Tips for Hiring Servers for Your Dinner Party

Hosting a dinner party can be challenging because there are a lot of things that are needed to consider. It involves a lot of planning and preparation to make it successful. When you are planning to throw a unique and unforgettable party, it’s better to opt for bikini waitressing to help you serve your guests well. Hiring qualified and trained servers can help you enhance the overall dining experience of your guests, and aside from that, they can also help make your work become easier, allowing you to enjoy your own dinner party more.

Different Types of Services

Before you hire servers for your dinner party, you should plan first what kind of party you will be hosting. It’s because there are different types of service they can offer you and here are some of them.

  • Buffet Dinner: Buffet dinner parties are those with either station or serving line. Your guests will go to the buffet table to get their foods. The job of the servers for this kind of dinner party is to assist the guests in getting their foods and giving them drinks as well. They are also the ones to supervise the foods being served if they are needed to be refilled.
  • Sit-Down, Plated Dinner: For this type of dinner party, the servers will serve each of your guests their own plates with the complete foods. This can also be applied for the appetizers and desserts.
  • Sit-Down, Family Style Dinner: For this type of dinner party, the servers will just be placing all dinner items in serving dishes, platters, or bowls, and the guests will serve themselves depending on what foods they want to get. It’s like a normal intimate dinner with the family.
  • Beverage Service: You can also hire servers to serve your guests beverages such as wine, beer, champagne, mixed drinks, and sodas during your dinner party. Bar rentals is a good option to consider. You should check first with your service contract if the servers can handle serving the beverages themselves or you can consider a mobile bar hire as well.  
  • Cocktail Party: If you will be hosting a cocktail dinner party, only light drinks and appetizers will be served, therefore, there’s no need to hire a bartender.

Tips for Hiring Servers

Once you’ve decided on what type of dinner party you will be hosting, here are some tips that may help you hire servers for your dinner party.  

1. Determine the number of servers you need

To be able to know how many servers you need for your dinner party, you need to know first the numbers of guests that will be attending. If it will just be a seated dinner party with ten people or a cocktail dinner party with twenty people, then one server can be enough. If you’re expecting about thirty guests, two servers can handle that. But if it will be forty or more guests, you should hire at least four servers.

2. Finding servers

If you do not know where you can find servers you can hire for your dinner party, maybe you can ask some of your neighbors, friends, or hosts of some events you’ve already attended for suggestions. You can also try to ask your favorite server at a local restaurant if he or she is willing to moonlight and bring some friends as well.

You can also try to check your local online or newspaper for classifieds for people offering this service. If you’re on a budget, maybe you can contact a local college or bartenders’ school for some potential servers. They are also great to hire, especially if you’re only planning an intimate dinner party with family or friends.

3. Instruct your servers ahead of time

Once you’ve hired your servers, make sure to instruct them beforehand on all the things you expect from them. You can let them know if you like them to take coats, show your guests to assigned seats, prepare snacks, tend bar, or to serve foods and clean up tables. This way, they will clearly know their tasks once the dinner party starts.

4. Have a written menu prepared

A written menu will include each dishes’ ingredients and it will be useful for your servers. It’s also great if they can master the menu because some of your guests will probably inquire about their meals or even wine choices as well. If your servers will be able to answer all of their questions, your guests will be impressed.

5. Establish a dress code for your servers

The attire of your servers is also important and it should be a reflection of the spirit of your event. If you will be hosting a formal sit-down event, your servers may wear coordinated black and white. This will depend on the theme and style of your dinner party. If your dress requirements for them are unique or elaborate, maybe you can provide them uniforms to make sure that they will adhere to your ideas.

6. Pay your servers enough

Remember that during parties, guests do not usually give tips to servers. Therefore, you have to make sure that you will be paying them enough to make it worth their while to show up at your party and provide good service to your guests.

7. Pay your servers at the end of the dinner party

To ensure that your servers will stay until the end of the party, let them know that you will be giving their fee when all duties are completed. These duties can be clearing tables, washing dishes, sweeping floors, and cleaning the kitchen. Once they’ve completed their tasks, you can give them their fees and let them know that they are able to leave.

Qualities of a Good Server

1. Efficiency

Your servers should always aim to be productive. They shouldn’t, however, be running around like they’re running late for the bus. Your visitors will be unnecessarily distracted by this. Efficiency shows up in the ways listed below:

  • Calmness
  • Getting food and drink to the table promptly
  • Checking the visitor’s need periodically
  • Not making visitors wait overly long for any one thing

2. Manners

Every successful server must possess decent manners. Eye contact, a smile, politeness, pulling out chairs when necessary, listening, and consistently placing the interests of the visitors above their own are examples of these manners.

