Restaurant Server and Host Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: Greeting, seating and the host stand

The host is often the first and last person a guest meets. In smaller restaurants, servers do the host job too.

The welcome

• Greet guests as soon as they come in, even if you are busy. If you are on the phone, a smile or nod tells them you have seen them.
• Ask how many are in the party and whether they have a reservation.
• Ask about seating needs, such as a high chair or space for a wheelchair.
• Walk at the guests' pace and lead them to the table. Tell them who their server will be.

Reservations

A reservation is a promise. Record the name, phone number, date, time, party size and any notes (a birthday, accessible seating, an allergy the guest mentions). Read the details back to catch mistakes.

The waitlist and wait times

When every table is full, add guests to the waitlist with their name, party size, phone number and the time they arrived. Look at how far along each table is, then give an honest estimate. A quote that is a little long is better than one that is too short: guests seated early feel well treated, but guests kept past the quote feel misled.

• Seat parties where they fit. If a two-person table opens, a couple may be seated before a larger party; explain this politely to the larger party.

Sections and rotation

The dining room is divided into sections, one for each server. Hosts seat sections in rotation, so each server gets tables in turn. Giving one server two new tables at once (being double sat) slows service for both. Keep a seating chart and mark each table as free, seated, eating, paid or being reset.

Welcoming every guest

Every province and territory has a human rights law that protects people from discrimination when they receive services, including in restaurants. Serve everyone with the same care.

Ontario's accessible customer service rules are a good example of what this means at the door:

• Service animals must be welcomed into areas open to the public, such as the dining room. An animal qualifies if it is easy to identify (for example, by a vest or harness), or the guest has a note from a regulated health professional. If it is not easy to tell, you may ask to see the note. Do not make assumptions.
• A place where food is prepared and stored, such as the kitchen, is an example of an area where a service animal can be kept out.
• Ontario requires organizations to train all their members on accessible customer service, so your employer must train you too.

Speak directly to the guest, not their companion, and move a chair to make room for a wheelchair. Do not pet or feed a service animal.

Topic quiz 1: Greeting, seating and the host stand

Lesson 2: Menus, orders and the POS

Know the menu

• Learn each dish's ingredients, cooking method, portion size and sides. Read the recipe or allergen book, and taste dishes when the kitchen offers.
• Before service, learn the specials and which items are 86 (the kitchen has run out).

Suggesting extras honestly

Suggestive selling (upselling) means recommending something that makes the meal better: a starter to share, a side that goes well with a main, a dessert. Be specific ("The garlic fries go really well with that burger"), tell the truth about size and price, and accept a "no" with a smile.

Honesty is also the law. Canada's Competition Act makes it illegal to make materially false or misleading representations to promote a product, and the Competition Bureau says this covers spoken claims too. Never call a dish homemade, local, fresh or free if it is not.

Taking an accurate order

• Use seat numbers. Number guests in the same direction from a fixed point every time, so any runner can place plates without asking "Who had the salmon?"
• Ask the questions the kitchen needs: how a steak should be cooked, which side, which dressing.
• Record changes clearly (no onions, sauce on the side).
• Repeat the order back to catch mistakes before anything is cooked.

Using the POS

The POS (point-of-sale system) sends orders to the kitchen printers or screens and builds the guest's bill.

• Enter orders right away, seat by seat.
• Use the modifier buttons when you can. They print the same way every time, so cooks do not miss them in a rush.
• Fire courses the way your restaurant does. Many kitchens hold the mains until starters are cleared, then fire them so they arrive hot.
• Never share your login. Every sale, void and payment is tracked under your number.
• Voids and comps (free items) usually need a manager's approval.

Topic quiz 2: Menus, orders and the POS

Lesson 3: Food allergies and special diets

For a guest with a severe food allergy, one mistake can be life-threatening. Treat every allergy a guest tells you about as serious.

Canada's priority food allergens

Health Canada names these priority food allergens:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Mustard
• Peanuts
• Crustaceans and molluscs (such as shrimp and clams)
• Fish
• Sesame seeds
• Soy
• Sulphites
• Tree nuts
• Wheat and triticale

On prepackaged foods, federal rules require these allergens, and the gluten sources barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat, to be declared on the label. A plate cooked in a restaurant kitchen has no label, so guests depend on what you tell them.

Why restaurant food carries extra risk

Allergens can move between foods through shared equipment (cross-contact). Examples:

• A shared fryer: fries cooked in the same oil as breaded shrimp or fish.
• Shared grills, cutting boards, knives, toasters and tongs.
• Hidden ingredients in sauces, dressings, garnishes and baked goods.

Quebec's government tells people with allergies to ask restaurant managers for ingredient lists, because managers are responsible for keeping customers informed. Even tiny amounts can cause a serious reaction.

Handling an allergy order

1. Ask every table: "Does anyone have a food allergy we should know about?"
2. Write down exactly what the allergen is, which seat, and how serious it is.
3. Check the allergen book or ask the chef or manager. Never guess. If the kitchen cannot be sure a dish is safe, say so honestly.
4. Mark the allergy in the POS and tell the kitchen in person too.
5. Deliver the dish yourself or brief the runner, and confirm with the guest: "This is your sesame-free burger."
6. If anything is wrong, take the plate back. Picking off a garnish is not enough: the dish must be made again from the start.

Special diets

A severe allergic reaction

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction. It can start within minutes. Signs include swelling in the mouth or throat, trouble breathing, a tight chest and feeling faint.

