Restaurant Terminology Guide List Continued

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

POS

P-O-S

Point of Sale system; used for ordering and payment

"The POS is down — use paper tickets for now."

Split check

split chek

Dividing the bill among multiple guests

"They want three split checks at table 11."

Void

voyd

To cancel an item on the bill

"Void the second beer — it was a mistake."

Tip out

tip owt

When servers share tips with support staff

"Don't forget to tip out your runner and busser."

Autograt

aw-toh-grat

Automatic gratuity

"Parties of 8+ get 20% autograt."

Gratuity

grah-too-ih-tee

Tip amount

"Suggested gratuity is 18-22%."

Cash out

kash owt

End-of-shift money settlement

"Cash out with the manager before leaving."

Drop

drop

Money taken to safe during shift

"Do a drop when you have over $200 in cash."

Bank

bank

Starting cash for making change

"Your bank tonight is $100."

Tender

ten-der

Form of payment

"What tender - cash or card?"

Merchant copy

mer-chent kop-ee

Restaurant's copy of credit card receipt

"Keep the merchant copy for records."

Tab

tab

Open bill for drinks

"Start a tab for the gentleman at the bar."

Check average

chek av-er-ij

Average bill per table

"Our check average is up this month."

Ticket time

tik-et tym

Time from order to delivery

"Keep ticket times under 15 minutes."

Ring in

ring in

Enter order into POS system

"Ring in table 4's appetizers first."

Fire

fye-er

Send order to kitchen

"Fire the entrees for table 7."

Modify

mod-ih-fy

Change an order item

"Modify the burger - no onions."

Comp

komp

Remove charge from bill

"Comp the appetizer for the wait."

Promo

proh-moh

Promotional discount

"Apply the happy hour promo."

No sale

noh sayl

Opening register without transaction

"Hit no sale to get change."

Payout

pay-owt

Cash given from register

"Do a payout for the delivery tip."

X-out

eks-owt

Mid-shift register reading

"Run an X-out to check sales."

Z-out

zee-owt

End-of-day register closing

"Don't forget to Z-out before leaving."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

COGS

C-O-G-S

Cost of goods sold

"Our COGS percentage is too high this month."

Cover count

kuh-ver kownt

Total customers served

"What was our cover count last night?"

P&L

P and L

Profit and loss statement

"Review the P&L before the meeting."

Prime cost

prime kost

Combined food and labor costs

"Keep prime cost under 60%."

Variance

vair-ee-ens

Difference between expected and actual usage

"There's a variance in our liquor inventory."

Covers per labor hour

kuh-vers per lay-ber owr

Productivity metric

"We need to improve covers per labor hour."

YTD

Y-T-D

Year-to-date metrics

"Our YTD sales are up 15%."

BEO

B-E-O

Banquet event order

"Check the BEO for dietary restrictions."

Labor cost

lay-ber kost

Employee wages as percentage of sales

"Labor cost should be under 30%."

Food cost

food kost

Ingredient cost as percentage of sales

"Food cost target is 28-32%."

Pour cost

por kost

Liquor cost as percentage of bar sales

"Pour cost should be around 20%."

Comp percentage

komp per-sen-tij

Free items as percentage of sales

"Keep comp percentage under 2%."

AUV

A-U-V

Average unit volume

"Our AUV is above industry standard."

Same store sales

saym stor saylz

Year-over-year comparison

"Same store sales are up 8%."

Ticket time

tik-et tym

Kitchen order completion time

"Average ticket time is 12 minutes."

Table turn

tay-buhl turn

How many times table is used per service

"We need better table turns on weekends."

RevPASH

rev-pash

Revenue per available seat hour

"Focus on RevPASH during slow periods."

Break-even

brayk-ee-ven

Point where revenue equals costs

"We hit break-even at 80 covers."

Controllable costs

kon-trohl-ah-buhl kosts

Expenses management can influence

"Focus on controllable costs this quarter."

