Being Served & Serving Others
The weekend arrives and everyone wants to get out of the house. Most of us would like to spend time with friends and family to get away from the week’s responsibilities. Whether you wake up starving and late from a night out or look to reconnect with old friends, brunch is a great option. The opportunity to pass on the responsibility of cooking or having to invite people over to your messy home is too good to pass.
Venues across large cities and small towns all over the world are flocked with guests to enjoy the weekend brunch phenomenon. International travels and having lived and operated venues in New England, The Hamptons, The Caribbean and South Florida, I can confirm no town or city is exempt. In Fact, Mom & Pop’s, restauranteurs and hotels all fight to bring you the best brunch in town. The reason for the aforementioned? Great source of revenue!
Brunch is much more than its counterpart outside of the U.S. such as “Elevenses” (Light Meal or Snacks with Coffee or Tea.) Brunch is an event for larger groups mostly and full-meal-hybrids of breakfast and lunch items. Add in bottles of Rosé and a DJ and now we’re talking. Brunch is not just an “American Thing” just like music, food trends spread fast and each country, city or town adds a unique touch to the overall experience.
Brunch concepts and options are endless. You’d be surprise what you might find in menus; moreover, you’d be surprise how much you may actually like the dish. You might enjoy a Pesto Omelet (yes, you read correctly and yes, it does come with Pesto) or Banana Wheat Germ Pancake at Stacks in Redwood City south of San Francisco.
Our menu during my tenure at The Lido Bayside Grill inside The Standard Spa in Miami Beach had Spirulina Pancakes and NY Steak with fresh Tater Tots. Needless to say our Rosé List was second to none to soak up the sun and enjoy On-The-Water views of the Miami Skyline.
Now that we are all hungry all is left is for us to share “How to do Brunch - Correctly.” Since we enjoy getting served, but also enjoy serving others we will share the two lists. The first list will be for guests “Being Served” to enjoy a hectic free brunch. The second list is to assist operators “Serving Others” in providing a remarkable experience for all of us.
Being Served…
Find out how many people are actually joining you for brunch.
Review menu and reviews of a couple of venues. Share menu(s) with your party to scan menu prior to arrival.
Confirm number of attendees. Keep in mind changing party size may delay your party from getting a table.
Prior to leaving for Brunch eat small snack such as an apple or cereal bar if you expect the venue to be busy. Pack snacks for children.
Do your best not to make reservation the same day. Don’t be late. Make the reservation 15-30 minutes after the time you all agreed to meet up. It never fails someone is running late or cannot find parking. This is a great opportunity for hugs, handshakes and kisses. This will help the restaurant seat you all at once, thus greatly improving service (Trust Me.)
Restaurants are one of the most dangerous places for children to be running around. The safety of our beloved little ones should always be a priority. Staff speed walking, knives all over and hot/boiling food are just a few of the reasons. Additionally be considerate of other paying guests. A good tip is to plan out an activity for the little ones after brunch for them to enjoy their day, as much as their parents.
Upon Server arrival (everyone should already have an idea of what they want, since menus were shared prior) quickly scan the menu or ask questions. Inform server of any food allergies. Proceed to order apps, entrees and desserts at once, along with your drink order if possible. Whilst five to ten minutes may not seem like a lot of time after the server returns with your beverage orders, every minute in between other servers are inputting other table orders into the kitchen. This means that other tables and hopefully not a large party that arrived after you sat down will most likely received their food prior (#1 guest complaint in busy restaurant is ticket time.)
Order the Children (if any) quick kitchen items for them to stay seated and provide them with something to keep them entertained at the table whilst grown-ups enjoy the conversations.
Remember the server’s name. Call the server by their name not “Hey Sexy," “Pssst” and definitely do not whistle.
Enjoy the company, food and beverages.
At the time of payment do not split the check in 24 separate tabs. It helps to inform server ahead of time who pays for what and provide credit cards. Larger parties should refrain from paying cash (If possible of course) this will accelerate payment process for everyone involved.
Don’t forget to tip your server based on how well he or she did. Keep in mind some venues include a service charge.
Lastly do not “Camp” at the table allow for other guests to be seated.
Serving others…
Ensure business operating hours and menus are accurate in all platforms.
Confirm reservations.
Provide guests with an experience not a transaction. Hit all five senses (more to come.)
Introduce a fun brunch menu inclusive of local farm products and fresh ingredients. Keep some classics and other “quick items” to satisfy hunger, children, and guest recovery.
Speed of service is Key. Again speed of service is key. Keep menu items presentable and manageable to be put out consistently good when restaurant is busy. Above average or long ticket time is never good for business. Unless otherwise expressed or tapas style menu all entree’s should come out at once. Failure to do so will increase table length of stay; thus costing you revenue.
Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, Wines, and Cocktails just like food should be fun, fresh and considerate of ticket time and of food options to be paired with.
Change the atmosphere a bit, by adding a playlist or Dj. Keep in mind music is there to enhance the experience. Music levels and playlists should consider your venue’s concept and clientele.
Work closely with and assist host team. The host team will dictate how everyone’s day will turn out. Do not overbook tables for brunch. Do not slam the kitchen.
Provide the team with the right tools and support them in the process.
Never forget to Inspire during line up. Share information of reservation counts, 86’s (Items not available), sections, and specials to name a few. Check on the dish team, and thank them repeatedly. End of Shift line ups are just as important. Thank everyone in public and highlight great efforts. if you need to coach (correct) always do it in private. (You can find more tips on our Inspirational Leadership Blog Post)
Below are the links to the two venues mentioned above.
https://stacksbreakfast.com/main-menu/
https://www.standardhotels.com/miami/features/bayside-grill
- Enjoy