3 Essentials Things You Need to Know About Foodservice Times

Customer satisfaction is the biggest concern for anyone working in the restaurant industry.

Happy customers come back, sometimes becoming regulars, and often bringing friends and family with them.

There are several factors that go into helping a customer enjoy their time in your restaurant and one of the biggest is foodservice times.

The 3 Essentials of Foodservice Time

What is foodservice time?

Foodservice time denotes how long it should take from the time a customer orders their food to the time the food is placed before them on the table to be enjoyed.

It isn’t an exact science, but there are a few things to keep in mind about foodservice timing.

1. Be Quick About Your Business

As a server, you might not necessarily have the ability to keep the exact time between when a food order is placed and when it is ready for consumption.

The important thing to keep in mind is promptness.

Once a customer has placed their order, you want to enter that order in as quickly as you can. Don’t rush! Double check before you send your orders to the kitchen.

Chefs, of course, play the major role of foodservice time. When an order comes in, you should start on it right away, but again, don’t rush if you can avoid it. Sometimes things can get a tad crazy in the kitchen, but rushing can cause mistakes and send-backs.

Read the ticket orders carefully and double check the food before putting it into the pick-up window.

2. Organization is Key

Keep your restaurant’s equipments organized. Keep your Robot coupe near your walk in cooler so your chefs can quickly get food in the cooler prepared. This also reduces the chance of an accident occurring.

It is also a good practice to organize your walk in coolers and storage areas by category such as dressing on one shelf, and then vegetables sorted by types on another.

3. A Short Guide to Foodservice Times

So you might be wondering if there are concrete foodservice times that you need to know. While there are no set times to memorize, you can keep a few general time ranges in mind based on the meal being served at the moment.

Appetizers should generally take between 5 to 7 minutes. Of course some appetizers, such as Buffalo wings, will take longer than, for example, spinach dip and pita.

If a customer orders an appetizer that may take longer than average, let them know.

Entrée timing is roughly 12 to 20 minutes. With meat such as steaks and hamburgers, timing will depend on the temperature that customers request. A well done burger will take longer than a medium rare one.

Desserts should roughly take about 2 to 5 minutes. Again, it really depends on the type of dessert being ordered.

Working with Foodservice Times

Everyone is a team when it comes to foodservice time.

Servers have to make sure they give the chefs all of the information regarding orders promptly and accurately, and chefs should prepare the meals quickly.

Both should be aware of general preparation times and foodservice time ranges. Organized restaurant equipment and walk-in coolers will help immensely as well.