Visiting various restaurants, you will notice that the waiters have a special manner of behavior. One of the interesting features is the arm bent at the elbow behind the back.
Interesting rules in the work of the waiter
The work of the waiter is actually quite complicated, given that he performs any action in accordance with generally accepted standards of service. For example, a professional should know that the menu should be served to the guest with his left hand. And for cleaning empty dishes, you need to approach the client from the right side.
One of the key responsibilities is table setting. A lot of requirements are made to it, but it is important to remember several basic rules:
- Serving should match the type of meal - breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Various dishes, drinks and snacks are accompanied by a certain set of dishes and appliances.
- Serving needs to be consistent with the overall design of the room.
Thematic as well as national design features of the table are possible.
Serving is performed in the following sequence:
- tablecloth;
- dishes;
- appliances;
- glassware;
- napkins;
- spice;
- decor.
An integral attribute of the waiter is the handbrake - this is a towel of a small size, most often a plain white color or in a cage. It must be carefully ironed and clean. The waiter carries the handbrake with him so that he can be used at any time.
The main purpose of the towel is to protect the cuffs of the uniform from contamination and protect yourself from burns while serving hot dishes. In no case should you wipe the table with a handbrake or wipe your hands with it, put a towel in your pocket, on your shoulder.
Interesting fact: The waiter must follow the sequence in serving guests. The menu must be given first of all to the oldest woman sitting at the table. If the company is male - the oldest among men.
It is the waiter who controls the quality of dishes and drinks that are given to him at the distribution. If it is found that the dish is burnt, cooled, does not correspond to the menu by weight, and so on, the waiter has the right to require the cook to redo it.
History of tradition keeping your hand behind your back
When a waiter performs an action with one hand and the other remains free, she should not be in front of the guests. Now it is considered the norm of etiquette and a kind of tradition that dates back to ancient Rome.
All kinds of feasts were held with the participation of a large number of people who served drinks, all kinds of dishes, treats. In ancient times, people in power and above the social ladder were always afraid of strangers, especially if they had direct access to food.
There was a real threat of being poisoned. Therefore, the servants of that era left one hand free (usually the right), and the second tied behind. So the person remained in sight and was not able to pour the poison into a glass or plate.
Interesting fact: The profession of a waiter is very ancient - she is about 6000 years old. It is believed that the first representatives of this profession appeared in Egypt. In any case, this is evidenced by murals depicting people serving various dishes to the pharaoh.
In the modern world, of course, no one is afraid to be a poisoned waiter, but the tradition has been preserved. Now it has a similar meaning. The hand hidden behind the back symbolizes for the guest the opportunity to enjoy a stay in the restaurant.
The waiter thereby indicates that he will not do anything bad to the visitor. Taking such a pose, he looks even more solid and expresses respect for customers.
The tradition of holding a hand behind the back, common among the waiters, has been preserved since the times of Ancient Rome. Before, people who served feasts had their right hand tied. This was done for fear of being poisoned. Until now, the tradition has been preserved. The hand hidden behind the back symbolizes respect for the guest of the establishment - he has nothing to fear, you can relax and enjoy your order.
