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Topic 3 · Act 1 · 13 min

The F&B Team

Briefing Room

Remember from before

  • Name one step of the service cycle, greet to farewell.

Think first

A guest asks one small question. The whole table stops.

'Which red wine goes with the lamb?' The new waiter freezes. He does not know. He does not call anyone. He guesses — and gets it wrong.

The wine he should not have picked

Table 9 at the Marigold Palace. A regular guest, Mr. Mehta, is hosting friends.

Mr. Mehta

Young man, which of your reds will suit the lamb best?

Anjali

Anjali freezes. She does not know wine. But she does not want to look weak.

Anjali

Umm… this one, sir. It is very popular.

Mr. Mehta

It arrives. It is a sweet, light red — wrong for lamb. Mr. Mehta is too polite to complain, but the meal is dimmed.

Captain Rao

Anjali, you are a Commis. Wine is the Sommelier's table. One word — 'I'll fetch our wine expert' — and Mr. Mehta gets the perfect bottle.

Anjali

I thought asking for help would look bad, Captain.

Captain Rao

The opposite. Calling the right person is the trained thing. We are one chain, Anjali. Nobody serves alone.

Your guess first

A guest asks a wine question you can't answer. What is best?

Today's topic

The F&B Team

One team, one chain: know your place, call the right colleague.

Why it matters

When everyone does only their own job and calls the right person, service flows smooth and the guest never sees the gaps.

The words

Tap a card. Say it out loud together.

Watch how

  1. 1F&B Manager runs all the outlets — the top of the chain.
  2. 2Restaurant Manager (Maître d'hôtel) runs this floor.
  3. 3Captain (Chef de Rang) leads your section of tables.
  4. 4Commis de Rang (junior waiter) assists the Captain.
  5. 5Hostess / GRE greets and seats guests.
  6. 6Sommelier handles all wine; Bartender makes the drinks.
  7. 7Stewarding washes and cleans behind the scenes.
  8. 8Stuck? Tell your Captain first, or call the right expert.

Anjali: 'A fine choice, sir — let me bring our Sommelier to guide you.'

Anjali: guesses a bottle alone to look confident.

Calling the expert is not weak. It is the trained move.

Captain: 'Table 9 is yours, Commis — clear and refill, I will take the orders.'

Two waiters both rush Table 9; a third thinks someone else has it.

When everyone knows their role, no table is missed or doubled.

What would you do?

A guest asks you, a Commis, to recommend a wine for the lamb. What do you do?

A guest wants a special cocktail. Who makes it?

A guest in your section asks for the bill, but the Captain is across the floor. What do you do?

From the cycle lesson — what is raised right after the order is taken?

ChallengeTeams90s

Match the role

Match each team member to their main job.

  • Runs all the outlets
  • Runs the floor, seats VIPs
  • Leads a section, takes orders
  • Assists, clears and fetches
  • Greets guests at the door
  • Recommends and serves wine
  • Makes the drinks and cocktails
  • Washes dishes and cleans

Remember on the floor

  • The brigade is one chain — every link matters.
  • Do your own job well; don't do someone else's.
  • Stuck? Tell your Captain, or call the right expert.
  • Wine is the Sommelier's; drinks are the Bartender's.
  • Calling for help is the trained move, never a weak one.

Next: the many ways to serve a dish.

Capstone

Role-play on the floor

Assign brigade roles. As a team, run the start of one table — each person does only their job and calls the right colleague when needed.

Captain (Chef de Rang)

Lead the table, take the order, direct the Commis, call the Sommelier for wine.

Commis de Rang

Greet, pour water, fetch and clear — assist, do not take over.

Sommelier

Come when called, recommend a wine that suits the food.

GRE / Hostess

Welcome and seat the guest, then hand over to the Captain.

Model script — follow, then make it your own

GREGood evening, welcome. This way — your Captain will look after you.

CommisSome water while you settle, sir?

CaptainGood evening, I am your Captain tonight. May I take your order?

CaptainA wine to pair with that? Let me bring our Sommelier.

SommelierFor the lamb, sir, may I suggest a full-bodied red?

Success looks like

  • Each person did only their own job.
  • The Captain called the Sommelier for the wine question.
  • The Commis assisted but never took over.
  • Hand-offs were smooth — the guest never saw a gap.

Smooth service is a relay, not a solo. Know your link and pass cleanly to the next.