Deliver the Appetizer & Beverage Refresh
Step 4 of 11
The appetizer landing at the table, and the drink check that should happen right alongside it.
What This Step Covers
Appetizer timing, and the first of the two guaranteed drink-level checks that run through the whole meal.
The Benchmarks
- Appetizer delivery to table8 to 12 minutes from order placed.
- Beverage replenishmentIf glass is 1/4 full or less, suggest another beverage.
Why It Matters
This is one of the two guaranteed moments (the other is the entrée drop, Lesson 6) where drink levels get checked no matter what else is happening on the floor. Guests rarely flag down a server just for a refill, they wait, and an empty glass is one of the clearest signals to a guest that nobody’s paying attention to their table.
Where It Breaks
The guest expected their glass to get checked when the appetizer came out, since someone was already standing right there, and instead had to ask for a refill themselves later.