3. Friendliness

Genuine joy that the consumer is there demonstrates friendliness. The server is aware that she is in charge of ensuring that people have a positive dining experience and that her behavior plays a significant role in this. Her voice tone, the words she chooses, and the way she carries herself all convey friendliness.

4. Organization

An organized server is a wonderful server. The server must be able to manage jobs quickly and provide food, drinks, and service at the appropriate times whether he is working behind a counter or among the tables. This is crucial during busy periods, when activity is at its highest.

5. Observation

A competent server will always be focused on her customers. Could they use a drink refill or additional water? Is their bottle of wine running low? Are they attempting to catch your eye?

The server can also tell from observation whether a group is eager to leave or content to stay. This can help with other facets of the waiter’s employment, such as scheduling back-of-house tasks and serving tables at specific times.

6. Attention to Detail

Any server, whether manning the drive-through or pouring from $200 wine bottles, needs to possess this skill. Is the order finished? Do the plates’ edges need to be cleaned?

The surroundings of the visitors are also given the same level of attention. Should a spill be cleaned up? Does the tablecloth require replacement? The visitor experience can be greatly impacted by these little things, so they must always be taken care of.

7. Cleanliness

One of the most crucial qualities in a food service business is cleanliness. The importance of cleanliness, from the dishes and silverware to the common areas and the server himself, cannot be overstated. A dirty venue can ruin a terrific server and a wonderful dining experience. It only takes a little extra work to correct this flaw, thus it should always be a top priority.

8. Knowledge of the Menu

It’s essential for the server to be able to maintain track of what is being prepared when in a restaurant where the menu is constantly changing. Preparation, attention to detail, and communication are required for menu knowledge. A great server should be able to memorize this knowledge or at the very least be eager to learn how.

9. Team-oriented

The food service industry is not the best location for a lone worker. It is not a front-of-the-house versus back-of-the-house problem, as a superb server is aware of. Everyone is viewed as a member of a broader team by a superb server. She is aware that for her and the other servers to be as effective as they possibly can be, they must also develop positive working connections with the culinary staff.

Why We Should Have Servers

A party requires a lot of work to host, especially if there are many guests. A DIY theme is one of the most popular strategies to avoid the commotion. A self-serve supper in the form of a buffet, ready-to-serve cocktails, beverage coolers, and whatever else you want to include are fantastic starting points. You can guarantee there will be a lot of outside parties now that the warm weather is finally arriving.

You need to employ an extra hand, whether the event is indoors or outdoors, to iron out any issues before the night gets started. A frequent choice is to hire a butler, waitress, or bartender. But have you ever considered filling in for a member of the support staff? Our support personnel is the kind you want to hire for everything in between since they can do any job description. Here are the top justifications for enlisting party support employees.

1. Adaptable workers

The capacity of a support staff member to adjust is the main benefit of hiring them when organizing a party! The support crew may serve, set up, clean up, and even assist you with the dishes at any kind of event. This position extends beyond serving drinks and opens up a whole new world of service. When you need a helping hand for a variety of hosting duties, this form of event personnel is helpful.

2. Provide better service

Although it may seem obvious, you will provide superior service to your visitors. Every event host wants to make sure a smooth and stress-free celebration, whether it is at their house or in a location. The best thing is that because such a role requires personalization, support employees are more focused on providing superior service. Your visitors will be at ease, well-cared for, and most importantly, joyful.

3. Offers extra support

You need additional help from someone other than your good friend. Although I’m sure your wonderful friend has the greatest of intentions, it’s always wiser to take precautions. A support team is not only more competent, but also more beneficial! The support team can provide you with the kind of undivided attention and expertise you need because they have experience working at both small- and large-capacity events.

4. Impress guests

Finally, adding temporary event employees will elevate your event’s style. Visitors will be impressed by this luxury atmosphere and will inquire as to where they can find event staff services as well! You won’t regret choosing to engage a support crew to help you with all of your demands, whether it’s a private, business, or promotional gig. If you frequently host events, you could even be able to get the same support staff member each time, guaranteeing consistency.

Conclusion

You may locate and recruit servers who will contribute to the success of your dinner party by using the tips provided in this article.

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