20 This glossary is about the catering industry, in which I work and want to study. terms
I made this glossary because I have been working in the catering industry for many years now and there are words that you need to know if you want to be productive in this domain of expertise or if you want to learn this job easily. These words are all from the catering industry jargon.
This glossary has been adapted to include all gender identities. The terms "they" and "them" are sometimes used for the third person singular (non-binary).
Barman-barmaid
Noun
They prepare the cocktail orders and sometimes close the bills.
Example: Hey barman, can you add more lemon to this cocktail?
en: (Even in Quebec establishments where we speak French, we use the words busboy-busgirl)
Book a table
Verb + Noun
When a table is reserved for customers.
Example: Sorry, you can't sit there : this table is booked for a reservation.
en: "Booker" une table (again, an expression with an anglicism modified)
Busboy-busgirl
Noun
The busgirl-busboy is responsible for picking up the empty plates, glasses and used ustensils on the tables. They also need to clean up the tables when the clients are gone and to fill up the water glasses when empty.
Example: The busboy deserved the 308 table, it's ready to welcome new customers.
en: (Even in Quebec establishments where we speak French, we use the words busboy-busgirl)
Chef
Noun
They are responsible for the whole « kitchen » part of the restaurant : they organise the cook and dishwasher’s schedule, orchestrate the meal preparation, form new employees, manage the inventory, create new meals, etc.
Example: Can you ask the chef if he can do this salad with more veggies please?
en: Chef-cheffe de cuisine
Close a table / a bill
Verb + noun
This is the moment when the waiter-waitress enters the amount of tip given in the system and the type of payment (paid with debit card, credit cart or cash). At that moment, the system designates the table as "closed", which means a new group of clients can use the table at the moment the first customers leave it.
Example: I can place the reservation at my table, I just need to close the bill first.
en: Fermer la table, fermer le "bill" (these expressions are more often used in English than translated).
Cook
Noun
They work in the kitchen and prepare the different meals.
Example: Tell the cook the 205 canceled their order for the desert.
en: Cuisinier-cuisinière
Deposit
Noun
It’s the calculations every employee who dealt with cash has to do at the end of the shift. They have to close all tables they had and print their receipt of "end of day" so the system can restart for the next day. The deposit contains the "end of day" paper, all the receipts of card payments and all the cash they have been given for payment.
Example: Next time, can you put the deposit with the money in my office?
en: Dépôt de fin de journée
Dishwasher
Noun
This person washes the dishes during the whole night and bring them back clean in the kitchen and on the floor.
Example: Tell the dishwasher I need spoons right now.
en: Plongeur-plongeuse
Flipping tables
Verb + noun
It’s an expression used to designate the rotation of customers at the same table : serving, deliver the check and putting new customers at the same table. The more you can flip tables during one night, the more tip you get, because you can get more clients.
Example: My customers took too much time to eat tonight, I could only flip my tables 1 or 2 times during the whole night. I made no money because of that.
en: (Even in Quebec establishments where we speak French, we use this anglicism)
Head waiter/waitress
Noun
The head waiter/waitress is the person responsible for the dining room : they need to orchestrate the service and deal with all the client’s demands and plaints. They also need to count the deposits at the end of the day and make sure that they balance. The head waiter-waitress is in charge of the new employees and inventory.
Example: Waiter : « I need to pee, can you tell the head waiter that I'll be gone for two minutes? »
en: Serveur-serveuse responsable
Host/hostess
Noun
The host’s main responsibility is to welcome the new customers at the entrance and place them at a table with the menu and sometimes, water.
Example: Can you tell the hostess that we have new customers at the front?
en: Hôte-Hôtesse
Low staff
Adjective + noun
It means that we are fewer employees to cover the floor than we are supposed to be.
Example: Sorry, we can't take more clients tonight, we are low staff.
en: Even in French, we use this anglicism (manque d'employés)
Manager
Noun
The manager is responsible of the whole « service » part of the restaurant. They perform the head waiter-waitress fonctions and organise the employe’s schedule, deal with tips and manage the payroll of all employees.
Example: I need to tell the manager she made an error on my paycheck.
en: Gérant de salle
Polish utensils
Verb + noun
You put a little bit of white vinegar in a pot and add hot water. Then, you put the clean utensils in the mix and polish them with a tissue. That gives a shinny look to the cutlery.
Example: Can you polish the utensils before giving it to the customers?
en: Polir/astiquer les ustensiles
Punch (the order)
Verb + noun
There is a computed system used to write the meals chosen by the table. With that system, the orders print directly in the kitchen or the bar.
Example: Don't forget to mention the allergies when you punch the order in the system.
en: "Puncher" les commandes (yes, it is really used that way)
Section
Noun
The floor is divided in sections. Every waiter-waitress is responsible for a section with a definite number of tables. There is a rotation of where the clients are installed for a principle of equality between employees.
Example: Don't put them in my section, I have too many customers already.
en: Section
Staff meal
Noun
In many restaurants, you get a free meal or you get a discount on your meal during your shift.
Example: Can I order my staff meal right now or do you prefer if I wait until we close?
en: Repas d'employé / rabais d'employé
The floor
Noun
The "floor" designates the whole room where service is given to customers.
Example: We are only 2 on the floor tonight, so we're going to take fewer reservations for the evening.
en: Le plancher
Tip agreement
Noun
In every restaurant, all the waiters-waitresses need to sign a tip agreement. In that document, they write if they want to split the tip as a group or if they only get the tip off the tables they serve. They can also mention if they split tip with the kitchen or not, with the busboy-busgirl, the host-hostess, etc.
Example: I'm not going to give you a part of my tip : in the tip agreement, we never mentioned that the busboy had a share.
en: Convention de pourboires
Waiter-waitress
Noun
This person is in charge of explaining the menu, suggesting products that fit the customer’s taste, taking food orders, bringing the meals to the clients, split the bills, settle the bills, closing the table, etc.
Example: I already ordered my main course to the waitress, you can order yours when she comes back for water.
