Restaurant Server and Host Course: Menus, orders and the POS

1. Question 1 of 16

   In restaurant language, what does it mean when an item is "86"?

   • AIt must be cooked well done
   • BIt is the special of the day
   • CIt is ready to be picked up
   • DThe kitchen has run out of it
   Show answer

   Answer: D. The kitchen has run out of it

   Learn which items are 86 before service so you do not take orders the kitchen cannot fill.

2. Question 2 of 16

   What should a new server learn about each menu item before their first shift?

   • AOnly the dishes the server likes to eat
   • BOnly which items cost the most
   • CIts ingredients, how it is cooked, the portion size and what comes with it
   • DOnly the price, because guests can read the rest of the details on the menu
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Its ingredients, how it is cooked, the portion size and what comes with it

   Guests ask about ingredients, cooking methods and sides. Knowing them lets you answer quickly and correctly.

3. Question 3 of 16

   Why do servers give every seat at a table a number?

   • ASo the table can be charged a seating fee
   • BSo food can go to the right guest without asking who ordered what
   • CSo the kitchen can cook every seat's food at a different time and speed
   • DSo the host knows how many chairs to remove
   Show answer

   Answer: B. So food can go to the right guest without asking who ordered what

   Seat numbers on the ticket let any server or runner place each plate correctly.

4. Question 4 of 16

   Why should you repeat the order back to the table?

   • ATo make the order take longer
   • BTo catch mistakes before the order reaches the kitchen
   • CBecause the POS will not accept the order until it is read aloud
   • DSo guests can add a tip early
   Show answer

   Answer: B. To catch mistakes before the order reaches the kitchen

   A quick read-back catches wrong items, missed modifications and allergies before food is cooked.

5. Question 5 of 16

   A guest orders a steak. What should you ask?

   • AWhether they want to pay now
   • BHow fast they want to eat it
   • CWhether they have ordered steak at this restaurant before
   • DHow they would like it cooked and which side they want
   Show answer

   Answer: D. How they would like it cooked and which side they want

   Doneness and sides are choices the kitchen needs on the ticket, so ask every time.

6. Question 6 of 16

   Which is an example of honest suggestive selling?

   • ARecommending a specific side that goes well with the guest's meal
   • BTelling guests a dessert is free when it is not
   • CSaying the cheapest dish is sold out when it is really still available
   • DBringing extra items the guest did not order
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Recommending a specific side that goes well with the guest's meal

   Good suggestions add something the guest will enjoy, and they are always truthful.

7. Question 7 of 16

   You suggest a dessert and the guest says, "No, thank you." What should you do?

   • AAccept it with a smile and move on
   • BBring a dessert anyway and add it to the bill
   • CAsk again two or three more times
   • DTell them other tables always order dessert
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Accept it with a smile and move on

   Pushing after a clear no makes guests uncomfortable. Respect the answer.

8. Question 8 of 16

   Under Canada's Competition Act, what is illegal when promoting a product?

   • AMaking materially false or misleading representations
   • BOffering the dessert menu after the meal without being asked
   • CDescribing a dish in your own words
   • DRecommending the most expensive dish
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Making materially false or misleading representations

   The Competition Act makes it illegal to make materially false or misleading representations to promote a product or business interest.

9. Question 9 of 16

   A server tells guests the fish was "caught this morning" when it was frozen. Why is this more than just poor service?

   • AOnly printed menus are covered by the law
   • BFrozen fish may not be served in Canada
   • CSpoken claims made to promote a product can be misleading representations
   • DServers are not allowed to talk about food
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Spoken claims made to promote a product can be misleading representations

   The Competition Bureau says the rules cover anyone promoting a product, including through oral presentations.

10. Question 10 of 16

    What is a POS system in a restaurant?

    • AThe online schedule that shows who works each shift and which section they cover
    • BThe printed list of daily specials
    • CThe phone line used for reservations
    • DThe point-of-sale system that sends orders to the kitchen and builds the bill
    Show answer

    Answer: D. The point-of-sale system that sends orders to the kitchen and builds the bill

    Orders entered in the POS print or display in the kitchen and are added to the guest's bill.

11. Question 11 of 16

    Why should you never let another server use your POS login?

    • AEverything entered is tracked under your number
    • BThe POS will stop working for the night
    • CIt makes the bills print in the wrong language and currency
    • DOnly the host is allowed to see the screen
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Everything entered is tracked under your number

    Sales, voids and payments are recorded under your login, so you are responsible for them.

12. Question 12 of 16

    In most restaurants, what is usually needed to void an item or give it free (comp)?

    • ANothing, any server can do it
    • BA note from the kitchen
    • CA manager's approval
    • DThe guest's signature
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A manager's approval

    Voids and comps change the bill and the sales records, so restaurants usually require a manager.

13. Question 13 of 16

    Why is it better to use the POS modifier buttons than to type free notes when you can?

    • ATyped notes are not allowed by law
    • BModifiers print clearly and in the same way every time, so cooks do not miss them
    • CFree notes only print on the guest's receipt
    • DModifiers make every dish cheaper
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Modifiers print clearly and in the same way every time, so cooks do not miss them

    Standard modifiers such as "no onions" or "sauce on side" are easy for the line to read in a rush.

14. Question 14 of 16

    What does it mean to "fire" a course?

    • ATo remove the course from the menu
    • BTo tell the kitchen to start cooking that course now
    • CTo give the table that course for free
    • DTo throw away a dish that came out wrong and start it again
    Show answer

    Answer: B. To tell the kitchen to start cooking that course now

    Many restaurants hold mains until the starters are cleared, then fire them so they arrive hot.

15. Question 15 of 16

    A guest's dish comes out wrong and they are unhappy. What is the best response?

    • ATake it off the bill yourself without telling the manager or anyone else
    • BTell them that is how the dish is always made
    • CApologize, take it back, have it fixed quickly and tell the manager
    • DExplain that the cook made the mistake
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Apologize, take it back, have it fixed quickly and tell the manager

    Own the problem, fix it fast and involve the manager. Blaming others in front of guests looks unprofessional.

16. Question 16 of 16

    Right after the ticket prints, you notice you keyed salmon for seat 2, but the guest ordered chicken. What should you do?

    • ATell the kitchen right away and ask the manager to void and re-enter it
    • BWait to see if the guest notices
    • CChange it on the bill at the end of the meal, once the guest has finished eating
    • DAsk the guest whether they would take the salmon
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Tell the kitchen right away and ask the manager to void and re-enter it

    The sooner the kitchen knows, the less food is wasted and the faster the right dish arrives.

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