Waitstaff Training: How to Set Up a Table – The Team

How to set up a table?

Here you can read what you need to assemble a table, what you should take into account and how to do it correctly. It has very detailed information and I want to show you the procedure for a fully set table in an elegant environment.

Setting up the tables of your restaurant completely and completely is one of the essential and really important procedures. How do you want to receive, seat and provide a pleasant dining experience for your guests, if the tables are not set correctly? Without it you cannot start your service!

What do you need?

Here is the list of items you need to set up a table:

• Appropriate size tablecloths, make sure it is washed, ironed and free of holes and stains
• Appropriate underlay (molton) to make the table feel smooth and to avoid noise when placing anything on the table such as plates, glasses, etc. Restaurants often use two different types of tablecloths (large and small) to create a more pleasant atmosphere, prevent noise, and can make it quicker to change tablecloths, because often only the small cover needs to be changed.
• Iron golden vapor
• show dish load of gold
• Cutlery, depending on the preset style. Here I like to use starter and main course cutlery to set up. This makes it easier to adapt to your restaurant. so you need main dish (meat) fork and knife plus fork and starter knife.
• bread and butter plate (BED AND BREAKFAST)
• bed and breakfast knife
• dessert fork or any other small fork for eating the Amuse bouche (a small delicacy created by the Chef, served complimentary to guests at the beginning of the meal). Sometimes a small spoon (coffee spoon) may be necessary.
• Napkins folded according to the standards, theme or style of the restaurant
• Glassware, again in keeping with the style of the restaurant. In this case I like to set up a glass of water / cup, glass of red and white wine.
• fresh flower or any other decoration for the table in keeping with the theme of the restaurant
• chandelier with a new candle, set by restaurant standards

All mentioned glassware, cutlery and crockery must be spotlessly clean, polished and free of watermarks. That also means that glassware, especially, must be free of odours!

Also, all equipment must be free of damage, chips, marks and/or fingerprints!

How many of each you need depends, of course, on how many people you want to set up for. Now, we want to set up a table for two diners, seated facing each other, an independent independent table with 4 chairs.

I assume this table will be set for dinner, because in that case, we need the most equipment and the service will be more sophisticated (but again, depending on the restaurant).

How to do it?

Once all the equipment has been collected, we can now begin to prepare the table. This table will set up for 2 dinner guests, seated across from each other and at a freestanding table with 4 chairs.

1. check the table and make sure it is stable, does not wobble (ie tighten screws under table legs, put a piece of cork under leg, etc. if it wobbles) and that there is enough clearance for the following seating arrangement, so as to ensure that there are no slats, holes, broken edges, or other irregularities in the table.
2. lay the foundation (tablecloth or thin rubber mat) on the table. If using a tablecloth: Handle it carefully and hold only the edges with your fingertips. Avoid wrinkles and stains at all times. Make sure the fabric is centered with the same length hanging on all sides. For the thin rubber mat: Place it centered and make sure it lays flat with no ripples or wrinkles and the entire table top is covered to prevent glasses or other equipment from tipping over. Also, the fold around the edges of the fabric should face down.
3. Leave the overlap as established by restaurant standards. There are different styles to do that, but you want to make sure you handle the fabric carefully and touch it as little as possible to avoid here again, wrinkles and stains. It should be centered and hanging the same length on all sides.
4. iron or steam Tablecloths thoroughly to remove all remaining wrinkles on top and sides. Make sure the iron has a clean surface! You may need to iron the cloth before putting it on the table.
5. set presentation board (or charger) in the middle of the table, one model’s distance from the edge. If you are using a second plate on top of the display plate, place it in the center of the first. Make sure the plates are polished, shiny, clean, not damaged, chipped or broken.
6. Placing the cutlery is the next step. Place the entrée knife on the right hand side of the platen, one fingernail from the edge of the table and only 2-3mm from the platen. The sheet facing the display plate on the left side. Next to it, on the right side, is the appetizer knife. The distance between both knives should not exceed 2-3 mm too, but not touching each other. The main course fork goes on the left side of the presentation plate in the same way as the main course knife, only 2-3mm away from the presentation plate and a minimum distance from the edge of the table. The appetizer fork goes to the left of the main course fork, at a distance of 2-3 mm from each other (measured at the thickest part, the rakes of the fork). Both forks and knives are placed at an exact 90 degree angle to the edge of the table.
7. Placement of plate and knife B&B: The plate should be placed to the left side of the appetizer fork and 2 inches from the edge of the table (there are many opinions here on where the plate should be placed. Ask your manager how it is done in his restaurant.) Place the B&B knife on the right side of the B&B plate (in the middle of the right half of the plate), resting on the edge and parallel to the appetizer fork.
8. Napkin it could go in the center of the display plate. Napkin placements always depend on the shape, style, folding, ambiance and atmosphere of the restaurant, but always make sure you touch your napkins as little as possible as your guests will most likely use them for their mouths. or around it.
9. Add the glasses to assembly. There we have three glasses, a glass of red wine, a glass of white wine and a glass of water (water glass). The first glass you put on the table is the glass of red wine, since it is the one that will most likely be used for the main course. Place it on top of the entrée knife, so the center of the stem lines up with the knife. The height above the knife varies depending on the style of the glass. It can be a line or a group. Let’s do it in one line. Adjust the distance to the entrée knife so that the glass of white wine can fit under it without touching the cutlery. The white wine glass goes on the right side of the red wine glass at a 45 degree angle below it. The distance between the two glasses should be as close as possible, but they should not touch each other. The thickness of a postcard is just perfect. Now the glass of water is again placed at a 45 degree angle below and to the right side of the glass of white wine. Most likely, this glass is off the appetizer knife. Again, the distance between the glass of water and the glass of white wine should not exceed the thickness of a postcard. In case the configuration is a cluster. Simply move the glass of water over the wine glasses, so that it forms a triangle. The same rules for distances also apply.
10. Glassware handling: Always handle glassware with care. It is better to carry less than to drop and/or break them. Hold wine glasses by the stem and carry them on or dangle between your fingers. Never touch the glass itself, because you will leave fingerprints on it.
11. Flowers and candles and table decoration. They are usually on all the tables. Salt and pepper are adjusted depending on the restaurant, as well as other equipment and seasonings. Vases are placed in the middle or on one side of the table. It also applies to candles and other decorative items. Make sure the flowers and all other equipment and condiments are fresh, clean, and not damaged, chipped, or broken. Also, the flowers should be checked for cobwebs and other insects.

To get a totally symmetrical, clean and organized impression of the table when guests arrive and take their seats, here are some tips on how you can achieve it:

1. Place display plates exactly across from each other and in the middle of the table on each side.
2. Line up the silverware so they are also exactly opposite each other, so the entrée knife is in line with the entrée fork and the appetizer knife is lined up with the appetizer fork.
3. The glasses should look parallel to each other, if they are placed in a line.
4. The chairs are rounding off the whole picture. These need to be absolutely clean (sometimes they have gaps between the seat, armrests and back – check in between!), stable and free of wobbling. Adjust them so that the plates are front and center on the display and the tablecloth does not touch the chair. Which means that the chair should not move under the table, but this also depends on the restaurant.
5. At the end, take a good look at the entire setup and make sure that all items are placed correctly, clean, undamaged, and in perfect condition.

The same procedure can be applied to seating arrangements for four or more guests. Very important is always the alignment of cutlery, dishes and glassware.

That’s all for the beginning. Give it a try and you’ll see after a few times that it’s not that hard!

Serve others and make a difference!

your martin