Fixed costs

fikst kosts

Expenses that don't change with sales

"Rent is our biggest fixed cost."

Variable costs

vair-ee-ah-buhl kosts

Expenses that change with sales volume

"Food costs are variable costs."

Margin

mar-jin

Profit percentage on sales

"Our margin on drinks is 75%."

Overhead

oh-ver-hed

Indirect operating expenses

"Overhead includes utilities and insurance."

Budgeted vs. actual

buhj-it-ed vs ak-choo-uhl

Planned versus real performance

"We're over budget on labor this week."

Inventory turnover

in-ven-tor-ee turn-oh-ver

How quickly inventory is used

"Our inventory turnover is 8 times per year."

Shrinkage

shring-kij

Loss of inventory (theft, waste, etc.)

"Shrinkage is affecting our food cost."

Recipe costing

res-ih-pee kost-ing

Calculating dish profitability

"Update recipe costing for menu pricing."

Menu engineering

men-yoo en-jih-neer-ing

Analyzing menu item profitability

"Menu engineering shows which items to promote."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

FIFO

FY-fo

First in, first out (inventory rotation)

"Use FIFO when stocking the walk-in."

HACCP

has-ip

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points

"Follow HACCP procedures for food storage."

Shelf life

shelf life

Product usability duration

"Check the shelf life on that dairy."

QSR

Q-S-R

Quick service restaurant

"This is a QSR operation, not fine dining."

PDR

P-D-R

Preliminary damage report

"File a PDR for the broken equipment."

TCS

T-C-S

Time/temperature control for safety

"TCS foods must be kept at proper temps."

Critical control point

krit-ih-kuhl kon-trohl poynt

Step where hazards can be controlled

"Cooking temperature is a critical control point."

Cross contamination

kross kon-tam-ih-nay-shun

Transfer of harmful bacteria between foods

"Prevent cross contamination with separate cutting boards."

Sanitize

san-ih-tyz

Reduce bacteria to safe levels

"Sanitize all surfaces after each use."

Clean

kleen

Remove visible dirt and debris

"Clean the grill grates before sanitizing."

Date dot

dayt dot

Label showing prep or expiration date

"Put date dots on all prepped items."

Temperature log

tem-per-ah-cher lawg

Record of equipment temperatures

"Update the temperature log every 2 hours."

Corrective action

kor-ek-tiv ak-shun

Steps taken when standards aren't met

"Document corrective actions in the log."

Cold chain

kohld chayn

Maintaining proper refrigeration

"Don't break the cold chain during delivery."

Danger zone

dayn-jer zohn

Temperature range 41-135°F where bacteria grows

"Keep food out of the danger zone."

PPE

P-P-E

Personal protective equipment

"Wear proper PPE when handling chemicals."

SDS

S-D-S

Safety data sheet

"Check the SDS before using new chemicals."

Slip-resistant

slip ree-zis-tent

Non-slip footwear requirement

"All kitchen staff must wear slip-resistant shoes."

Lockout/Tagout

lok-owt tag-owt

Safety procedure for equipment maintenance

"Follow lockout/tagout before servicing equipment."

Emergency procedures

ee-mer-jen-see proh-see-jerz

Actions during emergencies

"Review emergency procedures monthly."

Food handler certification

food han-dler ser-tih-fih-kay-shun

Required food safety training

"All staff need current food handler certification."

Allergen protocols

al-er-jen proh-toh-kolz

Procedures for allergen management

"Follow allergen protocols for all orders."

Workers' compensation

wur-kers kom-pen-say-shun

Insurance for work injuries

"Report injuries for workers' compensation."

OSHA compliance

OH-shah kom-ply-ens

Occupational safety standards

"Ensure OSHA compliance in all procedures."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Signature dish

sig-nah-cher dish

Restaurant's specialty or famous item

"The lobster bisque is our signature dish."