1. Call 911 (or have a coworker call) right away and tell your manager.
2. Help the guest use their own epinephrine auto-injector if they have one. Use it right away, in the outer thigh.
3. Stay with the guest.
4. Even if the guest feels better, they still need hospital care, because epinephrine works only for a short time.

Topic quiz 3: Food allergies and special diets

Lesson 4: Serving alcohol responsibly

Each province and territory makes its own liquor laws, including the legal age and who must take server training. This lesson uses Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba as examples.

Server training is the law in many provinces

This course does not give you any of these certificates. If your job involves alcohol, take the program your province requires.

Legal age

• Ontario: the legal drinking age in a licensed establishment is 19. Staff who sell, serve or handle liquor must be at least 18.
• British Columbia: a minor is anyone under 19 (the age of majority in BC). Liquor must not be sold or supplied to a minor.
• Alberta: the AGLC defines a minor as a person under 18, and staff who serve liquor must be at least 18.

Checking ID

Ask for ID from anyone who looks young. In Ontario, staff must check the ID of anyone who appears under 19. Alberta's AGLC policy is to check anyone who appears under 25. Your restaurant may set a higher age; follow the house policy.

• Take the ID in your hand. Do not just glance at it.
• It must be government-issued, original and not expired, with a photo and date of birth. BC's guidance says a picture of ID on a phone is not acceptable. Ontario's Smart Serve guidance says never to accept a student card or expired ID.
• Compare the photo with the guest's face. Feel for peeling laminate, raised edges or changed numbers.
• If you are still unsure, ask for a second piece of ID or ask questions, such as their birth date or postal code.

If you are not satisfied, refuse politely: "I'm sorry, I can't serve alcohol without valid ID. Can I get you something else?" Get your manager if the guest argues.

Intoxication

Serving an intoxicated guest is against the law. In Ontario, the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 bans selling or supplying liquor to anyone who is or appears to be intoxicated, and licensees must not permit intoxication on the premises. In BC, liquor must not be sold, served or given to an intoxicated person or a person showing signs of intoxication.

Watch for signs such as fast, slow, loud or slurred speech; clumsiness or lack of alertness; and tiredness, red eyes or heavy eyelids. Prevent problems early: keep track of drinks, offer food and water, and slow down service before a guest reaches that point.

Refusing service

1. Tell your manager and coworkers, so nobody else serves the guest.
2. Speak to the guest privately and calmly. Do not judge or argue: "I'm not able to serve you more alcohol tonight, but I can get you coffee, water or something to eat."
3. Help them get home safely: offer to call a taxi, a ride service or a friend. If they insist on driving, your manager may need to call police.
4. Record what happened in the incident log if your restaurant keeps one.

Topic quiz 4: Serving alcohol responsibly

Lesson 5: Tips, payments, side work and closing

Employment standards are provincial, so tip rules differ. Here are three examples.

Who owns the tips?

Ontario. Employers generally cannot withhold tips, deduct from them or make employees give them back. The only exceptions are deductions the law requires, court orders, and tip pooling.

• Employers cannot deduct for breakage, spills, losses or damage.
• The employer can set up a tip pool and decide who shares, without the employees' agreement, but the pool money must come only from tips.
• An owner, partner, director or shareholder can share in the pool only if they regularly do substantially the same work as the employees in it (or as tipped employees who share tips elsewhere in the industry). If owners share, the tip-sharing policy must be posted where staff can see it (since June 21, 2024).
• Only part of a credit card processing fee can be taken from a tip. Debit and other fees cannot.
• A service charge counts as a tip when a reasonable person would believe it goes to the staff.

British Columbia. Employers cannot withhold tips or force employees to give them up, except through a tip pool or when the law requires it. An employer can share in a pool only if they do similar work. BC's guide says paying for dine-and-dash meals, spills and breakage out of a tip pool goes against the Employment Standards Act.

Quebec. When a business suggests tips as percentages, for example on a payment terminal, the percentages must be calculated on the price before GST and QST.

Tax. The Canada Revenue Agency says tips are income from employment. For controlled tips (such as a mandatory service charge or a tip pool the employer runs), CPP and EI are deducted from your pay. For direct tips that guests hand to you, they are not.

Splitting bills and taking payment

• Ask early whether the table wants one bill or separate bills, and enter the order by seat.
• Bring the terminal to the guest so the card never leaves their sight. Let them insert or tap it themselves. Never ask for a PIN or write down card numbers.

Checking bank notes

The Bank of Canada suggests quick checks on polymer notes:

• Feel: raised ink on the large portrait, the large number and the words "Bank of Canada".
• Look: the metallic portrait in the large window matches the large portrait, and the numbers in and around the window match the note's value.
• Tilt: colours change in the metallic portrait and other shiny features.

If you suspect a fake, be courteous, because the guest may not know. Politely refuse it, explain why, ask for another note (and check that one too), tell your manager and inform the local police.

Side work and teamwork

Side work is shared work such as rolling cutlery and restocking stations. Run food for other servers and use clear call-outs such as "behind" and "hot".

Closing

1. Finish the side work on your list.
2. Close every open bill in the POS.
3. Print your server report, hand in cash and receipts, and record tips as your restaurant requires.
4. Clean and restock your section for the next shift.
5. Get your manager's sign-off before you leave. Walk out with coworkers after a late shift.

Topic quiz 5: Tips, payments, side work and closing