Food and Beverage Services
QUARTER 2 LAS Number 3
Name of Learner: Grade/Section:
Teacher: _________________________ Date Submitted:
LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS
TOPIC: TAKING FOOD AND BEVERAGE ORDERS
Background Information for Learners
Before orders can be taken, the dining guest need to know what food and
beverage items are provided by the restaurant. Hence, a menu must be presented to
the guest before taking orders.
Types of Menu
A menu is a list of all food and drinks that is offered in a food establishment
(e.g., restaurant, café, bar.) In a restaurant, there are two types of menu, which are
differentiated by the manners in which they are served and priced. A menu may be an
a la carte or table d’hôte.
1. A La Carte menu is a multiple choice menu, which shows portioned dishes and
each dish is priced separately. It allows the guests to choose dishes whose
prices are within his / her budget. In the a la carte menu, all items are cooked
to order including the sauces that are made with wine, cream, or mustard.
Depending on the dish chosen by the guest, the cooking time will vary. It is
necessary to inform the guests about the time the preparation might take
2. Table D’hôte is a French phrase, which literally means “host’s table”. It offers
one or more variants of each dish for fixed prices. Such menu may also be
called PRIX FIXE (“fixed price”). It usually includes three or five course meals
available at a fixed price. It is also referred to as a fixed menu. Because the
menu is set, the cutlery on the outside, working towards the plate as the courses
progress. Table D’hôte menus should be well-planned and balanced. As the
guest is not given a chance to plan his meal, the meal should be interesting,
without any similarly in the color and taste of the courses as well as being
palatable, delicious, and well-presented.
a. This menu can be expensive, but it also offers a variety of food choices.
Mostly found at chef-driven, fine-dining restaurants, a table d’hôte or
prix-fixe menu changes frequently and usually focused on seasonal
ingredients. Sometimes listed as the “chef tasting menu” or
“Degustation” menu, this type of menu is describe as showcasing the
chef’s flair for combining flavors and textures.”
Note: Practice Personal Hygiene protocols at all times. – M.Huliganga 1
Difference between A La Carte and Table D’hôte
A La Carte Table D’hôte
Food is kept in a semi-prepared form Food is kept in fully prepared form
and takes time to serve. and can be served immediately.
Food items are individually served and The menu is collectively priced and
guests pay for what they order. the costumer has to pay for the full
menu whether he consumes a
certain dish or not.
There is a vast choice. The menu is There is limited choice. The menu
elaborate. is comparatively small.
Silver is laid according to the dishes Silver for the whole menu is laid in
ordered. advance as the menu is known in
advance.
Other Types of Menu
Static Menu is the most common type of menu or pre-determined menu that
does not change every day. These menus are usually laminated for easy cleaning
and reuse. Fast food restaurants, chains, diners, and delis typically have static menus.
These menus are usually divided into categories of appetizers, salads and
soups, entrees, and desserts.
Some of the benefits of a static menu include increased familiarity among
guests, dish stability across different collections, and speedy production.
Disadvantages include difficulty finding seasonal ingredients, stale menu items and
the risk of having the customers bored.
Du Jour Menu or Daily Menu – “Du jour” translates to “of the day,” as in “soupe
du jour” or soup of the day. This menu changes daily and is focused on seasonal
ingredients, preparing the freshest food possible. While some restaurants offer daily
specials, every item on a du jour menu is special. Often called chalkboard menus
(because they are sometimes written as one), du jour menus highlights fresh fish
seasonal vegetables, and center on preparations in sync with the time of the year.
One of the throwbacks to the chalkboard menus is that there is a limited supply window
for certain ingredients and guest cannot come back for the same dish all year.
Cycle Menu is a set of dishes or menu items that is different for each day during
a cycle repeats. These menus are found in school cafeterias, hospitals and other
institutional facilities. The goal is to avoid boredom while keeping the dishes easy to
prepare. Cycles can run from one week to one month and beyond.
Breakfast Menu is fairly standardized. Most restaurants will offer a choice of
juices, cereals, eggs, breakfast meats like bacon, sausages and ham, waffles, or
pancakes with maple syrup. Bed and breakfast establishments generally serve a
choice of breads, jam, marmalade, tea, and coffee. Being the first meal, guest is in a
Note: Practice Personal Hygiene protocols at all times. – M.Huliganga 2
hurry and they went a quick service. Therefore, breakfast buffets are common in
outlets with brisk morning business.