Daily special

day-lee spesh-uhl

Limited-time menu item

"Today's special is pan-seared salmon."

Chef's choice

shefs choys

Items selected by the chef

"Try the chef's choice tasting menu."

Seasonal

see-zuh-nuhl

Items available during specific seasons

"Our seasonal menu features spring vegetables."

Market price

mar-ket prys

Price varies based on current market cost

"Oysters are market price today."

Gluten-free

gloo-ten free

Without gluten protein

"We have several gluten-free options."

Vegan

vee-gan

No animal products

"The pasta primavera can be made vegan."

Vegetarian

vej-ih-tair-ee-an

No meat, but may include dairy/eggs

"Our vegetarian burger is very popular."

Organic

or-gan-ik

Grown without synthetic chemicals

"We use organic greens in our salads."

Farm-to-table

farm too tay-buhl

Local, fresh ingredients

"Our farm-to-table approach ensures freshness."

Sustainable

suh-stay-nah-buhl

Environmentally responsible sourcing

"We serve sustainable seafood only."

Allergen

al-er-jen

Substance that causes allergic reactions

"Please inform us of any allergens."

Modification

mod-ih-fih-kay-shun

Change to standard preparation

"We can accommodate most modifications."

Side substitution

syd suhb-stih-too-shun

Replacing one side with another

"Side substitutions may have an upcharge."

Add-on

ad-awn

Extra item for additional cost

"Bacon is a $3 add-on."

Portion size

por-shun syz

Amount of food served

"Our portion sizes are generous."

Presentation

prez-en-tay-shun

Visual appearance of dish

"Presentation is important for Instagram photos."

Plating

playt-ing

Arranging food on the plate

"Focus on clean, attractive plating."

Garnish

gar-nish

Decorative food element

"Finish with a parsley garnish."

Sauce on the side

saws awn thuh syd

Dressing or sauce served separately

"Can I get the dressing on the side?"

Keto-friendly

kee-toh frend-lee

Low carbohydrate, high fat

"We have several keto-friendly options."

Paleo

pay-lee-oh

Diet based on ancient eating patterns

"The grilled salmon is paleo compliant."

Plant-based

plant bayst

Made entirely from plants

"Our plant-based burger is very popular."

Dairy-free

dair-ee free

Contains no dairy products

"This dessert is dairy-free."

Nut-free

nuht free

Contains no tree nuts or peanuts

"Our nut-free kitchen prevents cross contamination."

Low-sodium

loh soh-dee-uhm

Reduced salt content

"We offer low-sodium preparations."

Calorie count

kal-or-ee kownt

Nutritional information

"Calorie counts are listed on our menu."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Third-party delivery

thurd par-tee deh-liv-er-ee

External delivery services

"We're on all third-party delivery platforms."

Ghost kitchen

gohst kich-en

Delivery-only restaurant

"Our ghost kitchen operates three brands."

Virtual restaurant

vur-choo-uhl res-tor-ant

Online-only concept

"The virtual restaurant has no dining room."

Cloud kitchen

klowd kich-en

Shared commercial kitchen space

"We operate from a cloud kitchen facility."

DoorDash

dor-dash

Popular delivery platform

"Check the DoorDash tablet for orders."

Uber Eats

oo-ber eets

Uber's delivery service

"Uber Eats commission is 30%."

Grubhub

gruhb-huhb

Online ordering and delivery

"Grubhub order ready for pickup."

Commission

koh-mish-un

Platform fee percentage

"Delivery commission cuts into profits."

Packaging

pak-ij-ing

Containers for takeout/delivery

"Use eco-friendly packaging for all orders."

Delivery window

deh-liv-er-ee win-doh

Estimated delivery time

"The delivery window is 30-45 minutes."

Curbside pickup

kurb-syd pik-uhp

Customer stays in car

"We offer contactless curbside pickup."

Order ahead

or-der ah-hed

Pre-ordering for later pickup

"Customers can order ahead through our app."

