HMFB-210: Service and Beverage Management

This course explores table service principles and skills with an emphasis on customer service in a restaurant. Topics to be examined include guest relations, professional communication, and order taking in an à la carte environment; service sequence; point-of-sale systems; cash handling; beginning merchandising; table skills; and dining room preparation. The focus is on service to the guest, while looking at various styles such as Russian, American, and family-style service. Students will also learn the basic principles of beverage service, including suggesting wines and opening wine bottles correctly; serving wine in appropriate glassware and at the correct temperature; identifying key differences between New and Old World wine styles; understanding basic principles of how climate and geography affect the quality and style of wine; showing competence in reading labels from the major wine-producing nations; experiencing the wine tasting process; and identifying grape types used as well as the flavors of wines. The course will also focus on interacting with guests: student will put to work concepts including sequence of service, table maintenance, etiquette, and salesmanship, which will be discussed during lectures.