Fine Dining Restaurants Industry Terminology

ABV (Alcohol by Volume)

The percentage of alcohol in a beverage by volume; used for responsible serving, pairing decisions, and pricing.

- Offer a low-ABV aperitif to start the tasting menu. - That Barolo is 14.5% ABV; pour sizes should reflect that. - We’re expanding the low-ABV cocktail section for pre-dinner service.

À la carte

Menu format where each item is priced and ordered separately, as opposed to a fixed-price menu.

- Guests can order the scallops à la carte instead of the tasting. - We run à la carte on weekdays and tasting menu only on weekends. - The à la carte price for the Wagyu supplement is $45.

Amuse-bouche

A complimentary, single bite served before the first course to set the tone of the meal.

- Tonight’s amuse-bouche is a carrot velouté with ginger foam. - Keep the amuse bite-sized so it doesn’t delay first course. - The amuse-bouche changes daily to showcase seasonality.

Average Check (APC)

Average revenue per guest (per cover); a key metric for sales mix, pricing, and upselling performance.

- Our APC rose from $118 to $126 after adding the caviar supplement. - Servers exceeded the APC goal by promoting pairings. - Track APC by server to benchmark upselling effectiveness.

Back of House (BOH)

All non-guest areas and kitchen operations, including prep, line, dish, and storage.

- BOH preps the canapés by 4 pm. - BOH labor is trending above budget this week. - Keep BOH-FOH communication tight on coursing changes.

Banquet Event Order (BEO)

A detailed contract/worksheet outlining event specifics—menu, schedule, minimums, setup—in private dining and banquets.

- Update the BEO with the client’s vegan entrée count. - The BEO specifies a $3,500 F&B minimum for the PDR. - Check the BEO for AV needs and timeline.

Beverage Cost Percentage

Beverage cost of goods sold divided by beverage sales; measures margin and purchasing efficiency.

- Raise cocktail pricing to hit a 20% beverage cost. - Our Champagne cost is high; renegotiate by-the-glass. - Separate liquor and wine cost to see where variance occurs.

Brigade de Cuisine

Classical kitchen hierarchy and station structure (e.g., saucier, entremetier) that organizes workflow and accountability.

- The fish station needs a second commis on Fridays. - Under the brigade system, the sous chef oversees stations. - Move the entremetier to help garde manger during rush.

Chef's Table

A special seating near or inside the kitchen offering curated menus and direct interaction with the culinary team.

- The chef’s table gets the extended tasting and kitchen tour. - Seat the VIP at the chef’s counter for interaction. - Add a chef’s table pairing with rare pours.

Corkage Fee

A charge for serving wine brought by guests; policies often include limits, one-for-one rules, and stemware standards.

- We allow two bottles with a $60 corkage per bottle. - Waive corkage if they purchase a bottle from our list. - Note the corkage policy on the reservation confirmation.

Coursing

The sequencing and timing of dishes and pairings throughout the meal to deliver pace, temperature, and service choreography.

- Fire second course for table 12 in four minutes. - Mark cutlery for the fish course now. - The tasting menu is eight courses with synchronized service.

Covers (Couverts)

The count of individual guests served (also used to mean place settings); central for forecasting and staffing.

- We’re booked for 120 covers tonight. - Add a cover to table 15—guest is bringing a friend. - Compare APC against total covers to forecast revenue.

Decanting

Transferring wine from bottle to vessel to aerate and/or separate sediment, enhancing aroma and service presentation.

- Decant the 2005 Bordeaux for sediment, not aeration. - Young Barolo benefits from a vigorous decant. - Offer decanting for premium bottles at the chef’s table.

Degustation Menu (Tasting Menu)

A multi-course, chef-curated progression designed to showcase technique, seasonality, and narrative pacing.

- The 10-course degustation runs 2.5 hours. - Offer a vegetarian tasting on request. - Pair the tasting with a progressive wine flight.

Executive Chef

The top culinary leader responsible for menu creation, standards, staffing, purchasing, and kitchen P&L.

- The executive chef finalizes menu pricing each quarter. - He oversees vendor selection and food safety. - Media requests go through the executive chef and PR.

Expeditor (Expo)

The role at the pass that manages ticket flow, plating standards, timing, and BOH-FOH communication.

