Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Context/Example |
86 (eighty-six) | ay-tee-siks | Item is out of stock or unavailable; also used to mean removing someone from the premises | "We're 86'd on the lasagna, inform the servers." |
À la carte | ah lah kart | A menu where each dish is individually priced | "We offer both prix fixe and à la carte dining." |
À la mode | ah lah mohd | Served with ice cream, typically with desserts | "Apple pie à la mode is our most popular dessert." |
Allergy alert | al-er-jee ah-lert | Notification of a guest's food allergy requiring kitchen awareness | "Table 4 has an allergy alert — severe nut allergy." |
Amuse-bouche | ah-mooz-boosh | Complimentary bite-sized appetizer sent from the kitchen | "Send out the amuse-bouche to table 6." |
Back of House (BOH) | bak uhv hows | The kitchen and all non-guest-facing areas of the restaurant | "BOH needs to finish prepping before dinner rush." |
Bump bar | buhmp bar | Display screen or device in the kitchen used to manage and clear orders | "Hit the bump bar when the dish is ready to go." |
Callback | kawl-bak | Confirming reservations by phone ahead of time | "Do callbacks for all Friday reservations." |
Camper | kam-per | A guest who remains at the table long after finishing their meal | "Table 7 are campers — they've been here 3 hours." |
Chafing dish | chay-fing dish | A serving vessel that uses indirect heat to keep food warm during service | "Set up the chafing dishes for the buffet." |
Chit | chit | Kitchen order ticket accompanying a dish or docket | "Make sure the chit matches the order." |
Closing | kloh-zing | End of business day duties and procedures | "Who's on closing tonight?" |
Cover | kuhv-er | A single guest is used to count the total customers served in a service | "We did 120 covers last night — great shift!" |
Covers per hour | kuhv-erz per owr | A metric used to measure the speed and efficiency of service | "We're averaging 15 covers per hour." |
Cut | kuht | Releasing staff early when service is slow | "It's quiet — let's cut two servers." |
Dead | ded | A slow period with very few customers | "It's dead tonight, we can cut staff early." |
Deuce | dyoos | A table set or reserved for two people | "Set the next party at the deuce by the window." |
Double | duh-buhl | Working two consecutive shifts in one day | "She's pulling a double today — lunch and dinner." |
Drop | drop | Deliver the food or the bill to a table | "Drop the check when they're ready." |
Expo / Expeditor | eks-poh / eks-ped-ih-ter | The person who coordinates the pass between the kitchen and FOH, checking dishes before they leave | "The expo checks every plate before it goes out." |
Family meal | fam-ih-lee meel | Staff meal prepared and eaten before service begins | "Family meal is at 4 PM sharp." |
Fire | fyr | Kitchen command to begin cooking a dish immediately | "Fire table 5's mains now." |
Floor plan | floor plan | Diagram showing table layout and section assignments | "Check the floor plan for tonight's reservations." |
Four-top | for-top | A table seating four guests | "The four-top in section 3 needs menus." |
Front of House (FOH) | fruhnt uhv hows | The guest-facing area of the restaurant, including the dining room and bar | "FOH staff must be in full uniform before service." |
Gratuity | gruh-tyoo-ih-tee | Tip left by the guest or added automatically to the bill | "A 15% gratuity is suggested on all bills." |
Hold | hohld | Kitchen instructions to delay cooking or sending out a dish | "Hold the desserts — table 2 isn't ready." |
Hors d'oeuvre | or durv | Small bite-sized appetisers served before or at the start of a meal | "Pass the hors d'oeuvres to table 8." |
In the weeds | in thuh weedz | Overwhelmed or falling behind during service | "Table 3's server is in the weeds — someone assist." |
Mise en place | meez ahn plahs | Everything in its place; complete pre-service setup and organisation | "Before the shift starts, make sure your mise en place is done." |
No show | noh shoh | A reservation that fails to arrive without cancellation | "Table 15 is a no-show; release it." |
On the fly | on thuh fly | A dish or item needed immediately, often to correct an error | "I need a Caesar salad on the fly for table 8." |
Opening | oh-pen-ing | Start of business day duties and procedures | "Who's opening tomorrow morning?" |
POS (Point of Sale) | pee-oh-es | The system used to enter orders and process payments | "Enter all modifications into the POS." |
Prix fixe | pree feeks | A fixed-price menu offering a set number of courses | "Tonight's prix fixe menu features three courses." |
Push | push | A dish or item that the kitchen or management wants to sell quickly | "The salmon is tonight's push — mention it to every table." |
Reservation | rez-er-vay-shun | An advance booking for a table at a specific time | "Check the reservation book for party size." |
Rush | ruhsh | Peak service period with a high volume of guests | "Get ready for the dinner rush." |
Section | sek-shun | A designated group of tables assigned to one server | "You have section 2 tonight — four tables." |
Service charge | ser-vis charj | An automatic gratuity is added to the bill, common for large parties | "Parties of 6 or more have an 18% service charge." |
Shift | shift | A scheduled work period for staff | "The dinner shift starts at 5 PM." |
Side work list | syd werk list | Written checklist of non-serving duties assigned to staff | "Check your side work list before the rush." |
Six-top | siks-top | A table seating six guests | "The six-top in the private room is confirmed for 8 PM." |
Soft open | sawft oh-pen | A trial service period before official opening, often with limited guests | "We're doing a soft open this weekend for friends and family." |
Table d'hôte | tah-bluh doht | A complete meal offered at a fixed price with limited or no choices | "The table d'hôte includes soup, entrée, and dessert." |
Turn tables | turn tay-buhlz | Clearing and resetting a table quickly to seat the next guests | "Let's turn the tables 12 — we have a waitlist." |
Upsell | uhp-sel | Encouraging guests to choose higher-priced items or add-ons | "Always upsell the wine pairing with the tasting menu." |
VIP | vee-eye-pee | A guest requiring special attention or recognition | "Table 9 is a VIP — the owner's guest." |
Void | voyd | Cancelling an item or transaction in the POS system | "Void that last drink — wrong table." |
Waitlist | wayt-list | A queue of guests waiting for a table when the restaurant is full | "Put them on the waitlist for the next available table." |
Walk | wawk | A guest who leaves without paying their bill | "Did table 9 just walk on their check?" |
Walk-in | wawk-in | A guest who arrives without a reservation | "We have three walk-ins waiting." |
Weeded | wee-ded | A staff member who is overwhelmed and behind during service | "Chef is weeded — don't add more to his section." |