Lunch Menu is composed mostly of light and often informal meals. Business-
persons prefer sandwiches, salad and soups due to limited time at lunch breaks. A
lunch menu must be easy to read and food included therein must be produced quickly.
Dinner Menu is more elaborate as guests have more time and leisure for
eating. Dinner menu has larger serving portions. As such, people are willing to pay
extra for these meals. Alcoholic drinks are an essential part of dinner menus.
California Menu features items that are traditionally available for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner offered throughout the day.
Dessert Menu is offered by restaurants that have good patisserie. They cater
to the public with a sweet tooth. Most outlets with this specially would have captive
confectionaries to give them an edge.
Tourist Menu is posted on the board outside a restaurant, usually with
attractive headline price, primarily designed to attract tourist. The tourist menu price
can seem a big saving on individual dishes but for a good reason. The portions are
typically smaller, the cuts of meats are often cheaper and the accompanying fries or
vegetables are less.
Menu Presentation
As soon as the captain waiter/ waiter or Maître D’ Hotel sees that all of the
guests are comfortably seated, he/she should now present the menu.
Important things to Remember:
Make sure menus are clean, presentable (not damaged) and correct (up-to-date).
Some menus may contain inserts such as the day’s special. Make sure all menus
have these inserts.
Never put the menus on the table where the guest has to pick them up. Instead,
offer menus to each guest, whenever possible; first to women in the party, then to
men and finally to the host.
Present menus with the right hand while standing on the right side of the guest,
maintaining eye contact with each other of the guest.
When handing out of the menus, ensure these are positioned the way, not the
upside down.
Open the menu on the first page while offering it to the guest. Hold the menu at
the upper part with your right hand, and when needed, assist with your left hand
the bottom part.
Present the menu when the guest is already comfortably and properly seated.
Menu should be presented right side up. One-piece menu is presented handed
cover face-ups. Book type with multiple sheet menus are presented on page of
first appropriate major course.
Hand menus to the guests with politeness and a smile accompanied with some
introductory suggestive selling recommending “Today’s Special,” for example.
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Correction of items in a menu should be in a very neat manner.
In presenting the menu, one can also say. “May I present to you our menu”.
A. Be sensible and allow the guests some to decide on what food and drink
they will order. Guests do not want being hurried into giving their decision. Thus, the
FBSA/Waiter must leave for a while (3-5 minutes) to allow guests to choose food and
drink from the menu. Say “Excuse me, Sir/Ma’am, may I present to you the menu. I
will be back for your orders in a short while.”
B. However, if the guests have questions about the menu or need guidance
to make appropriate choices, the FBSA/waiter may have to stay with the guests to
answer their queries.
Presenting the Menu and taking Orders
The following are pointers to observe when taking food orders.
Always have a sharp pencil or pen and order forms/slips/pads ready.
Approach the guest after you have given them the time to look at the menu. Sometimes
guests signal their readiness to order.
It may not be possible to identify the host/hostess, but if you can, approach his/her first
because he/she may wish to order for his/her guests.
If he/she does not begin, take the order from the female member to his/her right and go
clockwise. If there are children, begin with them.
Where there is a couple, approach the man first it they are ready to order.
Stand erect to the left of the guest with the order pad supported in palm of your hand and
ball pen ready.
Never trust your memory to the orders. Always jot them down together with other
instructions.
Incorporate suggestive selling techniques throughout the order-taking process. You could
say, “Would you like to start with a cocktail Sir/Ma’am?
Give attention to orders with special requests. Be sure you understand what each guest
wants. Repeat orders as you write down to prevent errors and guest displeasure.
Pay particular attention and variations of accompaniments with specific reference to
“doneness” of steak, fish of meat and condiment, sauce, dressing, among others.
Record proper sequence of serving starting with appetizer, soup, salad, entrée, main
course, dessert, and coffee.
Record when beverage is to be served.
It is very important to keep the sequence when you present food. In your notepad, you
have to write down both the sequence of the food and the name of the person who orders
it. Generally, it is done by clockwise direction.
First, take orders from the host and then start following to his right and give an identification
number to each guest. Another way is to give a number to the person who is seated near
the service door. You should plan some coding method by your own to easily understand
who order which food. As a professional server you should not ask “who ordered xyz or
serve the wrong food to a guest.
Generally, guests will order an appetizer first, then beverages, then main course, and lastly
some dessert items. If guest orders haphazardly, it is your duty to serve food according to
the sequence.
