Front-of-house (FOH) refers to all activities and settings a patron will experience while dining at a restaurant, including the lobby and dining area. The FOH staff greets and receives customers and relays their requests. This group of workers includes managers, hosts, waitpersons, and bartenders.
The behavior of your staff makes the most significant difference in the quality of your restaurant’s service. Hence, your restaurant’s front-of-the-house staff members should always maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and present a polished, welcoming image.
Continue reading as we discuss the importance and functions of restaurant front-of-house employees, the different FOH positions, and tips on managing and optimizing FOH operations.
Functions of Front of House
It is the responsibility of staff working at the front of the house to manage the following:
- Taking and confirming reservations made over the phone, online, and in person.
- Directing early customers to the bar area while waiting for their tables.
- Escorting diners to their tables and distributing menus to them.
- Accepting food and beverage requests and informing the appropriate staff of them
- Sometimes, make the beverage yourself.
- Bringing food orders from the kitchen to each appropriate table.
- Removing the crockery and silverware from each table after each guest has finished their meal or upon request.
- Offering customers their checks after they are done with their meal.
- Clearing tabletops for the next customer.
Positions in Front of the House
The FOH team at your restaurant should consist of people with various skills and abilities, so finding the best candidate for the FOH positions is critical to overall success. These are the top FOH positions that you’ll need the perfect person for:
Manager: The general manager (GM) manages the entire restaurant staff, including the front-of-house manager and back-of-house personnel. Although they are frequently found in the dining area, the FOH manager supervises all front-of-house staff and reports to the GM. They are in charge of scheduling, handling customer complaints, and interviewing and hiring new employees.
Hosts: The host or hostess welcomes guests as they enter and leave from a position near the entrance. They also provide menus to visitors and take reservations for seating guests. They answer phones and direct customers to their seats.
Headwaiter: To provide the best possible customer service, the headwaiter supervises the waitstaff, host staff, and bussers. They also manage other servers while serving their tables and answer to the FOH manager.
Bartender: The bartender is responsible for preparing food and serving all beverages ordered by servers or guests. They serve soft drinks, make mixed drinks, and pour beer, wine, and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, Sommeliers are wine experts who are well-versed in all aspects of wine. They help create the wine list and food pairings and educate the staff to serve customers better.
Bar-back: The most crucial duty of a bar-back is to keep the ice filled while serving drinks as the bartender’s assistant. They also ensure that new glasses, napkins, and garnishes are always available and may sometimes also prepare drinks.
Servers should be accommodating and welcoming because they interact with customers the most. They take orders, respond to inquiries, and offer recommendations based on their understanding of the menu. They also communicate with kitchen personnel, prepare checks, and accept payments.
Food Runner: Food runners offer a helpful service by ensuring food safety and that guests receive hot food as soon as possible. Under the expeditor’s supervision, they take orders while waiting at the kitchen window. Because they deal with customers, they should be able to navigate the menu and accommodate requests for extra items like silverware, additional napkins, or drink refills.
Bussers: Bussers set tables for new customers by removing dirty dishes and cleaning the table. Since they spend much time in the dining room, they should dress professionally and wear clean aprons. Bussers frequently help servers by restocking water glasses, distributing bread, or attending to small inquiries.
How to Manage Front of House (FOH)?
An excellent yet simple way to impress your customers, attract repeat business, and increase overall sales is by properly training your front-of-house staff. Here are some tips on managing your FOH operations:
1. Invest In Advanced Technology
The best way to accurately assess your restaurant’s performance, including monitoring sales and employee performance, is to incorporate efficient POS technology. A POS system is an excellent tool for enhancing operations, helping to increase server efficiency, and enhancing table management. It can also monitor the effectiveness of new promotions and determine which servers sell the most products.
An online reservation and kitchen display system (KDS) can also optimize the restaurant’s operations.
2. Schedule Pre-Shift Meetings
Gather the staff before each shift to review any special menu items, events, VIP clients, or service issues you want them to focus on. This will also promote effective communication between the executive chef and the kitchen and restaurant staff.