Delivery radius

deh-liv-er-ee ray-dee-us

Geographic delivery area

"Our delivery radius is 5 miles."

Driver app

dry-ver ap

Platform for delivery drivers

"Check the driver app for delivery status."

Insulated bag

in-suh-lay-ted bag

Temperature-controlled delivery bag

"Use insulated bags to keep food hot."

ETA

E-T-A

Estimated time of arrival

"Driver ETA is 15 minutes."

Contactless delivery

kon-takt-les deh-liv-er-ee

No-contact delivery option

"Choose contactless delivery for safety."

Tamper-evident

tam-per ev-ih-dent

Sealed packaging for security

"All orders use tamper-evident seals."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Plancha

plahn-chah

Flat iron cooking surface

"Sear the vegetables on the plancha."

Combi oven

kom-bee uhv-en

Combination convection/steam oven

"Use the combi oven for moist cooking."

Immersion blender

ih-mer-shun blen-der

Handheld blending tool

"Use the immersion blender for soups."

Food processor

food proh-ses-or

Electric chopping/mixing machine

"Dice the onions in the food processor."

Stand mixer

stand miks-er

Large electric mixer

"Mix the dough in the stand mixer."

Blast chiller

blast chil-er

Rapid cooling equipment

"Blast chill the cooked chicken safely."

Induction cooktop

in-duhk-shun kook-top

Magnetic cooking surface

"The induction cooktop heats quickly."

Convection oven

kon-vek-shun uhv-en

Fan-circulated oven

"Convection oven cooks more evenly."

Deep fryer

deep fry-er

Oil-heated cooking vessel

"Filter the deep fryer oil daily."

Griddle

grid-uhl

Flat cooking surface

"Cook the pancakes on the griddle."

Charbroiler

char-broyl-er

Open-flame grill

"Mark the steaks on the charbroiler."

Steam table

steem tay-buhl

Hot food holding equipment

"Keep the vegetables warm in the steam table."

Prep sink

prep sink

Designated washing station

"Wash all produce in the prep sink."

Hand sink

hand sink

Handwashing-only sink

"Use only the hand sink for handwashing."

Dish machine

dish mah-sheen

Automated dishwasher

"Run the dish machine every 2 hours."

Preventive maintenance

pree-ven-tiv mayn-teh-nens

Scheduled equipment upkeep

"Schedule preventive maintenance monthly."

Calibration

kal-ih-bray-shun

Accuracy adjustment

"Calibrate thermometers weekly."

Work order

wurk or-der

Maintenance request form

"Submit a work order for the broken mixer."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Onboarding

awn-bord-ing

New employee orientation

"Complete onboarding before first shift."

Cross-training

kross tray-ning

Learning multiple positions

"Cross-training improves scheduling flexibility."

Shift leader

shift lee-der

Supervisor for specific shifts

"The shift leader handles daily operations."

Line training

lyn tray-ning

Kitchen station instruction

"New cooks need two weeks line training."

ServSafe

serv-sayf

Food safety certification program

"All managers need ServSafe certification."

Tip pool

tip pool

Shared tip distribution system

"Tips go into the tip pool for equal sharing."

Schedule

sked-yool

Work time assignments

"The schedule is posted every Thursday."

Call-in

kawl-in

Employee absence notification

"Call-in at least 2 hours before shift."

No-call/no-show

noh-kawl noh-shoh

Absent without notification

"No-call/no-show results in termination."

Double shift

duh-buhl shift

Working two consecutive shifts

"Can you work a double shift tomorrow?"

Split shift

split shift

Two shifts with break between

"Split shifts are common in restaurants."

Closing duties

kloh-zing doo-teez

End-of-shift responsibilities

"Complete all closing duties before leaving."

Opening duties

oh-pen-ing doo-teez

Start-of-shift responsibilities

"Opening duties include equipment checks."