Give proper time to guests to enjoy their beverage items. If the glass gets empty, you can
graciously ask him whether he wants replenishments by saying this: “Would you like me
to replenish/ refill your glass, sir?”
If the guest in hurry and seeks your assistance, suggest to him some “ready to serve” food
items rather than “cooked to orders” items
Note: Practice Personal Hygiene protocols at all times. – M.Huliganga 4
Suggestive selling is a good skill to have for a waiter but you may want to identify the
guests you apply them to. If your guest is a couple or students, then it is advisable not to
suggest hugely expensive food. You have to keep increasing your sales but also
remember not to lead your guest into an embarrassing situation. Repeat then food items
and guest orders. Ask the client whether he wants to have anything else or not.
Be certain to write order in legible manner to save difficulties for everyone.
Before you place your order to the kitchen, check your situation first for other customers
who may want your attention.
Use appropriate and uniform abbreviations in your restaurant as directed by house policy.
Taking Food Orders
In taking food orders, make sure to follow the standard procedures. The following are
the common steps observed in most food serving establishment.
Steps Procedure Rationale/ Additional
Information
Approach Stand beside the guests. Look, A pleasant greeting with
the table and smile and greet him or her by the a warm smile gives an
stand at the name and title (if known). If not impression of
right side of known, address him with sir or graciousness and warm
the host. ma’am hospitality.
Present the Present it with the cover facing the Menu should be carried
menu. costumer if the menu is a book to the table properly.
type (several pages), if not,
present it open.
Take the Ask the guests if they are ready to If there is an honoree,
food order. order “May I take your order take his/her order first.
now?” Take the order beginning
with the ladies, then the
gentlemen and lastly the host.
Write down Write down in an order slip and For control purposes, no
the order. triplicate – one copy goes to the order will be dispatched
kitchen, one for the waiter, and from the kitchen without
one for the cashier. an without an order slip.
Take efforts Suggest appetizer, soup and To increase sales, sales
to sell a salads to complement the main use suggestive selling
complete dish; offer variety of items; when taking orders.
meal. suggest wines the will best Make suggestions that
compliment the meal. are suited to the age,
taste and needs of the
costumers.
If the order Tell the guest outright when his Never make a guests
is out of order is not available. wait for an order that is
stock, “I’m sorry sir, but we have run not available. This will
suggest short of ___. You might want to try irritate him. Suggest an
appropriate ___” (Mention the appropriate appropriate alternative
alternative or alternative/s). for out of stock items.
substitute.
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If applicable, Examples: “How would you like Care must be taken in
ask the guest the steak done? Rare, medium verifying orders and its
how he rare, medium, or well done?” preparation. Likewise,
wants his any special intrusion or
dish If an egg is ordered “How would request of the costumer
prepared. you like the egg done, sir?” regarding his order must
be properly disseminated
to the kitchen to make
sure the costumer gets
what he wants.
Write all Use a coding method in This will help in
orders in an identifying whoever orders each preventing any
order slip in time. Do not forget to write the embarrassing situation
triplicate. data, table number, dishes from arising whereby a
ordered together with the quantity wrong order is served to
and the manner of desired the costumer.
preparations. The name of Use standard
waiter/server must also be abbreviations that can be
indicated. understood by both the
waiters and the cook.
Repeat the As you repeat, mention the items This is important to
order to the ordered, number of orders, and prevent
customer. the manner of preparation. misunderstanding.
“May I repeat your order sir? You
will have 1 order of fillet-mignon- Get the menu book after
medium rare, one portion of getting the order.
minestrone soup and green salad.
Did I get your order right?”
Place the Give one copy of order slip to the
order to the food checker and another one for
kitchen. billing purposes. The last copy is
for the waiter.
When taking the orders, you should have with you an order slip so that you
can record the guests order in proper sequence. Below is a sample of an order
slip.
Sample Order Slip
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LEARNING ACTIVITY 1:
TRUE OR FALSE
Directions: Write T if the given statement is correct and F it is incorrect. Give
justifications if your answer is false. Write your answer in your notebook.
1. Upon presentation of the menu, request your guest to order, to ensure they will be
served right away.
2. Jot down on your order pad all the orders of your guest, including additional details
to ensure you do not forget any information.
3. Start taking the order of the ladies, then the other guests present at the table.
4. Repeating the guests’ orders ensures the kitchen staff will not make any
mistake in preparing the various food orders.