3. Create A FOH Employee Training Manual
Everyone loves having a staff member with institutional memory they can ask questions of, but if that person were to take a vacation, get sick, or be fired, the policy wouldn’t work. Therefore, an employee manual should include all crucial information about how FOH should function.
Employees should review the manual to understand how the restaurant operates, how customers interact, what foods and wines are offered, and logistical issues like your POS system. To increase efficiency, let employees take this document home to access it for all their queries and concerns, even when they’re not working.
How to Optimize Front of House (FOH)?
When running a restaurant, you must constantly reevaluate how to make your procedures and systems more effective. To help with that, here are a few ways to optimize the FOH aspect of food preparation in your restaurant:
1. Personalize Guest Experience
When customers make reservations or sign up for an online waitlist, you can save details about their dietary requirements, allergies, special dates, and other preferences to their guest profiles. Your front-of-house staff can use this guest information to customize the dining experience.
For instance, when a customer celebrates a birthday, servers put a candle on a dessert. Providing customers with first-rate service also involves pointing out the allergen information on the menu without being asked. Making your restaurant unique will attract new customers and keep current ones returning.
2. Embrace Contactless Dining
Want to improve your restaurant’s efficiency? Join the contactless dining experience trend right away. By enabling customers to make a reservation, place an order, and even pay online—all without having to touch anything in the restaurant—contactless dining can hasten the pace of your service.
Dine-in customers can scan a QR code to access your menu online, order food from their smartphones, and pay for it using a contactless order-and-pay solution. This solution reduces interactions between customers and waits staff while also helping you enforce table time limits and accelerate turnover.
For example, when customers are ready to pay, they use their phones to make payments without needing a staff member.
3. Encourage Advance Reservations
Encouraging customers to make reservations will assist you in managing capacity and labor requirements. Knowing how many customers to anticipate in advance, you can staff your restaurant appropriately and reduce labor costs.
You won’t overstaff the FOH and lose money, nor will you run the risk of understaffing and providing a bad dining experience. For instance, you can more quickly assign diners to tables when you can monitor incoming customers.
Furthermore, creating a virtual waitlist that diners can join digitally can help optimize front-of-house operations. A waitlist platform that enables SMS communication between FOH staff and guests and mentions accurate wait times before guests sign up for the list improves exceptional customer service and experience.
Technology In Front of House (FOH)
The front of house at restaurants uses various technologies to provide seamless service and a top-notch dining experience. Here are some of the technologies that are revolutionizing the dining experience, from reservations to payment processes:
Restaurant Reservation Software
Online reservation systems are transforming how customers secure their dining spots. These platforms allow guests to effortlessly book tables from the comfort of their homes or on the go, reducing wait times and creating a hassle-free experience. Beyond convenience, these systems provide valuable insights for restaurants, such as table turnover rates, peak hours, and guest preferences. Managers can anticipate demand, optimize seating arrangements, and plan staff schedules more effectively, ensuring a smoother flow of service and a better guest experience.
Integrating online bookings and walk-in customers into a unified platform efficiently manages them. The Restroworks Reservation Management Software minimizes overlaps and ensures precise seating arrangements. Additionally, the system automatically updates your CRM with reservation details, facilitating personalized guest experiences and enhancing relationship management. Restroworks enables restaurants to deliver exceptional service with ease by improving operational efficiency and providing real-time control.
Point-of-Sale System
The POS system is the backbone of FOH operations, streamlining everything from order-taking to payments. Modern POS systems are fast, intuitive, and capable of handling complex restaurant operations with ease. Waitstaff can input orders directly into handheld devices, sending them instantly to the kitchen, minimizing errors and reducing service time. These systems also handle split bills, digital payments, and tip management effortlessly, making the dining process smoother for guests and staff. Additionally, integrated POS systems provide valuable analytics, helping restaurant managers track sales, identify popular dishes, and improve operational efficiency.