Performance review

per-for-mens ree-vyoo

Employee evaluation

"Annual performance reviews are in January."

Write-up

ryt-uhp

Disciplinary documentation

"Tardiness resulted in a write-up."

Probation

proh-bay-shun

Trial employment period

"New hires are on 90-day probation."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Instagram-worthy

in-stah-gram wur-thee

Visually appealing for social media

"Make every plate Instagram-worthy."

Food photography

food foh-tog-rah-fee

Professional food images

"Good food photography drives sales."

Hashtag

hash-tag

Social media categorization tool

"Use relevant hashtags for posts."

Influencer

in-floo-en-ser

Social media personality

"Local food influencers boost visibility."

User-generated content

yoo-zer jen-er-ay-ted kon-tent

Customer-created posts

"Encourage user-generated content."

Check-in

chek-in

Social media location tag

"Customers can check-in on Facebook."

Review platform

ree-vyoo plat-form

Sites for customer feedback

"Monitor all review platforms daily."

Yelp

yelp

Popular review website

"Respond to all Yelp reviews promptly."

Google Reviews

goo-guhl ree-vyooz

Google's review system

"Google Reviews affect local search."

Online reputation

awn-lyn rep-yoo-tay-shun

Digital brand perception

"Manage online reputation carefully."

Social media manager

soh-shuhl mee-dee-ah man-ij-er

Person handling online presence

"Our social media manager posts daily."

Content calendar

kon-tent kal-en-der

Planned posting schedule

"Follow the content calendar for consistency."

Engagement rate

en-gayj-ment rayt

Social interaction percentage

"Our engagement rate is above average."

Viral

vy-ruhl

Widely shared content

"That dish photo went viral."

Brand awareness

brand ah-wair-nes

Recognition in the market

"Social media builds brand awareness."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Cloud-based

klowd bayst

Software hosted on internet servers

"Our POS system is cloud-based."

Integration

in-teh-gray-shun

Systems working together

"POS integration with inventory management."

Dashboard

dash-bord

Summary display of key metrics

"Check the sales dashboard hourly."

Real-time

reel tym

Information updated instantly

"Real-time inventory tracking prevents stockouts."

Analytics

an-ah-lit-iks

Data analysis for insights

"Use analytics to identify trends."

Reporting

ree-port-ing

Generating data summaries

"Weekly reporting helps track performance."

Backup

bak-uhp

Data protection copy

"Ensure system backup runs nightly."

Update

uhp-dayt

Software improvement installation

"Install the POS update tonight."

User interface

yoo-zer in-ter-fays

How users interact with system

"The new user interface is intuitive."

Troubleshooting

truh-buhl-shoot-ing

Problem-solving technical issues

"Basic troubleshooting can solve most problems."

Tech support

tek suh-port

Technical assistance service

"Call tech support for major issues."

Digital ordering

dij-ih-tuhl or-der-ing

Online/app-based ordering

"Digital ordering is increasing rapidly."

QR code

Q-R kohd

Scannable digital menu link

"Each table has a QR code for the menu."

Contactless payment

kon-takt-les pay-ment

Payment without physical contact

"We accept contactless payment methods."

Mobile app

moh-byl ap

Restaurant's smartphone application

"Order through our mobile app for rewards."

Loyalty program

loy-uhl-tee proh-gram

Customer retention system

"Join our loyalty program for points."

Digital wallet

dij-ih-tuhl wal-et

Electronic payment method

"We accept all digital wallet payments."

AI ordering

A-I or-der-ing

Artificial intelligence recommendations

"AI ordering suggests popular items."

Kitchen display system

kich-en dis-play sis-tem

Digital order screens

"Kitchen display system replaced paper tickets."

Inventory management

in-ven-tor-ee man-ij-ment

Stock tracking software

"Automated inventory management prevents waste."

Staff scheduling app

staf sked-yool-ing ap

Digital schedule management

"Use the staff scheduling app for shifts."