5. After all the guest have given their orders, it is polite to ask if they would like to order
more.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2:
Note: Practice Personal Hygiene protocols at all times. – M.Huliganga 7
Answer the following questions in your notebook.
1. Differentiate a la carte menu from a table d’ hotel menu.
2. Name at least five (5) types of menus, other than those mentioned in No. 1.
3. Give a brief description for each type.
4. Give a brief description for each type.
5. Why is it important that a Food and Beverage Service attendant (FBSA)/ Waiter
must be familiar with the menu of the restaurant where he/she is working
LEARNING ACTIVITY 3:
Directions: Answer the following questions. Write your answer in your notebook.
1. Enumerate the steps on taking the costumer’s order.
2. Give 5 things to remember when taking orders.
3. What is the important of remembering the sequence in taking orders?
LEARNING ACTIVITY 4: Multiple Choice
Directions: Read the following test items carefully and choose the correct answer
from the given choices. Write the letter of your answer in your notebook.
1. What do you called to the list of all food and drinks that is offered in a food
establishment?
a. Orders b. menu c. recipe d. static menu
2. Which of the following types of menu which shows portioned dishes and each dish
is priced separately? It allows the guest to choose whose prices are within his/her
budget.
a. table d’ hôte b. a la carte c. chef’s tasting menu d. static menu
3. Which of the following set of dishes or menu items that is different for each day
during a cycle repeat?
a. california Menu b.tourist menu c.breakfast menu d.cycle menu
4. Which of the following menus that is composed mostly of light and often informal
meals.
a. dessert menu b.lunch menu c.dinner menu d.california Menu
5. Which of the following menu that is offered by restaurants that have a good
patisserie? They cater to the public with a sweet tooth. Most outlets with this
specialty would have captive confectionaries to give them an edge.
a. dessert menu b.children’s menu c. dinner menu d. tourist menu
Note: Practice Personal Hygiene protocols at all times. – M.Huliganga 8
6. What kind of menu that is typically has burgers, fried chicken, hotdogs,
sandwiches, French fries, noodles, ice cream, and soft drinks? The serving
portions are usually smaller and are often priced lower.
a. children’s menu c. static menu
b. du jour menu or daily menu d. near the door
7. What will you do after escorting and seating the guests at their table?
a. Unfold the napkins and place them gently on each of the guest’s lap.
b. Present the menu with a pleasant smile.
c. Take the order cautiously.
d. Make suggestive selling.
8. Why do we need to lead or guide two customers to a two-seater table?
a. because there would be no space for four customers
b. because there could be space enough for them
c. because it may affect the profit of the day
d. because they are only two
9. Which of the following is the list of all the food and drinks being presented to the
guests for their choice?
a. electric tablet order c. order slip
b. menu d. point of sale
10. Which of the following type of menus offers a complete meal with a fixed price?
a. Table D’ Hole c. A La Carte
b. Du Jour Menu d. cycle menu
11. Which of the following is not a proper way of taking guest’s orders?
a. Write down the order in triplicate copies; one copy goes to the kitchen, one for
the waiter, and one for the cashier.
b. Take the order beginning with the ladies, then the host, lastly, the gentlemen.
c. Ask the customer if he is ready to order.
d. Repeat the orders of the guest.
12. What kind of menu features items that are traditionally available for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner offered throughout the day?
a. california menu c. dinner menu
b. dessert menu d. tourist menu
13. What do you call the most common type of menu that does not change every day?
a. a la carte b. cycle menu c. main menu d. static menu
14. Which of the following is the correct way of presenting the menu to the guest?
a. Present the menu at the upper part with your right hand and when needed,
assist with your left hand the bottom part.
b. Present the menu to the guest’s right side.
c. Present the menu in front of the guests.
d. Present the menu at the back of the guests.
15. Which of the following is the standard sequence of serving foods to the guests?
Note: Practice Personal Hygiene protocols at all times. – M.Huliganga 9
a. appetizer, soup, salad, main course, dessert
b. soup, salad, appetizer, main course, dessert
c. main course, dessert, appetizer, soup, salad
d. salad, soup, main course, dessert, appetizer
LEARNING ACTIVITY 5:
REFLECTION: On the space provided below, write a reflection about the topic that you have
learned today.
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Note: Practice Personal Hygiene protocols at all times. – M.Huliganga 10
