Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Restaurant Service & Operations
Day 4
Clear Finished Courses
&
Clear Table at End of Service
Chapter 9
Version 1.0
Updated on March 2017
• Outline the sequence of service in clearing finished courses for the different service
styles.
• Explain the need to clear the table immediately upon departure of guests.
• Describe the procedures and sequence of clearing the table at the end of service.
• Describe the hygiene and safety guidelines to be observed when clearing the table.
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Procedure of Closing
• Clearing is done when whole table has finished the course
• Guest would usually put the cutlery together on the plate to signal that they
have finished with the meal.
• If you are not sure if guests have finished, ask:
“May I clear your plate?”
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Procedure of Closing
• Always check on guest to see if they need any thing (more sauce, wine,
drinks or to place some more orders)
• BE ALERT – to know if the guests have finished and
time to clear the table.
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To clear finished courses
• Start with a lady guest first.
• Stand at the right of the guest.
• Pick up the used plate and cutlery with right hand.
• Transfer the plate to your left hand holding it between the thumb and
last finger.
• Arrange the fork over the knife while the thumb hold the base of the
fork
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To clear finished courses
• As the service staff continues to clear the rest of the table, place the
next plate on the wrist of the left hand.
• Clear leftovers using the fork onto the first plate.
• Place the fork alongside the first fork and the knife under it.
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To clear finished courses
• Hold plates away from guest as you collect soiled plates from the table.
• Turn your body as you scrape leftover food on the first plate.
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Clearing Side plates
The sequence is as follows:
• Stand on the left of the guest.
• Pick the dinner plate with your right hand.
• Place the dinner plate in your left hand, holding between your thumb
and last finger
• Subsequent side plates are placed on the wrist of your left hand.
• Place the butter knife on the dinner plate
• Scrape of any leftovers onto the dinner plate and place the butter knife
on the dinner plate.
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Sequence for clearing finished courses for different
styles of service
• Plated service, platter service, guéridon service – clear plates
when everyone at the table has finished eating. Clear the
plate from right hand side, start with a lady first.
• Buffet service – clear plates as and when the guest as finish
their food. It is not necessary to wait for everyone to finish
before clearing the plates.
• Banquet service – clear when the Head / VIP table has finish
eating, than start clearing all plates of the guests
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Importance of safety and safety precautions while
clearing dishes
• Do not stack too many plates on your wrist
• When clearing plates, clear dinner and side plates separately
• Turn away from guest as you scrap leftovers to another plate
• Go forward in a clockwise direction as you collect plate.
• Try not to move backwards as a guest might not expect that
• Minimise noise while scrapping the leftovers
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Activity 16A
• Students are to practice clearing a table of 4.
• The set up consist of dinner plates, dinner knives, dinner forks, side
plates, butter knives.
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Need to clear the table immediately upon
guests’ departure
• Once bid farewell to the guest, clear the table completely and reset the
covers to prepare for the next guest.
• Depending on the policies of the restaurant, the covers may be set
same meal period
next meal period
Example:
• During lunch time, after the guest has left, the table could be set for
lunch, preparing for the next guest
• During lunch time, after the guest has left, the table could be set for
dinner
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Procedures & Sequence of Clearing Table at the
End of Service
• Remove all soiled napkins from the table
• Remove coffee/ tea cups, glassware and centre piece
Use the drinks tray to remove all cups and glassware
Centre piece like the vase could be removed by hand
Ensure trays are not put on the table while clearing.
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Procedures & Sequence of Clearing
Table at the End of Service
• If tablecloths are used, then the table needs to be re‐clothed.
• However, before the table is reclothed – clear all scraps from table.
Proper clothing procedure is to be followed in the presence of guests or
without.
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Procedures & Sequence of Clearing Table at the
End of Service
• Proper clothing procedures
prevent unsightly exposure of bare table in the presence of guest
not signalling to guest that the restaurant is closing
prevent the new well ironed tablecloth to be wrinkled or crumpled.
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Procedures & Sequence of Clearing Table at the
End of Service
• If tablecloth is not used, the table has to be wiped down using a
table sanitizer.
Ensure that the cloth used to wipe down the table is clean.
• Ensure all chairs are re-instated (placed back into the original
position and aligned)
Ensure that there are no crumbs on the seat
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Procedures & Sequence of Clearing Table at the
End of Service
• Set the covers based on the standards of the establishment.
• The side station or service station is cleaned and wiped down, re‐
stocked with cleaned, polished equipment like cutlery, china and
glassware. This is done in preparation of the next meal period.
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Hygiene & Safety Guidelines
• If there are crumbs on the table
do not sweep in it onto the floor.
scrap it into a side plate and put it together with other
soiled dishes at the side station.
• Do not rush while clearing the table
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