Furniture- tables, chairs, sideboards
Linen- table cloths, buffet cloth, slip cloth, runners, baize cloth, tray cloth, waiter’s cloth, and napkins
Crockery- quarter plate, half plate, full plate, soup plate, soup bowl, cup and saucers, demitasse, and so on
Glassware- all glasses
Tableware
a) Flatware/cutlery- spoons, forks, knives
b) Hollowware- coffee pots, teapots, water jugs, entrée dishes, sugar bowls, creamers, butter dish and so on
Miscellaneous– bud vase, menu card holder, cruets, ashtrays, toast rack, sauce boats, asparagus tongs, caviar knife, oyster fork, corn on the cob holder, snail dish and so on
Disposables– paper napkins, disposable plates, place mats, doilies, coasters, table rolls, gloves, etc.
Chair heights-
· Height of the chair (from floor to the seat):18”
· From floor to the top of the chair: 39”
· Depth of the chair: 18”
For comfortable dining the standard height of the table is 30”
Table sizes and their capacities | |||
S.no. | Sizes in inches | shape | covers |
1 | 30 | square | 2 |
2 | 36 | square | 4 |
3 | 30x48 | rectangle | 4 |
4 | 30x72 | rectangle | 6 |
5 | 36 diameter | round | 4 |
6 | 48 diameter | round | 5 |
7 | 60 diameter | round | 8 |
Baize cloth- in fine dining restaurants tables are permanently covered with thick woolen cloth or felt which is termed as “baize”.
The purpose of baize is to
1. Deaden the noise of cutlery and crockery while placing them on the table.
2. Protect table top from heat from the dish.
3. Give grip to the table cloth and to prevent it from slipping.
4. Protect the wrist of the customer while dining.
5. Also acts as cushion for customer.
Baize should never be exposed to the guest; it must always be covered with a clean table cloth.
Table cloth
Considering the minimum fall of 9” from the edge of the table,
E.g., to cover a table of 2’6” square table, one needs a cloth of minimum size of 48”x48”. It is calculated as:
Width of the table 2’6” which is =30”
Add: fall of table cloth on two sides: 2”x9” =18”
=48”
Table cloth size calculation | |||
S.no. | Table size | Calculation | size |
1 | 2'6" square | 30"+ (2x9)=48" | 48"x48" |
2 | 3' square | 36"+ (2x9)=54" | 54"x54" |
3 | 2'6"x4' | 30"+(2x9)=48" | 48"x66" |
| | 48"+(2x9)=66" | |
Napkin sizes:
There are two standard sizes
18”x18” for lunch
20”x20” for dinner
Crockery-includes all items of earthenware or chinaware such as plates, cups and saucers, pots, vases, and so on
Types of chinaware available in market
Earthenware- it is made of 25 per cent ball clay, 25 percent kaolin or clay, 15 percent china stone, and 35 per cent flint.
The advantage is that it is cheaper, but it is easily chipped or cracked and much heavier than bonechina
Bone china- it is made of 25 % china clay, 25 % china stone, and 50 % calcium phosphate.
It is strong and translucent. It is beautiful and expensive
Porcelain-it is made of 50 % china clay, 25 % quartz, and 25 % feldspar. It is vitreous and translucent with a grey or blue tinge. It is used in oven to tableware dishes.
Stoneware-it is hard, tough, and vitreous crockery, fired at a high temperature. It is heavy and available in bright colours, suitable for restaurants where bright colour crockery is required.
Selection of crockery: the crockery chosen should be attractive and must blend with the décor of the service area. If a hotel has many restaurants, each outlet may have crockery of different colours and patterns to suit their décor, provided there is a guarantee for availability of the same design for replacement in future.
The following points should be considered-
1. Plates should have complete and even glaze.
2. Pattern of design should be under glaze so that it is protected and does not wear out with repeated washing.
3. Suitable for multiple purposes, for example, using for soups and breakfast cereals, half plates for appetizers, fish, vegetables, sweet.
