with the approval of the Restaurant Manager ensuring that work exigencies are met and the staff is rotated fairly.
• Allot daily duties to subordinate staff to meet work exigencies ensuring equity of work.
• Conduct daily briefing using it as a vehicle for two-way communication, training and corrective action.
• Attend to guest complaints and ensure guest satisfaction through immediate action.
• Inspect the mise-en-scene and mise-en-place to ensure the smooth flow of operations.
• Ensure the maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the restaurant in close coordination with engineering and housekeeping.
• Organize the training of staff for meeting the standards of service.
• Develop restaurant sales through upselling, guest contacts and ensuring good service.
• Ensure that the restaurant is free from work hazards.
• Supervise food service with a view to ensuring speed, quality of service and personalization
• Appraise staff performance and recommend rewards to the restaurant
• Control costs by applying food control principles.
• Serve wines and beverages according to international practice.
• Motivate staff through fair leadership.
• Prepare flambe items, if applicable to the restaurant, with showmanship and authenticity.
• Maintain and control the par stocks of cutlery, crockery, linen, supplies, and equipment.
• Assist the accounts department in stocktaking.
• Hand over lost and found properties to the Housekeeping as per rules.

Supervises: Restaurant Captains, Hostess, Servers and Apprentices.

Captain (Head Waiter)

Reports To:-  Senior Captain/ Restaurant Manager

Job Summary:- To organise and supervise an assigned restaurant station with a view to providing fast and efficient food and beverage service.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Train and supervise restaurant servers to give high standards of service in terms of time, quality and personalisation.
• Supervises the mise-en-place of the assigned station to ensure a smooth service during operation.
• Inspect table layouts in the station ensuring that they meet the standards set.
• Check and ensure the serviceability of equipment and furniture.
• Sell food and beverage so as to meet restaurant budgets.
• Take food and beverage orders correctly.
• Give wine service according to international practices.
• Prepare flambe items, if offered by the restaurant, with showmanship and authenticity in preparation
• Control the inventory of cutlery and service equipment allotted to the station.
• Assign duties ensuring equity of work.
• Ensure that staff meets hygiene and discipline standards.
• Ensure that the station is free from dust.

Steward (Waiter)

Reports to: Captain/Senior Captain

Job Summary: To provide quick and personalised food and beverage service to guests at allotted tables as per standards service laid down and according to guest satisfaction.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Attend briefings prior to the restaurant opening, well-groomed and equipped with the basic aids of operations
• such as bottle openers, pens, pads, and matches.
• Learn the du jour items, not-available items, menu preparations, and their presentation.
• Complete mise en scène and mise-en-place before the restaurant opens.
• Check all the equipment and furniture at the station for their serviceability and maintenance requirements.
• Clean and polish allotted silverware, cutlery, glassware, and chinaware.
• Stock the sideboard with proprietary sauces, jams, salt and pepper shakers, butter dishes, linen, and other service ware.
• Lay table covers as per standards set.
• Fold napkins as per prescribed attractive styles.
• Requisition fresh linen and flowers from housekeeping.
• Air the restaurant and ensure that the station is clean.
• Receive, greet, and seat guests.
• Present wine-lists and menu cards and take orders.
• Serve food and beverage by the standards of the restaurant.
• Up-sell food and beverages.
• Present the bills and receive payment correctly.

Supervises:- Assistant Waiters, Busboys and Trainees

Restaurant Hostess

Reports To: Senior Captain/ Restaurant Manager

Job Summary: To receive and record table reservations requested for the restaurant. To extend warm and courteous welcome and hospitality to guests visiting the restaurant and allot them a table.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Collect the restaurant reservation register from the overnight caretaker and mail from Food and Beverage Office.
• Receive and post table reservations in the register ensuring equity of load between stations.
• Clean and arrange the hostess desk and menus cards.
• Attend briefings before the restaurant opening.
• Attend to all telephone calls of the restaurant in the shift.
• Receive guests and lead them to their reserved tables.
• Handout Wine Lists/Menu Cards to the guests.
• Take orders from guests if required.
• Provide guests with hotel information.
• Go to the guest and enquire whether the food and service are up to their satisfaction. Handle any complaints
• Wish greetings to every guest when leaving and invite them to come again.
• Record the names of guests in the daily cover register.
• Page guests if phone calls or messages come for them.
• Maintain guest history

Wine Butler (Sommelier)

Reports To: Senior Captain / Restaurant Manager

Job Summary: To present and serve wine and spirits to guests as per the standards of the establishment

Duties and Responsibilities

• Requisition of the wines and spirits from the bar.
• Display wines and spirits on the trolley.
• Stock the trolley with the accessories
• Present trolley to the seated guests and up-sell the wines and
• Prepare and serve ordered beverages as per international
• Replenish orders and remember guest preferences.
• Raise Order Tickets for the cashier