Ancillary departments

Room Service:

Is a very important part of food and beverage service department? The guests orders his or her food and beverage requirement over the phone from his room and the person taking the order is know as the Room Service Order Taker. He takes down the whole order on a kitchen order ticket (KOT) and for a beverage on a bar order ticket (BOT) with date and time of order taken and the service time and hands over the order ticket to the room service waiter, who in turn places the relevant order ticket either to the kitchen or the bar for drinks and subsequently picks them and serves them to the room at a specified time.

As far as the question of revenue earning is concerned it has a very small turnover. Considerable effort and labour is necessary to run this outlet and can be termed as a guest facility and operate 24hrs. The menu is similar to that of a coffee shop but the prices are slightly higher comparatively because of higher overheads i.e. in terms of staff and equipment.

The prime importance in this type of an outlet is accuracy and promptness i.e. the whole order taken has to be carried out accurately within the specified time. An outlet manager known as Room service manager heads the outlet. Under him there are captains followed by waiters. It is the responsibility of this captains and waiters to check each room service tray or trolleys so as to ensure they have the relevant food ordered by the guest along with necessary cover and accompaniments. There is always an average waiting time for each set of orders and this may vary from hotel to hotel.

In most of the hotels to speed up the service of food and beverage we have room service floor pantries from where the required cutleries, crockery and glassware and certain accompaniments required for serving of foods in a room is present.

Again the efficiency of a room service outlet is also measured in terms of clearance i.e. it is the responsibility of the room service waiting staff to ensure that all trays and trolleys are cleaned from the guest rooms after service is done because there is nothing more annoying to a guest the sight of used trays and trolleys in the corridors.

This department is also responsible for providing food and beverage amenities to regular guests and VIP’s, which may include fruit basket cookies, dry fruits and nuts and soft beverages and hard liquor. 

Still Room:

The service room, the server, or pantry is the auxiliary section situated just behind the serving doors and between the kitchen (hot kitchen) and the room, which supports the service. The pantry leads to the stillroom, plate room and glass room and the wash-up area. An ideal pantry must have the following minimum conveniences –

 There should be two serving doors, connecting the server with the restaurant, marked ‘IN’ and ‘OUT’.

1. The door must have a metal kicking plate at the bottom to prevent hard wear and tear.
2. A large box for collecting the soiled linen and napkin should be provided to prevent its loss. If the box has a flat top it can be used as extra service space. A chute may be provided to send the soiled linen from the service room to the Linen Room.
3. Cupboards for crockery, plates, cutlery, linen etc. must be provided.  For cleaning materials like brooms etc. appropriate storage should be provided.
4. Two or three tier tables for receiving dirty plates and silver helps in quick disposal of this equipment to their respective places of washing and returning back. These tables and boxes should be as near to the exit door from the restaurant as possible or between the door and the service lift.
5. In order to save breakage, the glass pantry forms a separate section where glassware is stored and washed in a special wooden sink. The glasses when washed or dried are placed on wooden trays and stored in shelves provided which help in checking and preventing them from being knocked off.
6. Separate dustbins should be provided for the collection of waste food and other disposable matters.
7. A special heated table cupboard with a hot case inside which a supply of hot plates can be kept forms an essential part of the equipment necessary for the pantry.
8. Generally there is also a dispense bar, wire store adjoining the pantry so that the waiter can collect orders for wine, beer, minerals etc. ordered by the guests.

After putting the dirty linen, silver, and china in their proper places, the waiter goes to the service table in the service room or in the kitchen to collect the rest set of dishes ordered by the guest. Then he takes the appropriate plates from the hot cupboard and re enters the restaurant.

 LINEN Room:

It is the area where all the linens for the daily operation of a restaurant are kept. The fresh linens are brought from the central linen stores of the hotel and the soiled linens are also returned back to the central linen stores after proper counting.

The linens used in the restaurants are as follows:

• Tablecloths
•  Napkins
•  Placemats
•  Table Skirting
• Table toppers
• Aprons
•  Chair Covers
•  Table Pads
•  Valances, Lace Skirting
• Two Tier Table Skirting
• Table Runners etc.

KITCHEN STEWARDING:

Kitchen stewarding employees are not actively engaged in cooking to ensure clean, efficient, and economical food service: Assigns KITCHEN HELPER (hotel & rest.) and other noncooking employees to such activities as dishwashing and silver cleaning. Inspects kitchens, workrooms, and equipment for cleanliness and order.

The duties of a kitchen steward are as follows:

• Wash Wall and Ceilings
• Sweep Floors
• Mop Floors
• Clean and Wax Hardwood and Parquet Floors
• Clean Stainless Steel Surfaces
• Clean Floor Mats
• Use Garbage Disposals
• Empty and Clean Trash Cans
• Use and Clean the Trash Compactor
• Use Pressure-Washing Equipment
• Handle Recycling Programs
• Report Evidence of Rodents, Insects, and Pests
• Wash Dishes, Silverware, and Glasses
• Wash Pots and Pans
• Burnish Silverware
• Clean Braising Pans
• Clean Broilers
• Clean Compartment Steamers
• Clean Deep-Fat Fryers
• Clean Microwave Ovens
• Clean Ovens
• Clean Ranges
• Clean Kitchen Hoods
• Clean Ventilation Grills
• Clean Steam Kettles
• Clean Large Mixers
• Clean Slicing Machines
• Clean Food Grinders and Choppers
• Clean Vertical Cutters and Mixers
• Clean Juice Dispensers
• Clean Coffee Urns
• Clean Coffee Makers
• Clean Milk Dispensers
• Clean and Sanitize Cutting Boards
• Clean and Sanitize Can Openers
• Clean Reach-In Freezers
• Clean Reach-In Refrigerators
• Clean Walk-In Freezers
• Clean Walk-In Refrigerators
• Clean and Treat Drains
• Clean Vegetable Preparation Sinks
• Clean Food Storerooms
• Clean the Receiving Dock
• Clean the Employee Cafeteria
• Clean Restaurant Dining Rooms
• Clean Large Trash Bins and Surrounding Areas
• Clean Grease Traps
• Stock Side Stations
• Clean Banquet and Room Service Carts
• Set Up Carts for Banquets
• Deliver Banquet Food and Plating Areas
• Assist in Plating Banquets
• Help Banquet Servers Prepare Tray

HOT PLATE SECTION:

It is the section, which is situated between the kitchen & the restaurant. Here the chef keeps the prepared food for service and the service person picks up the prepared food for the service. This is the border between kitchen & restaurant. The person, who bridges the gap between the kitchen and restaurant, is known as “Chef Aboyer or Barker”. He takes the order from the restaurant and passes the order to the kitchen.