Why Front Of House Is Crucial For Your Restaurant's Success

FOH Meaning - What is Front of House?

Your front of house is essentially everything your customers 'see' during their time in your café or restaurant. It's here where they will order their food and enjoy your meals, and it includes everything from the waiting area to the dining room, bar, outdoor seating, host stand and even the restrooms.

If you're experienced with the hospitality industry, you already know how critical it is to get the FOH areas right. After all, you want to make a welcoming first impression for your customers, and a great experience can lead to repeat business, recommendations to friends, and long-term loyalty.

In addition to the spaces, furnishings and tableware, you'll want to spend time training up your front of house staff too. This may include a host or hostess, waiters, bartenders and the general manager. If someone will be regularly interacting with customers, they need to know how you want them to represent your establishment.

Front of House Design - Planning Your Layout and Space

When it's time to design your dining room layout and other FOH spaces, here are the top considerations:

• Seating Capacity: Research the regulations (according to where your restaurant/café is located) that will determine your dining area's seating capacity. You'll need to stay within the requirements for square footage per customer based on the size of your space and the number of exits.
• Furniture: What is the concept for your restaurant? You'll want seating and furnishings that match this style. Also factor in things like seating capacity (and proximity, for the comfort of other customers) when choosing the style and shape of your restaurant furniture.
• Décor: What type of décor could enhance your restaurant's ambience, and how will lighting be used to create a more enjoyable dining experience?
• Cleanability: For hygiene purposes, flooring and wall fixtures should be made of materials that are easy to clean and disinfect. Avoid carpet in the dining area as it absorbs spills and can create hard-to-remove odours. Fabric curtains and drapes also capture spills and smells, and are generally expensive to keep clean.

Front of House Furniture

One important task when planning the design and layout of your restaurant is choosing the right tables and chairs. The style of your furniture should be based on your restaurant's theme, design and menu.

The tables and chairs that you pick can make all the difference between an average dining area and one that's going to attract customers into your establishment.

Tables and chairs should not only fit in with your decor and theme, but they also need to be comfortable, practical and easy to clean. If you have a more elegant restaurant, such as a fine dining restaurant, then your seats should reflect this theme - think stylish, classic chairs with chic fabric cushions.

What about alfresco dining? Try outdoor furniture made from stainless steel or other weatherproof materials - they look as good on your pavements, footpaths and terraces as they do indoors. Or if you prefer a taller cafe table, they'll go perfectly with high stools too.

Stocking Your Front of House

It's worth reiterating that, because your FOH is the only area your customers will see, it's important that it consistently reflects your chosen theme or concept. The design should be clean and efficient, and balance ambience with the space's seating capacity.

There are a few pieces of FOH equipment that are essential to running an efficient restaurant. A well-stocked wait station, for example, will have everything the servers need to provide quality customer service – from glassware to cutlery, and even crockery if space permits.

There are also technical items to consider, such as where you will install the cash register and point-of-sale system to track bookings and manage payments.

When your FOH areas are stocked with the right equipment, it's amazing just how much time you can save over the course of a year – not to mention that faster service generally leads to happier guests.

So, as you go through the process of designing and building your front of house, make sure your staff know how and where to find the equipment they need to do their jobs efficiently.

On The Tables

While many walk-in cafés prefer to keep tables completely clear until a customer arrives, in other environments – particularly higher-end restaurants – it's preferable to lay out table items before reservations arrive. These may include:

• Flatware: Knives, forks and spoons should be polished and laid out identically for every customer. There’s a variety of cutlery styles to choose from, so ensure they align with your design preferences.
• Glassware: Both glass water jugs and wine glasses are standard in most restaurants, with the exception of fast-food-style establishments. Just like your flatware, they should be polished and set out in identical fashion for each customer. It's also important that there are plenty of spare glasses stored around the FOH areas in case of breakages or extra guests.
• Napkins: It doesn't matter whether you're a fine-dining restaurant or a high-traffic eatery in the CBD – your patrons will want easy access to napkins, even if they are disposable.
• Tablecloths: This depends on your type of establishment. While table linen may not match the vibe of a coastal café, it will certainly elevate the ambience of a high-end restaurant in the city.
• Salt and pepper shakers: Essential on every table, make sure you choose shakers that suit the space's concept. Also keep plenty of spares handy, as they are known to go walkabout.

Article: Looking for ideas and inspiration to create the perfect table setting? Check out this article on tablescaping - a rising trend that's all about taking pride in your plating and presentation!

Service Stations

Everything that is set out on your restaurant's tables should also be stored at your FOH service stations. But there are other things you'll need to keep handy to ensure your patrons are served properly. These include:

• Other cutlery: Soup spoons, dessert knives, salad forks, steak knives – these will depend on your menu options and should be switched out after a customer makes their order.
• Side plates: Serving bread to your guests before their main meals arrive? Side plates are a classy addition that can be kept at the service station until they are needed.
• Order pads and pens: Mobile POS systems can make order-taking easier, but they are sometimes cost-prohibitive. Instead, keeping a good supply of order pads and pens at your station will ensure orders are taken and easily transferred to the kitchen staff.
• Cleaning supplies: Especially in a fast-paced café, you need to make table clearing and cleaning fast. Servers should have easy access to spray bottles as well as cloths and wipes so that the next set of customers can be seated quickly. Just remember to keep cleaning supplies out of the view of customers wherever possible, as it can take away from the ambience.
• Trays and stands: For establishments with large tables, service trays and stands are essential tools to serve customers quickly. Smaller trays can be used to deliver drinks to tables, as well as changing cutlery and clearing items from tables.

Useful Extras For Your Front of House

Finally, think about all the extras that can make your café or restaurant more attractive to a wider customer base. For example, it's helpful to keep a couple of baby chairs stored away so you can cater to families with young children.

Without them, the parent's only alternative is to have the child sit on their lap for the duration of their meal, which is not enjoyable for the customer and can indicate poor service on your part. In the worst case, they will simply leave for a competitor that does have highchairs available.

You can also add a touch of flair to your specials menu and entry signs with chalkboards. These allow you to handwrite your daily food and drink specials, as well as any offers. And when you need to change the menu, you can simply wipe off the chalk and start again.

To create a specific mood in your dining area, tea lights and votives (candle holders) work wonders. You can also make the space much more attractive by investing in quality wall art. Just make sure any artwork you install fits the style of your café or restaurant – and doesn’t put your customers off their food!

When it comes to a complete dining experience, your FOH areas are just as important as the food you serve. So take the time to research and buy the right equipment, and ensure your staff know exactly where to find what they need.

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