4. Stackable up to 30 plates or saucers in one pile.
5. Suitable for machine washing.
6. Plates should have rolled edge to resist chipping.
7. Light weight.
8. Suitable for microwave oven.
9. Resistant to high temperatures of 85 degree Celsius.
It is advisable to go for simple design or plain crockery as it does not get outdated and replacing will be quick without any problem or huge investment.
Crockery sizes
Quarter plate- 6”
Soup plate-8”
Soup bowl-250 ml
Half plate- 8”
Full plate- 10”
Tea cup and saucer-250-300 ml
Demitasse and saucer- 100 ml
Selection criteria for cutlery
a. Metal-
· capital available
· Profile of the restaurant
· Type of market segment
· Cost of cleaning and maintaining
b. Type-
· Menu items
· Type of cover setup
· Style of service
c. Quantity-
· seating capacity
· Rate of seat turnover
· Washing method
· Storage facility
d. Pattern-
· availability of replacement
· décor
The Cover:
A cover is a space allotted on the table for the cutlery, crockery, glassware and linen for one person.
It is a space required by one person, to place cutlery, crockery and glassware for a meal.
The size of the cover is 24”x15”. Keeping this size in mind, table capacities are calculated.
The length of the cover is 24” which is calculated as given below:
Diameter of side plate =6”
Diameter of full plate =10”
Space for placing cutlery =8”
=24”
The width of the cover is 15” which is calculated as follows:
Width of the full plate =10”
Space from the edge of the table to the handle of cutlery =1/2”
Space for water goblet =4 ½ “
=15”
Requirements of a cover:
1. Each cover should be well balanced.
2. All cutlery and other table appointments should be placed at least ½ “away from the edge of the table.
3. Knives and spoons should be placed towards the right of the plate and all forks on the left, except for the butter knife.
4. The cutting edge of the knives should always face the plate with the exception of the butter knife; the water tumbler should be at the tip of the large knife.
5. The butter dish should be on top of the fork along with a butter knife and on an underplate.
6. The napkin should either be placed in the center of the cover or on the side plate or in the glass.
7. Cruet set should be placed on top of the cover.
Standard types of covers
Table d’ hote cover
· Side plate with side knife
· Water goblet
· Fish knife and fish fork
· Soup spoon
· Large knife and large fork
· Desert spoon and desert fork
· Cruet set
· Sauce and oil pots
A la carte cover- the cover is order specific.
SIDEBOARD/DUMMY WAITER/SERVICE CONSOLE/SERVICE STATION
The other names used for a sideboard are work station or service console or service station or dummy waiter
The style and design of a sideboard varies from establishment to establishment and is dependent upon:
· The style of service and the food and beverage on offer
· The number of service staff working from on sideboard
· The number of tables to be served from on sideboard
· The amount of equipment it is expected to hold.
It is essential that the sideboard is of minimum size and portable so that it may be easily moved if necessary.
If the sideboard is too large for its purpose it is then taking up space which could be used to seat more customers.
The top should be of a heat resistant material which can be easily washed down.
If a hotplate is to be used then it should be inserted in the top so it is level with the working top.
After service the sideboard is either completely emptied out or restocked for the next service.
The material used in the makeup of the sideboard should blend with the rest of the décor and theme.
The actual lay up of sideboard depends firstly on its construction
-the number of shelves and drawers for tableware, etc.
-and, on the type of menu and service offered.
Therefore the lay-up in every establishment could vary slightly, each being suited to its own needs and style of service and presentation.
It is suggested, however, that in each particular establishment the sideboard be laid up in the same fashion.
if this is done the staff get used looking for a certain item in a certain place and this facilitates speedy service which is essential.
1) Service spoon and forks
2) Sweet spoons and forks
3) Soup spoons, tea spoons, coffee spoons
4) Fish knives and forks
5) Joint knives
6) Side knives
7) Fish plates
8) Side plates
9) Half plates
10) Coffee saucers
11) Full plates
12) Salvers
13) Dirty linen
14) Check pads
15) Assorted condiments
16) Ashtrays
17) Water jugs
18) Bread basket and butter
19) Hotplate
20) Trays