Restroworks’ cloud POS enables restaurants to manage orders, table reservations, and server management. It simplifies restaurant management with powerful tools to enhance efficiency and customer experience. The centralized management system integrates reservations, loyalty programs, and online orders across all channels, streamlining operations and providing a tailored experience for guests. With open API integrations, Restroworks POS connects all facets of your restaurant, enabling the optimization of operations, the enhancement of customer satisfaction, and the promotion of revenue growth.
Expert Opinion
Zachary Weiner, Chief Financial Officer of Discover NIGHT, shares his insights on using restaurant POS software. He highlights how technology can streamline operations and improve overall efficiency:
“When a customer replaces an order at the counter, it automatically transmits the request to the kitchen for staff to prepare,” he explained. “This improved system is more accurate and less prone to human error, which helps improve customer satisfaction and boost employee morale.” – Zachary Weiner
Online Ordering System
Online ordering systems have become a game-changer, allowing restaurants to generate additional revenue by catering to off-premise customers. Guests can place orders through the restaurant’s website or app, enabling restaurants to reach a wider audience during slow hours. This technology increases revenue and creates a seamless experience for customers who prefer takeout or delivery. Easy to implement and integrate with existing POS systems, online ordering has proven invaluable for modern FOH operations, enhancing both convenience and profitability.
Customer Order Display System
Customer display systems are now vital in the restaurant industry, transforming how orders are placed and communicated. These systems enhance transparency by allowing customers to see their orders in real-time, reducing errors and fostering trust. They streamline operations, ensuring accurate orders are communicated efficiently between staff and guests. Additionally, customer display systems offer opportunities for dynamic promotions, such as showcasing advertisements or suggesting menu add-ons, which can boost revenue while maintaining a seamless and positive dining experience. In a time when efficiency, transparency, and customer satisfaction are critical for success, implementing a customer display system has become a necessity for restaurants seeking to remain competitive and provide exceptional service.
The Customer Order Display offered by Restroworks ensures efficient, real-time, and accurate order management, significantly improving transparency and guest satisfaction. This system allows customers to view their orders as they are being processed, mitigating confusion and fostering trust through a streamlined order-taking experience. Additionally, the system provides real-time promotions and auto-suggestions designed to enhance revenue by encouraging customers to consider add-ons and upsells.
Conclusion
The front of the house is crucial for delivering an exceptional dining experience, as it directly impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty. Front-of-house staff play a vital role by providing excellent customer service, maintaining a clean and safe environment, and ensuring smooth and efficient operations.
Restaurant owners must lead by example, set high service standards, and actively use customer feedback to drive improvements. Effective communication and collaboration between the front—and back-of-house teams are essential for operational success. POS systems and restaurant management software can also significantly enhance efficiency.
Continuous training and coaching empower staff to develop skills and consistently provide quality service. By adopting best practices in service, efficiency, and quality control, restaurants can create a positive and memorable dining experience that encourages guests to return.
The “front of the house” refers to the areas of a restaurant where customers interact with staff, such as the dining room staff, area, bar, and reception. It also encompasses all customer-facing roles.
FOH stands for “Front of House” and includes all spaces and staff directly serving and interacting with guests, such as waitstaff, hosts, bartenders, and bussers.
A waiter is part of the front-of-house team but not the entire team. The FOH also includes hosts, bartenders, and other customer-facing roles.
Front-of-house positions involve direct guest interaction, including host, server, bartender, and floor manager.
FOH commonly means “Front of House” in the restaurant and hospitality industries.
At a concert, FOH refers to the “Front of House” area, where sound and lighting engineers manage technical aspects for the audience.
FOH stands for “Front of House,” referring to customer-facing roles or areas in industries like restaurants, theaters, and concerts.
Being in front of the house means working in customer-facing roles, ensuring excellent service and a positive guest experience.
The term “House front” generally refers to a house’s exterior, visible part, such as its facade, and is not explicitly related to restaurants.
The front of the house includes all public areas where guests interact with staff, such as the dining room, bar, waiting area, and reception.
