Clear Appetizer and Prepare for Entrée
Step 5 of 11
Resetting the table between courses, so it’s ready for the entrée before the entrée arrives, not after.
What This Step Covers
Clearing appetizer dishware ahead of time, and anticipating what the specific order on the table is going to need.
The Benchmarks
- First ClearAppetizer dishware cleared ahead of entrée service.
- Condiment and utensil replenishmentAnticipated before guest has to ask (e.g., steak knife with a steak order, extra napkins with wings/ribs).
Why It Matters
A guest shouldn’t have to make room for their entrée on a table still covered in appetizer plates, or ask for a steak knife that should already be there. Anticipating what a specific order needs, rather than waiting to be asked, is what makes service feel attentive instead of reactive.
Where It Breaks
The entrée arrives and the guest has to shuffle their own plates aside to make room, or cuts into a steak only to realize they don’t have the right knife and have to ask.