Waitstaff

Waiting staff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar, and sometimes in private homes, attending customers—supplying them with food and drink as requested. A server or waiting staff takes on a very important role in a restaurant which is to always be attentive and accommodating to the guests. Each waiter follows rules and guidelines that are developed by the manager. The main rule is to always stay busy. Wait staff can abide by this rule by completing many different tasks throughout his or her shift. Such as food-running, polishing dishes and silverware, helping bus tables, and restock working stations with needed supplies.

Waiting on tables is (along with nursing and teaching) part of the service sector, and among the most common occupations in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that, as of May 2008, there were over 2.2 million persons employed as servers in the U.S.

Many restaurants choose a specific uniform for their wait staff to wear. Waitstaff may receive tips as a minor or major part of their earnings, with customs varying widely from country to country.

An individual waiting tables is commonly called a server, waitress (females only), waiter (referring to males or less commonly either gender), member of the wait staff, waitstaff or serving staff server, waitperson, or less commonly the 1980s American neologism waitron. Archaic terms such as serving girl, serving wench, or serving lad are generally used only within their historical context.

The duties a waiter, wait staff or server partakes in can be tedious, and challenging but are vital to the success of the restaurant. Such duties include, preparing a section of tables before guests sit down (e.g., changing the tablecloth, putting out new utensils, cleaning chairs, etc.), offering cocktails, specialty drinks, wine, beer or other beverages, recommending food options, requesting the chef to make changes in how food is prepared, pre-clearing the tables, and serving food and beverages to customers. In some higher-end restaurants, servers have a good knowledge of the wine list and can recommend food-wine pairings. At more expensive restaurants, servers memorize the ingredient list for the dishes and the manner in which the food is prepared. For example, if the menu lists marinated beef, the customer might ask what the beef is marinated in, for how long, and what cut of beef is used in the dish. Silver service staff are specially trained to serve at banquets or high-end restaurants. These servers follow specific rules and service guidelines which makes it a skilled job. They generally wear black and white with a long, white apron (extending from the waist to ankle).

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Wikipedia