Rules for Laying a Guest Table

Objectives :

1. Lay a Table d'hôte and a' la carte (As per card/menu) cover for the different meals
2. Understand the do's and don't of table laying

Equipments :

 1. Table
2. Table Cloth
3. Napkins
4. Cutlery
5. Flatware
6. Hollowware
7. Glassware & Crockery required for basic food service


Activity:

1. Plan some standard Table d' hote (fixed) menu & try to set the cover required for all of the them
2. Also set up covers for a standard a la carte menu in a coffee shop & multi cuisine restaurant

The activity need a lot of personalized attention & practice. The following should be in kept in mind in this activity.
a . Put table & chairs in position & see to it that they are not wobbling. Nothing is worse than making your guest sit on a wobbling table.
 b . Ensure that the table & chairs are well cleaned

3. Check if the baize is in position.
4. The standard height of a restaurant table is 30” & that of a chair is 18” from bottom to seat.
5. Lay the table cloth squarely with its centre fold forming a clean line down the middle of the table it should have a fall of 9” – 12 “ on all sides. Ensure that the table cloth & linen is well cleaned & ironed. A decorative piece like a flower bud in a budvase is needed on all table .Avoid strong smelling flower which would interfere with the flavor of the food
6. Crockery , cutlery , flatware & glassware used on the cover should be spotlessly clean “Acover is the space required for placing all the silver, china, glasses and linen for one person “. The standard of a cover is 24” by 18” inches a specialty restaurant & 22” by 15 “in a coffee shop.
7. The silver placed on a table are placed from outside to inside. Only silver needed for a meal are placed on a cover.
8. Knives & spoon are placed on the right of the cover where as the fork are placed on the left .In exceptional cases the forks & spoons may interchange example spaghetti, noodles , omelette etc however knives should never be placed on the left of the cover.
9. The silver & glassware should be brought from the side board on a salver & never with bare hands. They should be handled with a waiter's cloth. Salver & trays should have a tray or salver cloth on them to reduce skidding. Today anti skid tray are also available in the market .Silver should be handled only with their handles & never on the blades. Similarly hold glass at their base & never on the bowl.
10. Not more than 3 knives can be placed on the cover.
 11. The water glass is placed on the tip of the large knife.
12. The butter dish is placed adjacent to the centre appointments budvase & cruet set. Place a butter knife alongside the butter dish.
13. A napkin is placed at the centre of the cover in an attractive fold. Tall fold are meant for dinner where as flat fold & short fold are for lunch .
14. All silver & crockery are placed half inch away from the edge of the table.
15. A quarter plate is placed on the left of the cover with its logo facing the customer. A side knife is placed on this plate with its cutting edge facing away from the cover
16. Lay covers exactly opposite to one another.
17. The logo on the centre appointments should face the main door.
18. All plates placed for service should have their logo facing the customer.
19. The cutting edge of all knives should face the same direction that means in wards, towards the cover with only the side knife being on the left facing away from the cover.
20. Do not repeat cutlery next to one another
21. When a menu is long, lay up to the main course & after clearance of main course bring the cutlery needed for the subsequent courses from the side board.
22. The dessert indicator is placed on the top of the cover with the spoon above of the fork spoon handle to the right & fork handle going to the left.
23. For every silver placed on the right of the cover there need s to be something on the left. The general exception to this rule is the soup spoon although there are some classical hors d'oeuvre (Appetiser dish) which need special services which may be in exception to this general rule.
24. Tea spoon, coffee spoon are always passed with the cups & are never placed on the cover.

Points to be Remembered

1. The rules of table laying are general indicators.
2. Establishments do change them for the sake of convenience.
3. These rules only help in bringing uniformity & standardization. They are general indications to help you set neat, balanced covers.
4. Do not over emphasize on rules & sacrifice convenience