- Expo coordinates fire times between stations. - All plates pass through expo for final garnish. - Expo called an all hands for table 21’s VIPs.

FIFO (First In, First Out)

Inventory rotation method ensuring older stock is used before newer to maintain freshness and control waste.

- Label prep with dates to enforce FIFO. - Move older truffles forward in the walk-in. - FIFO reduced waste in the bar’s vermouth program.

Fire (kitchen verb)

To begin cooking a course or dish; called by chef or expo to pace service.

- Fire mains for table 8 now; they’re marked. - Hold dessert; guest stepped out. - Chef said to fire the pasta tasting in three minutes.

Food and Beverage Minimum (F&B Minimum)

A contracted minimum spend required for private dining or events, often excluding tax and service.

- The PDR has a $2,000 F&B minimum plus tax and service. - Offer a lunch menu to help clients meet the minimum. - Track pre-orders to ensure the minimum is met.

Food Cost Percentage

Food cost of goods sold divided by food sales; a core margin metric guiding pricing and purchasing.

- Target a 28–32% food cost on entrees. - Rising caviar prices pushed food cost to 35%. - Engineer the menu to improve food cost margin.

Front of House (FOH)

Guest-facing operations including hosts, servers, bartenders, and service assistants, plus dining rooms and bars.

- FOH briefing at 4:30 covers 86’d items and VIPs. - FOH labor fell after moving to tasting-only. - Cross-train FOH on pairing notes.

Garde Manger

The cold kitchen station responsible for chilled preparations such as salads, raw bar, charcuterie, and canapés.

- Garde handles crudo, terrines, and salads. - Move the oyster station under garde for Friday service. - Garde needs more chilled space during summer menu.

Guéridon Service

Tableside preparation and finishing from a mobile cart, emphasizing theater and personalized service.

- Table 6 ordered Caesar salad tableside. - Do crêpes Suzette on the guéridon for the PDR. - Train staff on tableside steak Diane flambé.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)

A systematic food-safety framework that identifies hazards and defines monitoring at critical control points.

- Log sous vide chill times per HACCP plan. - Calibrate thermometers to meet HACCP standards. - Update the HACCP flow for the new duck dish.

Hospitality Included (Service Included)

A compensation model where service is included in pricing or a fixed service charge replaces voluntary tipping.

- We’re moving to hospitality-included with higher base pay. - The 20% service charge replaces tipping. - Update menus to state ‘service included’.

In the Weeds

Service slang for being overwhelmed or behind on tickets; prompts team support and re-prioritization.

- I’m in the weeds; need a runner on table 10. - Bar’s in the weeds—delay aperitifs five minutes. - Chef jumped on grill when sauté got in the weeds.

Inventory Turnover

How many times inventory is sold and replaced in a period; indicates cash efficiency and stock risk.

- Wine inventory turns 4x annually; target 6x. - Slow caviar turns tie up cash; adjust par. - Improve turns by trimming slow movers.

Kitchen Display System (KDS)

Screen-based ticket management replacing or supplementing paper chit systems for timing and station communication.

- KDS bumps courses when expo marks them. - Sync KDS with POS for accurate call times. - Use KDS analytics to spot bottlenecks.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

Quantifiable metrics that track performance against goals, such as APC, food cost, labor %, or RevPASH.

- Weekly KPIs: APC, RevPASH, no-show rate. - Add a labor-to-sales KPI by daypart. - Share KPI dashboards at pre-shift.

Linen Par Level

The minimum quantity of linens on hand to operate without shortages across service, soiled, and backup cycles.

- Maintain a 3-par linen level for double turns. - Add par before holiday service. - Par audits cut emergency laundry fees.

Maître d'hôtel

The head of dining room operations, overseeing reservations, seating strategy, guest relations, and service flow.

- The maître d’ manages seating and guest recovery. - Coordinate with the maître d’ on VIP notes. - Maître d’ adjusts pacing for late arrivals.

Menu Engineering

Analyzing menu items by popularity and profitability to adjust pricing, placement, and recipes for margin mix.

- Classify dishes as Stars, Plow-Horses, Puzzles, Dogs. - Raise the price on the Puzzle entrée. - Use engineering to optimize contribution margin.

Michelin Star

Prestigious rating system awarding one to three stars for exceptional cuisine, consistency, and experience.

- After our first Michelin star, demand spiked. - Maintain standards to retain the star. - The menu reflects Michelin-level precision.

Mise en Place

Thorough station preparation and organization to ensure smooth, consistent service.

- Check mise en place before lineup. - FOH mise includes polished stems and marked cutlery. - Weak mise slows plating during peak.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

A loyalty metric derived from guest surveys (promoters minus detractors) used to track satisfaction and referrals.

- Post-visit surveys improved NPS to 76. - Resolve detractor feedback within 24 hours. - NPS dips flagged issues with pacing.

No-Show Rate

Percentage of reservations that fail to arrive; impacts staffing, food prep, and revenue.

- Deposits cut no-shows from 9% to 3%. - Overbook slightly to hedge against no-shows. - Track no-shows by channel (phone vs. online).

On the Books (OTB)

Confirmed reservations and projected covers logged in the system for a future date/time.

- We’re 96 covers OTB for Saturday at 5 pm. - OTB pacing is heavy at 7:30; spread arrivals. - Compare OTB to historical walk-ins.

Par Level

Target quantity to hold for an item to meet demand between deliveries without overstocking.

- Set a par of 10 ribeyes for the grill station. - Increase truffle par for truffle season. - Par reviews reduce 86’d items.

Point of Sale (POS)

The order-entry and payment system that captures sales, drives KDS printing, and feeds analytics.

- Sync POS with inventory for auto-depletions. - Use POS modifiers for tasting substitutions. - POS data feeds APC and RevPASH reports.

Prime Cost

Sum of cost of goods sold (food and beverage) plus direct labor; the most controllable major expense.

- Keep prime cost under 60–65% of sales. - Rising labor pushed prime cost above target. - Menu changes improved prime cost by 3 pts.

Prix Fixe

Fixed-price menu featuring set courses (with limited choices), often faster to execute than full à la carte.

- Offer a $95 three-course prix fixe midweek. - Prix fixe boosts table turns and predictability. - Add supplements to the prix fixe for flexibility.

Private Dining Room (PDR)

A separate room for events or VIP groups with custom menus, minimums, and dedicated service.

- The PDR seats 16 with a $2,500 minimum. - Offer bespoke menus for the PDR. - PDR requests go through events manager.

Profit and Loss Statement (P&L)

Financial statement summarizing revenues, costs, and profit for a period; used to manage performance.

- Review the monthly P&L for food cost variance. - Labor overages showed up on the P&L. - P&L trends inform menu pricing decisions.

Q Factor (Recipe Costing)

An allowance added to recipe costs to cover minor, hard-to-track items like seasonings and garnishes.

- Add a 3% Q factor for oils, spices, and incidentals. - Q factor standardizes costing across dishes. - Exclude protein trimmings; they’re itemized, not Q.

RevPASH (Revenue per Available Seat Hour)

Total revenue divided by available seats times operating hours; measures how efficiently seats generate revenue by hour.

- RevPASH dipped at 9 pm; reduce late covers. - Earlier seatings improved RevPASH by 12%. - Use RevPASH to optimize pacing and staffing.

Sommelier

Wine professional responsible for the wine program, pairings, cellar management, and guest guidance.

- The sommelier curated a Burgundy pairing. - Consult the sommelier for cellar acquisitions. - Train FOH with the sommelier on vintage changes.

Sous Chef

Second-in-command in the kitchen, managing day-to-day execution, prep, and station oversight.

- The sous chef runs service when the chef is off. - He oversees prep lists and line checks. - Promote a senior cook to sous chef for garde.

Sous Vide

Vacuum-sealed, low-temperature water-bath cooking that delivers precision and consistency; requires strict food-safety controls.

- Cook the short rib sous vide at 62°C for 48 hours. - Chill rapidly per HACCP after the sous vide cook. - Sous vide ensures repeatable doneness for tasting menus.

Table Turn Time

Average duration a table is occupied from seating to reset; impacts capacity and revenue.

- Target a 2.25-hour turn for the 8-course menu. - Improving pacing cut turn times by 10%. - Longer turn times reduce RevPASH on weekends.

Wine Pairing

A curated sequence of wines (or NA beverages) matched to each course to enhance flavors and experience.

- Offer classic and reserve wine pairings. - Add a nonalcoholic pairing option. - The sommelier adjusted the pairing for allergies.